Hospital Receives Leadership Award For Outstanding ICU Care

NEW MILFORD — VHA Inc, a national health care alliance, recently recognized New Milford Hospital for providing excellent care to patients in its intensive care unit (ICU). The 2008 VHA Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence honors organizations that have distinguished themselves from other members by meeting or exceeding national performance standards in specific clinical categories.

The hospital was honored at VHA’s Leadership Conference in Philadelphia May 4.

VHA serves more than 1,400 not-for-profit hospitals nationwide, and New Milford hospital is one of 49 VHA-member hospitals to be recognized for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients in the intensive care unit.

“This award validates the dedicated focus of our clinical staff and physicians in pursuing excellence in the care provided to our intensive care patients,” said Joseph P. Frolkis, MD, PhD, president and CEO, New Milford Hospital. 

“Intensive care patients are extremely vulnerable to infections,” said Trent Haywood, MD, JD, chief medical officer at VHA. “New Milford Hospital has achieved what was once thought of as unattainable: zero cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia over a long period of time.  That’s quite an accomplishment.”

 “Our participation in VHA helps us achieve higher levels of performance in all areas, both operationally and clinically, so we were pleased to be recognized for our efforts in the ICU,” said Dr Frolkis.  

Patients in the ICU are often sicker than other patients, and therefore, more susceptible to developing complications, such as ventilator-associated pneumonia.  Providing better care to these patients can reduce the likelihood for complications that could lengthen hospital stays. 

To receive the award in this category, New Milford Hospital had to demonstrate that its ICU applied specific processes to eliminate or reduce the risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia.  The standard for eliminating infections was zero cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia over at least a continuous 12-month time period.  

For information, visit www.newmilfordhospital.org.