Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on Aug. 26.
Carl Vinson VA Medical Center staff are kicking off a new Hospital Acquired Pneumonia Prevention by Engaging Nurses (HAPPEN) initiative pilot program Thurs., Aug. 26. HAPPEN educates and equips Nurse Managers, who are responsible for residential Community Living Centers (CLC), to train their staff and appoint Nurse Champions to oversee oral care practices for residing Veterans.
The HAPPEN initiative improves the oral care among Veterans residing at Carl Vinson VAMC and those staying temporarily in the Medical Surgical unit while also reducing hospital-acquired pneumonia. Poor oral hygiene habits, food particles, and bacteria are leading causes of hospital-acquired pneumonia—a preventable respiratory illness that significantly affects older Veterans who reside in CLCs. Prior to the official kickoff, HAPPEN was implemented for practical application to refine the program and work out unforeseen challenges.
“Our dental team saw a need for improvement with oral hygiene among our Veteran residents and we created a plan that achieves several outcomes,” Dental Hygienist Michelle Lord said. “By working collaboratively with Nurse Managers, Veterans will be monitored, or assisted, with oral hygiene practices daily reducing the number of hospital-acquired pneumonia cases we report annually.”
Lord is part of an internal VA-led training program called Emerging VA Leaders, or EVAL. EVAL is an eight-month program that focuses on building leadership skills in a multitude of areas for staff in middle management positions looking to advance their careers. Prior to graduation, students must complete a capstone project resulting in a real-time process improvement with measurable goals.
“The HAPPEN initiative has the potential to not only be a best practice at Dublin VAMC. We are extremely proud of our Dental and CLC staff for making the services we offer to our Veterans even better,” Interim Medical Center Director Ronnie Smith said. “Significant reduction in hospital-acquired pneumonia is a great goal but improving our Veterans’ quality of life while providing their loved ones with peace of mind is priceless.”
The initiative will be started in Cardinal Circle and Freedom Lane, two of the five total Community Living Centers at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. After more data is analyzed and Nurse Managers measure effectiveness, HAPPEN will be implemented at CLCs facility wide.
For more information, media inquiries, or schedule interviews, contact Public Affairs Specialist James Huckfeldt at 478-272-1210 ext. 3531 or at James.Huckfeldt@VA.gov.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce
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