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ENH wins patient safety award, 2007

Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) is the recipient of this year's John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award. ENH has been recognized for its MRSA Reduction Program Team. ENH was the first in the country to begin a universal MRSA surveillance program, swabbing all inpatients at its three hospitals for the MRSA bacteria beginning in 2005, well before any recommendations from state lawmakers.

This award, sponsored by the National Quality Forum (NQF) and The Joint Commission, recognizes ENH for local innovation when it comes to patient safety. ENH's MRSA screening program involves performing nasal swabs for colonization during the hospital admission process. A new molecular diagnostic technique called a real-time PCR is used to quickly assess MRSA infection. This allows hospital staff to promptly identify and isolate infected patients.

For more information about the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award, please visit the Joint Commission website.