In The News
NICU Situation Has Been Resolved; Joint Commission Reaffirms Accreditation
On December 4, 2006, White Memorial Medical Center (WMMC) temporarily closed its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to new admissions after detecting several cases of a common bacterium called pseudomonas.
We immediately contacted local, state and federal public health agencies and worked with them to conduct a full investigation. We took swift action, pinpointed the problem, and resolved it.
This situation was contained entirely in the NICU and never spread to any other area of the hospital.
After the investigation, they concluded it was safe to admit new infants to the NICU. There have been no new cases of pseudomonas detected in NICU infants since early December.
We also immediately contacted all the families involved. Of the 33 infants in the NICU at the time, two infant deaths may have been related to the presence of the bacterium. Our deepest sympathies have gone out to these families. The hospital has communicated closely with the families and we continue to be available to discuss any concerns.Steps We Took to Resolve the NICU Situation
We take the trust of our community and our mission to serve very seriously. As a result of this situation we have taken the following actions:
- We worked closely with Los Angeles County
health officials, consulted three children’s
hospitals in southern California and across
the country, and implemented their recommendations.
- We ensured that all departments are following
hospital policy, requiring that all medical
equipment be cleaned by the department with
the expertise to do this.
- We brought in a respiratory management expert with 25 years of experience in this field to provide new leadership over respiratory care services, and ensure consistent application of policies.
County Officials Conclude NICU Inquiry; Joint Commission Reaffirms Accreditation
On April 6, 2007, the Joint Commission officially reaffirmed White Memorial's continued accreditation in response to their one-day focused survey of the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in February. The Joint Commission's final report concluded that WMMC was fully compliant with all standards, and made no Recommendations for Improvement (RFIs) or other follow-up actions.
The Joint Commission's report comes one month after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officially closed its investigation into the hospital's NICU incident. The county report commended hospital staff for its pro-active collaboration with county staff and concluded that "there is no evidence of ongoing transmission."
"We're obviously pleased with the findings and conclusions of both the LA County Public Health and the Joint Commission," said Beth Zachary, president and CEO. "Our priority has always been and continues to be the safety our patients. Again, I'd like to thank our friends and supporters for their confidence and enormous support through this time."
Patient safety remains our first priority at WMMC. We have received enormous support and confidence from our community, and we are grateful for that support. WMMC continues to be a hospital of excellent clinical quality, compassion and integrity, dedicated to serving this community as we have for nearly 100 years.
Posted 4/17/07
