Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital, Stevens Point, 2026 Quality
Early Identification of C. difficile: Improving Safety Through Screening
Our team at Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital launched a focused process‑improvement initiative to strengthen early identification of Clostridioides difficile. After seeing a rise in hospital‑onset infections in 2023–2024, we identified delays in specimen collection and inconsistent use of the nurse‑driven protocol as key contributors. By updating policy, implementing EMR alerts, reinforcing early testing expectations, and introducing a two‑step nursing verification checklist, we created a reliable, audit‑supported workflow for timely testing.
Since implementing these strategies, 391 patients have been screened under the new process, with the vast majority of colonized and active infections identified within the first three hospital days. Inappropriate testing after day 3 dropped by more than 60%, and the hospital has sustained zero hospital‑onset infections since June 1, 2025. This poster highlights the system‑level and hospital‑specific interventions that drove these outcomes, along with the measurable improvements in compliance, documentation, and testing timeliness.
Since implementing these strategies, 391 patients have been screened under the new process, with the vast majority of colonized and active infections identified within the first three hospital days. Inappropriate testing after day 3 dropped by more than 60%, and the hospital has sustained zero hospital‑onset infections since June 1, 2025. This poster highlights the system‑level and hospital‑specific interventions that drove these outcomes, along with the measurable improvements in compliance, documentation, and testing timeliness.
