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The Texas Hospital Association and its marketing subsidiary, HealthShare,recently endorsed MedMined(TM) services from Cardinal Health as an effectivetool to help combat HAIs, improve patient care and dramatically reduceinfection-related costs.
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Every day as many as 240 Americans die from HAIs while others endureextended hospital stays and prolonged recovery periods. The problem is soextensive it affects one in every 20 patients and costs the U.S. health careindustry an estimated $20 billion annually. A report released by the U.S.Government Accountability Office earlier this year demonstrates thattechnology greatly enhances hospitals' ability to prevent infections.
MedMined(TM) services offer infection surveillance for the entire hospitalthat alerts clinicians to early signs of an emerging infection issue to targetimprovement efforts at the right place and the right time. Using data miningtools similar to those used by credit card companies to monitor unauthorizedpurchases, this patented technology automatically identifies patternsindicative of specific and correctable quality breakdowns to prevent and treatHAIs successfully.
"Hospitals across the country are working to find the best, most effectiveway to prevent HAIs," says Jim Dixon, president and CEO of HealthShare. "Ourexhaustive research shows MedMined(TM) services can help Texas hospitalsenhance patient safety and save money. That's a win-win for patients andhospitals alike. These services also provide hospitals with the comprehensivedata they need for both internal assessment and state reporting purposeswithout adding any data entry to the workload."
Currently, 23 states have established mandatory HAI public reportingsystems. MedMined(TM) services provide mandatory reporting solutions for manyhospitals throughout the country through patented technology. The NosocomialInfection Marker (NIM) objectively identifies infections across the entirehospital through analysis of the hospital's laboratory data. The technologyalso allows infection preventionists to review all NIMs, verify infections arepresent and automate the report submission process that fulfills statereporting requirements.
"Hospitals are dedicated to helping patients, but they do so in anincredibly challenging environment," said Patrick Hymel, M.D., vice presidentand general manager of Cardinal Health MedMined(TM) services. "To succeed,they need new tools -- like MedMined(TM) services -- that not only improvepatient care and outcomes, but help them meet reporting requirements andreduce costs."
In addition to the THA and HealthShare endorsement, more than 35 hospitalsin Texas participate in the Texas Hospital Quality Initiative, a partnershipbetween Cardinal Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). Throughthe partnership, BCBSTX and Cardinal Health collaborate to drive rapidadoption of technologies that can reduce HAIs to save lives and lower healthcare costs.
Nationwide, more than 300 hospitals depend on MedMined(TM) services fromCardinal Health to help them detect, monitor, prevent and measure outcomesrelated to HAIs, making them the market leader in HAI surveillance technology.On average hospitals using MedMined(TM) services have realized more than a 13percent reduction of HAIs in the first year and have repeatedly produced anaverage 300 percent internal rate of return within 12 months.
About Texas Hospital Association and HealthShare
Founded in 1930, the Texas Hospital Association is the leadershiporganization and principal advocate for the state's hospitals and health caresystems. THA enhances its members' abilities to improve accessibility, qualityand cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans. One of the largesthospital associations in the country, THA represents nearly 85 percent of thestate's hospitals and health care systems, which employ some 320,000 healthcare professionals statewide. HealthShare is a wholly owned subsidiary of THA,whose mission is to market best-of-breed, competitively priced products andservices offered through THA-endorsed vendors that enhance hospitals' quality,service and financial stability.
About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $91billion, 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)electronic infection surveillance service, VIASYS(R) respiratory care productsand the CareFusion(TM) patient identification system. The company alsomanufactures medical and surgical products and is one of the largestdistributors of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies worldwide. Ranked No. 19on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 40,000 people on fivecontinents. More information about the company may be found atwww.cardinalhealth.com.
SOURCE Cardinal Health
