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Cardinal Health is deploying a new MRSA Scorecard to hospitals thatmonitor infections using the company's MedMined(TM) services. The newscorecard provides a hospital-wide view of MRSA, allowing infection controlpractitioners to track the types and locations of MRSA infections throughoutthe hospital. The MRSA Scorecard uses Cardinal Health's patent-pendingNosocomial Infection Marker (NIM) methodology, which allows hospitals toidentify patients who have tested positive for the bacteria and distinguishbetween those who likely acquired the infection in the hospital. Through thisreal-time view, hospitals can rapidly dispatch resources to limit the spreadof infections.
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The MRSA scorecard is available to all hospitals using MedMined(TM)services and will be offered free of charge for four months through asponsorship program from BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company).
"The MRSA Scorecard will help hospitals make evidence-based decisionsabout the most appropriate way to respond to MRSA in their facilities," saidPatrick Hymel, MD, vice president and medical director for Cardinal Health'sMedMined(TM) services. "This new tool enables a comprehensive and consistentapproach to preventing these dangerous infections."
Cardinal Health provides nearly 250 major U.S. hospitals with automatedelectronic infection prevention surveillance and management systems designedto identify health care associated infections (HAIs) in real time, enablingimmediate interventions to prevent subsequent adverse patient events.
HAIs affect one in 20 patients admitted each year. According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eradicating MRSA has becomea national priority -- one that requires all health care facilities andagencies to assume responsibility. A recent national survey done by theAssociation for Professions in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)indicates an estimated 46 per 1,000 patients are either infected or colonizedwith MRSA annually, a rate about 10 times greater than previous MRSAestimates.(2) As a result, most U.S. hospitals are in the process ofdesigning and implementing aggressive infection prevention programs designedto stop the spread of MRSA in their health care institutions.
About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is an $87billion, global company serving the health care industry with products andservices that help hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies reduce costs,improve safety, productivity and profitability, and deliver better care topatients. With a focus on making supply chains more efficient, reducinghospital-acquired infections and breaking the cycle of harmful medicationerrors, Cardinal Health develops market-leading technologies, includingAlaris(R) IV pumps, Pyxis(R) automated dispensing systems, MedMined(TM) datamining service and the CareFusion(TM) patient identification system. Thecompany also manufactures medical and surgical products and is one of thelargest distributors of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies worldwide.Ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500 and No. 1 in its sector on Fortune's rankingof Most Admired firms, Cardinal Health employs more than 40,000 people on fivecontinents. More information about the company may be found atwww.cardinalhealth.com.(1) "Invasive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in the United States," The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 298 No. 15, October 17, 2007. (2) Association for Profession
