CentraState Medical Center’s ICU/CCU nurse manager Anne Shelton, MSN, BSN, CCRN, was recently selected by the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) to participate on a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) committee for a national collaborative. The AHRQ Safety Program for Intensive Care Units: Preventing Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infection (CLABSI) and Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) is a quality improvement program that targets ICUs with persistently elevated infection rates in the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This program will run over the next two years with the aim of improving infection rates throughout the country.
As a TEP committee member, Shelton will work with other nationally recognized and well-respected experts in the areas of patient safety, quality improvement, healthcare-associated infections, teamwork, and change implementation, as well as stakeholder representatives over the next two years. She will work with the committee to provide input to the National Project Team based on her knowledge and experience to help guide the implementation and assessment of interventions to reduce infections.
Shelton, a nurse manager in critical care for more than 36 years, received her BSN and MSN at Thomas Edison State University. She earned a seat on this panel based on her years of experience and efforts in spearheading CentraState’s participation in the CUSP program through the NJHA—for which CentraState received recognition for the most improved scores at the end of the collaborative. Shelton was also instrumental in CentraState’s participation in the NJHA Sepsis Collaborative and helped to develop a checklist to identify the early signs and symptoms of sepsis and instituted steps to improve outcomes through timely identification, early fluid resuscitation, antibiotic administration, and appropriate lab work.
In 2016, Shelton was asked to be the clinical liaison for the CAUTI/CLABSI Initiative through the NJHA for the state of New Jersey. This opportunity provided her with insight into the challenges organizations face throughout the state, including providing evidence-based care that will reduce the potential for harm to all patients. With Shelton’s involvement, CentraState was able to identify areas for improvement to ensure that best practices are standardized and practiced in all areas of its facility, resulting in only one CAUTI case and one CLABSI case in CentraState’s ICU in 2017. Shelton was also part of the development of a nurse-driven protocol for the discontinuation of Foley catheters based on CMS guidelines.
“Anne’s placement on this national panel is a testament to her dedication to improving patient health and outcomes,” says Cathleen Janzekovich, assistant vice president, Nursing, CentraState Healthcare System. “Her involvement in shaping the way our hospital aims to prevent infections is inspirational and commendable. CentraState is fortunate and proud to have such a forward-thinking, patient-focused nurse manager to help guide all of our clinicians in their efforts to providing the highest-quality and safest care possible to all of our patients.”
About HRET
HRET is the not-for-profit research and education affiliate of the AHA. HRET’s mission is to transform health care through research and education. HRET’s applied research seeks to create new knowledge, tools and assistance in improving the delivery of health care by providers and practitioners within the communities they serve.
About CentraState
CentraState Healthcare System is a nonprofit community health organization consisting of an acute-care hospital, a health and wellness campus, three senior living communities, a Family Medicine Residency Program, and a charitable foundation. CentraState’s teaching program is sponsored by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.