100,000 Lives Campaign in Wisconsin

From the Wisconsin Hospital Association's website. We're researching ED Physician's involvement in one of the initiatives, Rapid Response Teams

"Saving 100,000 Lives By June 2006"

Seven Wisconsin health care organizations have come together to form what is referred to as a "node" in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) 100,000 Lives Campaign. Organized by MetaStar, the node will disseminate improvement tools and provide support to health care providers throughout Wisconsin as they seek to improve the care provided to Wisconsin patients. Joining MetaStar in the node are the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, Wisconsin Hospital Association, Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Nurses Association, and Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives.

The 100,000 Lives Campaign aims to enlist thousands of hospitals across the country in a commitment to prevent unnecessary deaths through the implementation of six changes in health care. These changes and the Wisconsin node member taking the lead for each are:

Acute Myocardial Infarction Care: MetaStar
Prevention of Surgical Site Infections: MetaStar
Prevention of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: MetaStar
Prevention of Central Line Infections: MetaStar
Medication Reconciliation: Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Hospital Association
Rapid Response Teams: Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives
Through the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative Roundtables, rural hospitals will have an opportunity to discuss interventions in various areas of the campaign.

The challenge put forth by IHI is to implement these changes in 18 months, from December 2004 to June 2006, to prevent 100,000 avoidable deaths. Wisconsin hospitals are not required to formally join the IHI 100,000 Lives Campaign to utilize the information that will be organized and distributed by the Wisconsin node.