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Novant Health and Presbyterian are raising the bar for healthcare quality with the help of two clean hand monitors and a comprehensive hand hygiene campaign. From observing hand hygiene practices to educating staff on the correct way to wash their hands, the monitors are helping to improve patient care at Novant hospitals and other facilities.

Nurse Renae Spradlin makes sure that employees in direct patient contact areas wash or sanitize their hands appropriately. She travels throughout Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews and Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital regularly to educate staff on proper hand hygiene and document outcomes. Another clean hand monitor observes nurses, physicians and students at Forsyth Medical Center, Medical Park Hospital and Thomasville Medical Center.

"Hand washing is very important to our patients and to the people who are caring for them," said Renae. "Staff education is an ongoing process and constant reminders will help us achieve our goal."

The hand hygiene monitors are part of an aggressive campaign to increase the awareness among hospital staff, patients and visitors about the importance of correct hand hygiene. The campaign includes many components, including a billboard with the message "Washing hands saves lives;" new computer wallpaper to serve as a hand hygiene reminder; a series of posters posted throughout the hospitals with messages such as "What you cant see is killing them" and "You could kill him with your bare hands;" cling stickers for bathroom mirrors; yard signs displayed throughout hospital campuses; and special stickers posted on hospital parking gate arms reminding employees that "Its a dirty world out there. Wash your hands!" More tactics will be unveiled in stages to keep the important message fresh on employees and the community's - minds.

The hand hygiene campaign is just one way that Presbyterian and Novant are helping to improve the health of the communities it serves. For more details about the campaign or to speak to a quality expert at Presbyterian, please call Presbyterian's media phone at 704-617-2631.