Hutchinson, KS – Hutchinson Regional Medical Center was well represented as a result of
presentations from several hospital staff members at the sixth annual Kansas Healthcare
Collaborative Summit on Quality on October 17 in Wichita.
The idea for the day-long meeting saw its inception in 2008 when the Kansas Medical Society
and the Kansas Hospital Association joined forces to form the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative.
Founders of the Collaborative established a long range goal of engaging and aligning healthcare
providers to insure the state as a role model for the nation in the area of healthcare quality.
Physicians, Hospital Administrators, Nurses, Quality Improvement Directors, Risk Managers
and Infection Prevention Officials from healthcare facilities throughout Kansas were in
attendance at the Wichita meeting.
Julie Wiens, RN, MSN, WCC; Skin/Wound Care RN at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center,
presented a poster entitled: “Targeting Zero: Preventing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers,”
sometimes referred to as bed sores.
Wiens said pressure ulcers are a significant concern for the nation’s acute care facilities, but is
a medical issue on the decline as the result of a prevention program established at Hutchinson
Regional Medical Center.
The program, according to Wiens, has far exceeded expectations.
Wiens’ poster detailed components of the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center program which
she shared with other healthcare contemporaries in attendance. Following the presentation,
Wiens was available for one-on-one consultation with other delegates to respond to questions.
Courtney Eales, RN, ICU Charge Nurse; Shana Eaves, RN, ICU; and Lori Pauls, RN, BSN, ICU
Charge Nurse; delivered a poster presentation entitled “Surviving Sepsis.”
Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening infection that can trigger inflammation that may
potentially damage multiple organ systems, causing each to fail.
A program established at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center in January 2014 has produced
favorable results and an education program for hospital staff has significantly improved
treatment methods including early detection.
Eales, Eaves and Pauls prepared a poster highlighting the Hutchinson program and its success to
date.
Kevin Miller, F.A.C.H.E., President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, said
teamwork is extremely important among healthcare facilities across the nation.
“A healthy interchange of ideas among healthcare facilities is vitally important and the Summit
on Quality accomplished that objective,” Miller said. “At Hutchinson Regional Medical Center,
we are pleased to share our success stories with other healthcare facilities and, at the same time,
gain knowledge from other hospitals of new innovative programs that are working for them. It is
a win-win for healthcare in Kansas.”
Hutchinson Regional Medical Center is a member of the Hutchinson Regional Healthcare
System. Other members include Health-E-Quip, Horizons Mental Health Center, Hospice and
HomeCare of Reno County, Ray E. Dillon Living Center and the Hutchinson Regional Medical
Foundation.
