Six physicians awarded for outstanding leadership in hand hygiene

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Proventix Systems, Inc. of Birmingham, Ala. awarded the Lathem Physician Leadership Award in Hand Hygiene to six physicians who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and leadership in hand hygiene in their facilities.

The 2012 recipients are Dr. Scott James, Infectious Disease/Virology Specialist at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., Dr. William O'Byrne, Anesthesiologist at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., Dr. Tracy Osborne, Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease Specialist at TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., Dr. Blal Zafar, Hospitalist at River Park Hospital in McMinnville, Tenn., Dr. Ty Hughston, Internal Medicine Specialist at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo, Texas and Dr. Michael Darville, Clinical Director ICU at Doctors Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas. This year's recipients are recognized as dedicated leaders of change within their facilities and provide outstanding examples of excellence in leadership and hand hygiene to patients, visitors and staff members.

Created in honor of Dr. Mickey Lathem of Birmingham's Shelby Baptist Medical Center, the Lathem Award recognizes high-quality, compassionate care to patients through exemplary hand hygiene practices. He or she demonstrates quality through personal compliance and vocal, active leadership. This year's winners continue to provide guidance in hand hygiene and ensure routine interaction with their staff while providing education and reminders of the importance of hand washing to reduce and prevent infections.

Effective hand hygiene helps combat healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) that, in the United States, affect about one in every 20 patients, and kill and estimated 100,000 people each year. Physicians and healthcare workers recognize that proper hand-hygiene can have a substantial impact on the reduction of infections and result in increased safety for patients, healthcare workers and themselves. Leadership, like that provided by this year's Lathem Award recipients, is a critical key to combating HAIs and saving lives.

Nominations for the Lathem Award were made by colleagues who observed the nominee's leadership and quality practices. "Dr. James proved instrumental in recruiting the necessary physician support that contributed greatly to the success of [Children's of Alabama's] pilot [hand-hygiene] project," said Katie Stockton, Data Specialist – Risk Management at Children's of Alabama. "Dr. James committed nearly five months to the pilot effort which resulted in almost 10 percent increase in hand-hygiene compliance among staff and a marked decrease in HAIs."

"Dr. Osborne has built rapport with the staff at TriStar Southern Hills," said Chris Staigl, Director of Medical, Surgical and IP Rehab at TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center. "She provides leadership and guidance with our infection control RN and routinely interacts with our staff providing education on the importance of hand washing to reduce and prevent infections."

"Creating a culture of improved hand hygiene is the most important aspect to preventing infections," said Harvey Nix, CEO of Proventix Systems, Inc. "Physician-led quality improvement efforts have shown to create effective traction and positive results in healthcare. The Lathem Award was created to recognize those physicians who lead by example in making patients' lives safer. Their commitment to promote excellence in leadership and hand hygiene among fellow physicians and healthcare workers is how we reduce infections and save lives."

Proventix Systems, Inc., based in Birmingham, Alabama, is a technology company whose mission is to eliminate the human and economic costs of infectious disease in healthcare. They provide tools and services for quality compliance monitoring, active point of care communication, and successful behavior modification. Visit: www.proventix.com 

Media Contact: Greg Neil, [email protected] 205.383.1156 or [email protected]

SOURCE Proventix Systems, Inc.