Project JOINTS Exemplar Hospital Application
Sparrow Hospital- Lansing, Michigan
Number of licensed beds: 587
Teaching
Urban and Rural
Exemplar Hospital Contact Name: Becky Palmaan
Phone: 517-364-0621
Email: Becky.Palmaan@sparrow.org
In a few sentences, describe in what ways your hospital has been successful in implementing this element of the
Enhanced Surgical Bundle. Please answer the following questions:

What key changes did your organization make to incorporate or support use of an alcohol-containing antiseptic
agent for preoperative skin preparation? What were the changes in existing processes your organization had to
make in order for this to become part of the routine?
See Attached Documents – we were doing this practice prior to implementing the Project JOINTS protocol

How did you roll out this practice? Did you test it with one patient, a few, or all to start?
See Attached Documents.

What lessons have you learned as you've implemented this practice? What tips do you have to share?
This is a process that we are continually reviewing and supporting our surgeons’ offices in order to make this a
standardized protocol for all TJR patients. We encourage those starting out the program to make it as easy as
possible for the surgeon’s office to utilize and explain to patients. Patient education in our pre-operative joint
class has been a key component along with carrying through the entire hospital stay.
Measurement
Measurement provides information on whether the changes made to implement the Enhanced Surgical Bundle are
resulting in improvement. In any improvement initiative, the ultimate goal is to improve an outcome measure (e.g.,
reduce SSIs); hospitals and surgical practices will accomplish this by first improving the processes that are key drivers.
Please provide for us any information you can regarding compliance with process measures, in this case:
Percentage of patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery with skin antisepsis at the surgical site using an
alcohol-containing preoperative skin antisepsis agent.
Numerator Definition: Number of patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery with skin antisepsis at the
surgical site using an alcohol-containing preoperative skin antisepsis agent (e.g., chlorhexidine gluconate plus alcohol or
iodophor plus alcohol)
Denominator Definition: Number of patients undergoing elective hip or knee replacement surgery
NOTE: Please attach available data in any format you currently have in the email included with this application.
TJRs completed from 2011 to date = 1309
Skin Prep Protocol Completed = 1309
Percentage = 100%