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MRSA Eradication and Prevention in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS)
Sector: Healthcare
Date Range: 2005-Present
Organization: VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS)
The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) is using the Positive Deviance approach to advance their "Getting to Zero MRSA Initiative". Pioneering PD work at the Pittsburgh VA hospital began in 2004 under the leadership of Dr R. Jain and Dr Jon Lloyd. Upon demonstrable improvement in MRSA transmission and infection prevention at the VA hospital in Pittsburgh in both the acute care and the long term care facilities the project was expended to five other VA hospitals:
- Lebanon, VA Medical center, PA,
- Micheal E. Debakey VA Medical Center in Houston, TX
- Maryland Health Care System in Baltimore, MA
- Western New York Healthcare system in Buffalo, NY
- Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
The VAHS has incorporated the PD approach in its “MRSA eradication bundle” under the title of cultural change in all of its 153 hospital nationwide.
Dr Rajiv Jain, Chief of staff and Director of the VA MRSA prevention initiative has received the prestigious Service to America Medal in citizen services for his successful work in preventing and eradicating MRSA.
- Newsletter: (Plexus Institute) "Do What You Can, With What You Have, Where You Are: A Quest to Eliminate MRSA in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System"
- Video (please select the video of Jon Lloyd to hear more about the VAHS project)
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Project Spotlight
PD Hearth Project in Indonesia
Sector: Nutrition
Location(s): Indonesia
Organization: USAID
From 2003 – 2008, USAID funded five international NGOs, (CARE, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Mercy Corps (MC), Save the Children US (SC), and World Vision International (WVI)), to implement Positive Deviance in Indonesia as part of food security programs. Together, the five NGOs reached 9,997 children across the country. Of this number, 59.6% gained 200g between admission into the program (Day 1) and graduation from the program (Day 10). Of 4,847 participants who were weighed again at the end of the month, 45% had gained the recommended 400g. Results differed slightly (but not significantly) between implementers; however, they differed dramatically between different communities.
For the full report, click here.