
No VAPs – It CAN Be Done!
Advocate Health Care
Oak Brook, Illinois, USA
Team
Scott Saran, MD, Advocate Health Centers Steve Sokalski, DO, Christ Medical Center Connie Cutler, Oak Brook Support Center Elona MacLeod, Oak Brook Support Center John Alban, Illinois Masonic Medical Center Jane Bechtold, South Suburban Hospital Beth Beck, Christ Medical Center Zein Bertacchi, Good Shepherd Hospital Teresa Chou, Illinois Masonic Medical Center Susan Cienkus, South Suburban Hospital Mike Costello, PhD, ACL Laboratories Diane Dickens Bethany Hospital Kathleen Dorich, Advocate Home Health Lori Ellerman-Roark, Touhy Support Center David Gascoigne, Supply Chain Management Sharon Gerc, Touhy Support Center Marge Gribogiannis, Lutheran General Hospital Lynn Guibourdanche, Lutheran General Hospital Janet Havel, ACL Laboratories John Hunter, ACL Laboratories Wilfred Jean-Jacques, MD, Trinity Hospital Lynwood Jones, MD, Good Shepherd Hospital Rene Karon, Good Samaritan Hospital Mark Kiezel, Lutheran General Hospital Louise Kuhny, Good Samaritan Hospital David Lucks, MD, Dreyer Medical Clinic Jim Malow, MD, Illinois Masonic Medical Center Karen Martin, Christ Medical Center Beth Navarro, Advocate Health Centers Emmy Lou O'Connor, Good Samaritan Hospital Nianci Pan, Trinity Hospital Darin Roark, Supply Chain Management Lisa Russell, MD, Bethany Hospital Rene Santos, MD, South Suburban Hospital Jay Schamberg, MD, ACL Laboratories Sally Schlatter, Lutheran General Hospital Jo Sheehan, Good Shepherd Hospital Shari Springs-Phillips, MD, Touhy Support Center Julie Stamos, MD, Lutheran General Hospital Terra Suriano, Lutheran General Hospital Adam Treitman, Christ Medical Center David Waitley, MD, Good Samaritan Hospital Pamela Warnick, MD, Advocate Health Centers
Aim
To decrease the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) per 1,000 ventilator days to zero.
Measures
Changes
Sites implemented the following change initiatives:
- Implementing an oral care protocol every 2-8 hours for all patients on mechanical ventilation.
- Enlisting all staff (bedside nurses to dietary) to monitor keeping the head of bed elevated.
- Utilizing the Ventilator Bundle Checklist to begin to monitor compliance with all interventions (via the eICU).
Results


Summary of Results / Lessons Learned / Next Steps
- Involve associates in the change process.
- Provide unit specific data to associates in order to demonstrate their involvement does have an impact.
- Celebrate your success – two articles have been published on the VAP study:
- Schleder B, Stott K, Lloyd R. The effect of a comprehensive oral care protocol on patients at risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia. J Advocate Health Care. Spring-Summer 2002;4:27-30.
- Cutler C, Davis N. Improving oral care in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Am J Crit Care. 2005:14:389-394.
- Share your process and results with other institutions.
- Educate new staff regarding expectations and re-monitor.
Contact Information
Cindy Welsh, RN, MBA, Administrator Clinical Excellence Advocate Health Care cindy.welsh@advocatehealth.com
[Storyboard presentation at IHI's National Forum, December 2005]
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