Elevated Distribution

Western Paper: A Partner For Healthier More Hygienic Environment

We Partner with You to Reduce

Healthcare Associated Infections 

Improve Patient Satisfaction Scores

& Save Money

Western Paper Distributors Delivers:

On-Site Consultation & Training
Dedicated Healthcare Sales Consultants
Specialized Cleaning & Facility Maintenance & Operations Expertise
HAI Prevention Program
Surface Sanitation & Hand Hygiene Protocols
Equipment/Dispenser Installation & Preventative Maintenance
And Much More...

  

Download Western Paper - Healthcare Products & Services

Hand Hygeine Saves Lives - CDC Video

Environmental Services Role In Infection Prevention

Health Facilities Management

June 2010

In many respects, environmental services (ES) employees, frequently referred to as housekeeping staff in days gone by, are now recognized as a major defense against the spread of infections in hospitals.  In fact, when it comes to patient safety, no single role is more important than that of the ES team.

Thus it is time the ES field be elevated to the stature of a profession.  If patient survival rate and outcomes are to be improved, additional attention must be invested in ES staff ranging from enhanced education and training to credentialing, certifications and resources.

• Collaboration between ES and infection control teams is fundamental
• Cleaning methods involving push carts, mop buckets with wringers, terry cloths with spray bottles, water pails, string mops and dust mops have been replaced with color-coded microfiber cloths(ie yellow for toilets, blue for patient rooms), single-use mops and cleaning stations
• Examples of surfaces that must be disinfected to control contamination and prevent transmission of disease include: 

Doorknobs, Telephones, Light Switches, Clinical Equipment, Bedrails, Over-Bed Tables, Linen Hampers, Waste Receptacles, Window Sills, IV Poles, Thermometers, Monitors, Computer Keyboards, TV Controls, Nurse Call Buttons, Call Light Deactivators, Handrails, Faucet Hardware, Toilet Walls, Benches, Other High Touch Areas

• Surfaces are classified into critical and non-critical categories, dictating the cleaning protocols
• It will be important to develop a dashboard or scorecard that includes ES performance metrics tied to infection prevention patient outcomes
• While patient satisfaction surveys contain important feedback, quantitative data linked to infection control, patient safety and patient outcomes are needed for ES performance improvements

Click Here to Read The Full Article

Taking measures to reduce

Healthcare Acquired Infections. 

 

Western Paper Distributors in partnership with Network Services Company is proud to offer the innovative Healthy Measures program to reduce Healthcare Acquired Infections.  We consult with your team to reduce Healthcare Acquired Infections, streamline cleaning procedures, and elevate patient satisfact scores.  Call Western Paper Distributors at 1.800.835.4812 to learn more! 

 

Also visit the all new Healthy Measures website at www.healthymeasuresonline.com for HAI Prevention Best Practices, Training Resources, Checklists, Toolkits, Product Guides, Articles and Research.

 

Rubbermaid HYGEN Microfiber Cleaning System

Western Paper Distributors is your source for the Rubbermiad Hygen Microfiber Cleaning System.  Our sales consultants will work with you to implement a microfiber cleaning program to ensure removal of 95% of micro-organims while reducing chemical and water consumption.  To learn more watch the video overview, visit the dedicated microsite and call your Western Paper representative.

  Click to Visit the Rubbermaid Hygen Microsite

 

 

 Buy It Now!

Rubbermaid Microfiber Cloth   

RCP-Q610   Yellow     12/CS

RCP-Q620   Red, Blue, Green   12/CS

 

Rubbermaid Pulse Caddy   

RCP-Q969    EA

 

Rubbermaid 18" Wet Microfiber Cleaning Pads

RCP-Q410 12/CS

 

Rubbermaid Pulse Mopping Kit   

RCP-Q966    EA 

Hospital Infection Problem Persists - NYTimes.com

The nagging and largely solvable problem of hospital-acquired infections remains as resistant to cure as the germs that contribute to an estimated 100,000 deaths a year, according to an annual government study issued Tuesday.

Despite a renewed focus on prevention and threats of governmental sanctions, hospitals continue to see increased rates of post-operative bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported. The rates increased by 8 percent for bloodstream infections and 4 percent for urinary tract infections over the year before.

The report concluded that hospital-acquired infections merited “urgent attention.”

Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, the agency’s director, pointed out that projects across the country had shown remarkable success in reducing infection rates by adhering to basic standards for hand hygiene, disinfection of patients, sterile handling of equipment and proper use of antibiotics. But at many hospitals those successes have yet to overcome an entrenched medical culture.

“Despite promising improvements in a few areas of health care,” Dr. Clancy said, “we are not achieving the more substantial strides that are needed to address persistent gaps in quality and access.”

via www.nytimes.com

 

Taking measures to reduce

Healthcare Acquired Infections. 

 

Visit the Healthy Measures website to learn how Western Paper Distributors in partnership with Network Services Company can consult with your team to reduce Healthcare Acquired Infection, streamline cleaning procedures, and elevate patient satisfact scores.  The all new website features HAI Prevention Best Practices, Training Resources, Checklists, Toolkits, Product Guides, Articles and Research.

 

 

www.healthymeasuresonline.com

 

A 3 Step Process to Reduce HAI Occurences to Zero

Taking measures to reduce

Healthcare Acquired Infections. 

 

Visit the Healthy Measures website to learn how Western Paper Distributors in partnership with Network Services Company can consult with your team to reduce Healthcare Acquired Infection, streamline cleaning procedures, and elevate patient satisfact scores.  The all new website features HAI Prevention Best Practices, Training Resources, Checklists, Toolkits, Product Guides, Articles and Research.

 

 

www.healthymeasuresonline.com

 

 

A 3 Step Process to Reduce HAI Occurences to Zero:

 

1.    Interviews with key personnel help to determine the current situation and establish targeted goals.

 

 

2.  The site survey divides the hospital into zone, patient areas, public areas and staff areas.  This makes test points easier to identify, manage and assess.

 

3. The solution proposal is the final step in which a collaborative plan is determined.  Based on scorecard results, suggestions for improvements, a plan of action and implementation is developed.

 

 

 

For Some Germs, Cleaning Prevention The Only Answer - NYTimes.com

  

 The germ is one of a category of bacteria that by some estimates are already killing tens of thousands of hospital patients each year. While the organisms do not receive as much attention as the one known as MRSA— for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — some infectious-disease specialists say they could emerge as a bigger threat.

That is because there are several drugs, including some approved in the last few years, that can treat MRSA. But for a combination of business reasons and scientific challenges, the pharmaceuticalsindustry is pursuing very few drugs for Acinetobacter and other organisms of its type, known as Gram-negative bacteria. Meanwhile, the germs are evolving and becoming ever more immune to existing antibiotics.

“In many respects it’s far worse than MRSA,” said Dr. Louis B. Rice, an infectious-disease specialist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland V.A. Medical Center and at Case Western Reserve University. “There are strains out there, and they are becoming more and more common, that are resistant to virtually every antibiotic we have.”

Some patient advocacy groups say hospitals need to take better steps to prevent such infections, like making sure that health care workers frequently wash their hands and that surfaces and instruments are disinfected. And antibiotics should not be overused, they say, because that contributes to the evolution of resistance.

via www.nytimes.com

Taking measures to reduce

Healthcare Acquired Infections. 

 

Healthy Measures is designed to:

+   Reduce HAI occurrences associated with cleaning and hand hygiene to zero

 

+   Engage key decision makers in a cooperative process to create a healthier environment for patients, visitors and staff

 

+   Implement best practices for surface sanitation and hand hygiene

 

+   Provide a disciplined means by which to measure continuous improvement

 

+   Create a healthier environment to enhance patient satisfaction and facility reputation

 
Western Paper Distributors in partnership with Network Services Company has certified Sales Consultants with the special training to effectively evaluate and implement the Healthy Measures Program. 

To learn more visit www.healthymeasuresonline.com and ask your Western Paper Sales Consultant about how you can participate in the program. 

2009 Infection Prevention & Hospital Cleaning Survey

In 2009 Health Facilities Management, Materials Management in Health Care, the American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES) and the Associateion for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) teamed up to condect a survey which has clearly demonstrated that hospitals are implementing new technologies and better monitoring practices to fight infections. 

The following charts are taken from the December 2009 Issue of Health Facilities Management.  For the full article Click Here

 

Cleaning Practices and Technologies Hospitals Routinely Employ to Disinfect Patient Rooms

 

Steps hospitals have taken to optimize environmental services staff performance

 

Featured Product: 3M Clean-Trace ATP System

 

The 3M Clean-Trace™ ATP System helps address the problem of healthcare associated infections (HAI’s) by detecting the presence of organic contamination you cannot see. A surface may look clean, but that’s no guarantee.  In 30 seconds, the 3M™ Clean-Trace™ ATP System rapid hygiene test allows you to assess and measure cleanliness – as well as validate the efficacy of your cleaning protocols and performance.  Easy and reliable, the 3M™ Clean-Trace™ ATP System is a quality assurance tool that can benefit hospitals, clinics, surgical centers, and nursing facilities.

 

Click For More Information

Ask your Western Paper Sales Consultant about our complete healthcare cleaning solution for HAI prevention.

SECOND OPINION | Hospital Acquired Infection | PBS

It's a paradox.  People go into the hospital to get well.  Yet, every year in the U.S. over 2 million of them go into hospitals and get sick with a hospital-acquired infection.  The outcome can be deadly.  Over 100,000 patients die from these infections each year – more than car accidents, breast cancer and AIDS combined – according to the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID).  And, they're expensive.  It's been estimated that patients who contract an infection in the hospital stay an average of 20.6 days compared with 4.5 days for other patients, and their hospital stays cost six times more.  The estimates for society as a whole range from $5 to $30.5 billion every year.

If these numbers surprise you, you're not alone.... http://www.pbs.org/secondop...

Technology Could Reduce Hospital Infections - Education News Story - KMGH Denver

Conservative estimates indicate that the cost of hospital-acquired infections is at least $30 billion per year in the United States. About half of the infections are attributable to improper hand-washing," said Dr. Don Dennis, a professor at the departments of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Psychiatry at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.

To help remedy the problem, researchers are testing a technology inspired by alcohol detection tests that sniffs out good hand hygiene.

After a nurse or doctor washes their hands, a sensor communicates with a special badge. When they get within 5 feet of a patient, a monitor near the bed reads the badge and flashes green.

If they pass the 90-second window before seeing a patient, the badge vibrates.

"The idea is that as soon as you wash your hands, you go immediately into the care of the patient," said Dr. Richard J. Melker, a professor of Anesthesiology, Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida in Gainsville, Fla.

Healthcare workers report the system is making a difference.

via www.thedenverchannel.com

News: Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI)

Healthcare-associated infections are infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving treatment for other conditions within a healthcare setting. Healthcare-associated infections are one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC is committed to helping all Americans receive the best and safest care when they are treated at a hospital or other healthcare facility.

CDC strives to understand how healthcare-associated infections happen and to develop appropriate interventions. A new report from CDC updates previous estimates of healthcare-associated infections. In American hospitals alone, healthcare-associated infections account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year. Of these infections:

• 32 percent of all healthcare-associated infection are urinary tract infections
• 22 percent are surgical site infections
• 15 percent are pneumonia (lung infections)
• 14 percent are bloodstream infections
• AVERAGE COST TO HOSPITAL - $14,000 PER INCIDENT 

CDC - INFECTION CONTROL

Western Paper Distributors has the unique expertise and consultative solutions to partner with your team to create a healthier environment for patients, staff and visitors.