Silvia Acosta-Gnass
Achieving Dramatic reductions in SSI and MRSA rates
Silvia Acosta-Gnass, MSc, CIC
Riverside County Regional Medical Center
Riverside, CA
A biochemist by training, Silvia Acosta-Gnass, MSc, CIC, sees her and her team’s greatest challenge as reducing surgical site infection (SSI) and MRSA rates by implementing proper surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis among surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, and pharmacy personnel.
By training the nursing and medical staff in small groups, Silvia has improved hand hygiene compliance and surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis usage, helping to reduce general surgery SSI rates.
“Our goal is to continue the diminution of infection in both general and orthopedic surgical site infections rates,” said Acosta-Gnass. “We’ve never had a single case of vancomycin-resistant enterococci due to our strict isolation practices.”
“Education is the core,” she said. “It’s very difficult, but I think we can continue to improve patient outcomes.”