Advocate Children's Hospital Celebrates Safety Week 2025

SPS is celebrating Safety Week on March 9-15! In celebration of #SPSsafetyweek2025, we’re highlighting the awesome patient and employee safety improvement work within our organizations! Next up is Advocate Children's Hospital, who is celebrating their HAC teams and their pharmacy team. As a hospital within a hospital and a bi-campus facility, Advocate Children's Hospital has multiple ICUs and shared services.

Unplanned Extubation (UE)

• PICU Oak Lawn Campus: One year UE-free and counting

• PICU Park Ridge Campus: UE-free for 500 days

• NICU: UE rate decreased from 0.93 (2023) to 0.72 (2024)

• All ICUs: UE rate decreased from 0.74 (2023) to 0.47 (2024)

Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI)

• NICU Oak Lawn Campus: Achieved a 72% reduction in CLABSI rates

Falls

• Zero falls with moderate or severe injury

Peripheral Intravenous Infiltration and Extravasation (PIVIE)

• Zero PIVIEs with serious harm

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI)

• Park Ridge Campus CAUTI-Free Units:

  • PICU: 2 years

  • General Pediatrics: 6 years

• Oak Lawn Campus CAUTI-Free Units:

  • PCICU: 4 years

  • PICU: 2 years

  • 4 Hope: 4 years

  • 2 Hope: 12 years

  • NICU: 11 years

Pressure Injuries

• Zero Stage 3, 4, or unstageable pressure injuries

---

The pharmacy team at Advocate Children's Hospital operates with a proactive approach and consistently make "good catches," safeguarding patients from potential harm. In 2024, over 700 "good catches" were identified by the pharmacy team. They collaborate with nursing and physicians to ensure the medications administered to patients are safe and effective. Here are some examples:

• Chemotherapy Order Review: An oncology pharmacist noted that chemotherapy orders did not align with a patient's weight and treatment. The pharmacist cross-referenced the order with the latest treatment guidelines, consulted with the prescribing physician, and ensured the order was corrected promptly. This prevented severe adverse effects for the young patient.

• Discharge Prescription Review: A pharmacist reviewing discharge prescriptions for a 3-week-old patient identified an error in the prescribed Magnesium dose. After consulting with the physician and reviewing the patient's labs, the correct dose was administered, preventing potential harm.

• Neonatal TPN Order Review: A NICU pharmacist identified that a neonatal TPN order should have been for a peripheral formulation due to the position of the UVC. The attending confirmed the placement, and a new order was placed, ensuring the patient's safety.

These examples highlight the critical role pharmacists play in safeguarding the health of pediatric patients. The Advocate Children's pharmacy team holds themselves to the highest standards and works tirelessly to ensure patient safety is always at the forefront.

SPS is incredibly proud of the dedication and achievements of the teams at Advocate Children's Hospital. Their commitment to safety and excellence ensures that patients receive the best possible care.