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

CHALMETTE – St. Bernard Parish Hospital is one of 331 hospitals across the United States with the lowest Clostridioides 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 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 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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About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating 80 years in 2022, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and heart transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including over 700 clinical studies. It has more than 34,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 40 hospitals and more than 300 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2021, Ochsner Health treated more than 1 million people from every state and 75 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.