Do not dismantle our Vascular Access Team which provides our patients an essential service
The Issue
This is a demand to Darlene Stromstad and the Board of Directors at MVHS to cease and desist the dismantling of the Vascular Access Team across the organization. VAT is not only a necessary resource for our organization but an essential component in driving down infection rates that are costly to the hospitals. Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) account for one-third of all hospital-acquired infections and can cost the health care system between $21,000 and $100,000 per infection (Journal of Infusion Nursing, 2019). There is very strong evidence in the literature that supports that the presence of a vascular access team in an organization is directly related to a decrease in CLABSIs. This is exactly why— with our VAT team in place— MVHS has CLABSI rates far below the National benchmark of 0.8. This team has been foundational in this achievement and its been to the benefit of both our patients health/outcomes and our organizations finances. For these reasons we see it to be of unsound judgement and a miscalculation for MVHS to be dismantling the VAT team (beginning with the lay off announcements at the beginning of November to St. Luke’s VAT members).
As MVHS restarts its journey with the formation of a new ‘Shared Governance’ framework, we urge you to begin to think in the terms of shared governance now. As nurses, we are experts in our field. That’s why shared governance works so well when it’s implemented correctly. We know the dismantling of the VAT team will undoubtedly lead to increased CLABSIs, delays in care, and financial costs to the organization. This is not the time to abandon our greatest assets or to decrease the resources we have that improve the quality of care that we are able to provide to our patients within our organization.
The nurses and healthcare workers of MVHS call on Darlene Stromstad and the MVHS Board of Directors to immediately cease and desist the dismantling of the Vascular Access Team across the organization as well as reinstate any and all of the positions that were or have been threatened due to these actions.
Victory
The Issue
This is a demand to Darlene Stromstad and the Board of Directors at MVHS to cease and desist the dismantling of the Vascular Access Team across the organization. VAT is not only a necessary resource for our organization but an essential component in driving down infection rates that are costly to the hospitals. Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) account for one-third of all hospital-acquired infections and can cost the health care system between $21,000 and $100,000 per infection (Journal of Infusion Nursing, 2019). There is very strong evidence in the literature that supports that the presence of a vascular access team in an organization is directly related to a decrease in CLABSIs. This is exactly why— with our VAT team in place— MVHS has CLABSI rates far below the National benchmark of 0.8. This team has been foundational in this achievement and its been to the benefit of both our patients health/outcomes and our organizations finances. For these reasons we see it to be of unsound judgement and a miscalculation for MVHS to be dismantling the VAT team (beginning with the lay off announcements at the beginning of November to St. Luke’s VAT members).
As MVHS restarts its journey with the formation of a new ‘Shared Governance’ framework, we urge you to begin to think in the terms of shared governance now. As nurses, we are experts in our field. That’s why shared governance works so well when it’s implemented correctly. We know the dismantling of the VAT team will undoubtedly lead to increased CLABSIs, delays in care, and financial costs to the organization. This is not the time to abandon our greatest assets or to decrease the resources we have that improve the quality of care that we are able to provide to our patients within our organization.
The nurses and healthcare workers of MVHS call on Darlene Stromstad and the MVHS Board of Directors to immediately cease and desist the dismantling of the Vascular Access Team across the organization as well as reinstate any and all of the positions that were or have been threatened due to these actions.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on November 8, 2020