Jennifer Hadley, RN, BSN, CIC, is the director of quality for Siouxland Surgery Center in Dakota Dunes, S.D., a position she was named to in March. In this role, Ms. Hadley is responsible for program planning and evaluation, quality compliance, patient safety and satisfaction and epidemiological investigations. She also educates staff, patients and physicians about best practices in infection prevention and quality. Mr. Hadley first joined SSC in June 2011.
The AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement recently awarded SSC the 2012 Bernard A. Kershner Innovations in Quality Improvement Award. The ASC was recognized for its research on decreasing surgical site infections in knee, hip and spinal fusion procedures.
The surgery center’s new infection prevention program, which includes a new workflow pattern in the decontamination room to minimize cross-contamination, helped minimize lumbar spine infection rates by 61.5 percent. In addition, hip and knee infection rates fell to zero last quarter.
“Everyone on the leadership team and staff collaborated on the redesign and implementation of new processes and received detailed training on the new processes,” said Ms. Hadley. “It worked. Everyone took ownership, and infections have been reduced to zero in the last quarter. It feels good knowing every employee, every day is doing their best for every patient.”
Prior to joining SSC, Ms. Hadley worked as a nurse at Iowa Health Systems for nearly 12 years.
