St. Bernard Parish Hospital Listed Among Nation’s Best for Lowest Clostridioides difficile Infection Rate

St. Bernard Parish Hospital is one of 331 hospitals across the United States with the lowestClostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection rate, maintaining an infection rate of zero from October 1, 2019, to March 3, 2021.

C. diff is a rare infection but it is the most common infection associated with healthcare in the U.S. with 75% of cases resulting from hospital-onset. The infection is known to cause severe diarrhea and colitis, otherwise known as inflammation of the colon. According to the CDC, one in 11 people over the age of 65 diagnosed with healthcare-associated C. diff infection die within one month. 

Patients are most susceptible to C. diff when taking antibiotics or not long after patients have stopped taking antibiotics. Other risk factors include a recent stay at a hospital or nursing home, age 65 or older and previous infection with C. diff or known exposure to germs. A weakened immune system is also a risk factor. This includes people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and organ transplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs. 

St. Bernard Parish Hospital employs several preventative strategies to ensure a low C. diff infection rate, including promoting good hand hygiene, providing C. diff culture education for providers and nurses, daily multidisciplinary rounding to curb antibiotic overuse, and chart review by infection control and nurse leadership.

“St. Bernard Parish Hospital is very proud of this recognition, as it is a testament to the quality of our infection control procedures. The patients we serve in this community are our number one priority and we strive each day to make sure they receive the highest quality of care. The dedication of our employees, nurses, and physicians makes designations like this possible,” said Kim Keene, chief executive officer, St. Bernard Parish Hospital.

Becker’s list of the 331 hospitals was created based on infection data from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Data was collected through the National Healthcare Safety Network with measures developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data from the second quarter of 2020 was not included due to the global pandemic.

A community-owned facility managed by Ochsner Health, St. Bernard Paris Hospital provides high-quality, comprehensive, cost-effective care services to the residents of St. Bernard Parish. With 400 professionals and more than 100 physicians, St. Bernard Parish Hospital has served more than 140,000 patients since 2017, offering inpatient and outpatient services at the hospital facility and medical office building. 

St. Bernard Parish Hospital is owned by the Hospital Service District of the Parish of St. Bernard, State of Louisiana, a political subdivision of the State, and managed by Ochsner Health. For more information about St. Bernard Hospital visit www.ochsner.org/sbph.

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