3M Teams With AORN, IAHCSMM, SIS and Practice Greenhealth to Ignite OneTogether Movement

Novel, collaborative effort in fight against HAIs

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3M Infection Prevention and founding partners, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM), the Surgical Infection Society (SIS), and Practice Greenhealth have joined together to form OneTogether: The Power of Small Actions, a multi-year program with the goal of driving individual small actions to collectively generate a significant impact on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The OneTogether program is designed to amplify individual actions, support collaborative opportunities and engage a network of professionals working toward the same goal.

“To eliminate HAIs, we need to try a new approach, as well as work across teams to make a difference at every level”

“While the healthcare community is making progress in reducing the occurrence of HAIs, still nearly 100,000 people will die this year in the United States from preventable HAIs, and one in 20 patients will contract an HAI while hospitalized,” said Debra Rectenwald, president and general manager of 3M’s Infection Prevention Division. “These statistics are troubling. That’s why 3M is forming OneTogether along with our founding partners. We hope other organizations and individuals will join in this important effort.”

The OneTogether initiative seeks to empower healthcare professionals to bring sustained behaviors to their organizations and elevate the infection prevention conversation within the broader healthcare community.

“To eliminate HAIs, we need to try a new approach, as well as work across teams to make a difference at every level,” said Linda Groah, CEO/executive director of AORN. “OneTogether offers all of us a chance to unite, share what’s working and reinforce how every little action we take can have a major impact on patient safety.”

OneTogether is built from the E³ platform detailed in the Educate‚ Empower‚ Engage: A Collaborative Interdisciplinary Call to Action for Reducing Surgical Site Infection whitepaper, published in 2012 and based on work done at the fourth annual Infection Prevention Leadership Summit. Based on the E³ platform, an independent advisory panel of 35 passionate healthcare professionals with a diverse spectrum of medical expertise was established to guide and shape the movement.

“The Central Service Department is an integral and yet often under-leveraged ally in the fight against HAIs,” said Susan Adams, Executive Director of IAHCSMM. “Our membership is passionate about their role in ensuring safe patient care. We welcome the OneTogether initiative as an opportunity to team with a coalition of associations and individuals from many functions to share insights and develop new approaches to HAI reduction.”

One approach of the OneTogether effort is to highlight what is working well in healthcare facilities. During AORN’s annual meeting, OneTogether is offering “Pay it Forward” cards for healthcare providers to provide real-time recognition to colleagues for the small actions that help keep patients safe from HAIs. The pocket-sized thank-you cards will be available in the 3M booth (#3721) throughout the meeting (March 4–7), along with more information on the OneTogether movement.

Healthcare providers can get more information about OneTogether by visiting www.joinonetogether.org and are encouraged to join the OneTogether LinkedIn community. Professional organizations interested in joining 3M, AORN, and other partner organizations in the OneTogether movement can learn more by visiting www.joinonetogether.org.

About 3M Infection Prevention

3M Infection Prevention Division is truly on a mission to help reduce healthcare-associated infections through its infection prevention solutions. With its system of people, products and processes, 3M remains a trusted partner committed to helping hospitals reduce the risk of infections, improve patient outcomes and control their bottom lines. Learn more at www.3m.com/infectionprevention.

About AORN

AORN represents the interests of more than 160,000 perioperative nurses by providing nursing education, standards and practice resources — including the peer-reviewed, monthly publication AORN Journal — to enable optimal outcomes for patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. AORN’s 42,000 registered nurse members manage, teach and practice perioperative nursing, are enrolled in nursing education or are engaged in perioperative research. www.aorn.org

About IAHCSMM

The International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management is the premier association for professionals in healthcare central service/materiel management. IAHCSMM provides structural educational opportunities, professional development and a forum for information exchange to more than 19,000 members worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.iahcsmm.org.

About SIS

The Surgical Infection Society (SIS) was organized in 1980 and is an organization of physicians, scientists and other health care professionals. The mission of the Surgical Infection Society is to educate health care providers and the public about infection in surgical patients and promote research in the understanding, prevention and management of surgical infections. SIS organizes an annual meeting for the purpose of presenting accepted and award-winning research abstracts, papers and posters. The meeting is centered around the scientific sessions, which function as a forum for exchange of information and ideas and for networking with surgeons at all levels. In addition to member research, SIS publishes position papers and guidelines relating to the treatment of surgical infection in an effort to communicate and educate the greater medical science and clinical community. For more information, see www.sisna.org.

About Practice Greenhealth

Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in health care that have made a commitment to sustainable, environmentally friendly practices. To learn more about Practice Greenhealth, visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.