Aug. 21, 2009

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Communications Department
(320) 251-2700, ext. 74980

Intensivist program at St. Cloud Hospital celebrates five years

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – August 23, 2009 marks the 5-year anniversary of the intensivist-directed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) program at St. Cloud Hospital. The ICU program was one of the first in the state to have doctors trained and certified in the specialty of critical care medicine.

Scott Davis, MD, Medical Director of the ICU, was instrumental in getting the program off the ground. He later was joined by Drs. John Olsen and Sandeep Jain. These doctors work exclusively in Intensive Care to respond to urgent patient needs. Pulmonologists Jeff Kowitz, MD, Keith Leavell, MD, David Risher, MD and David Shuster, MD, also assist with the Critical Care Program.

With the support of the intensivist program, multiple quality initiatives have been started including evidence-based practice related to sepsis, ventilator, and delirium management and prevention of ICU acquired infections. Significant achievements since implementing the program in 2004 include:

A 35 percent reduction in sepsis mortality, saving more than $2 million and at least 124 lives;
Through implementation of a delirium bundle in 2007, patients with delirium have had a reduction in time spent on mechanical ventilation, a reduced length of stay and an overall cost savings of $1 million for FY 09;
16 consecutive months without a VAP (Ventilator Associated Pneumonia), which calculates to five lives saved; and
10 consecutive months without a central line associated blood stream infection.

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