Reedsburg Area Medical Center, Reedsburg, 2026 Quality
Improving Patient Safety Through Reduction of Blood Culture Contamination
Reedsburg Area Medical Center implemented a multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative to reduce blood culture contamination rates through standardized collection practices, targeted staff education, and ongoing performance monitoring. Interventions included adoption of CLSI-guided collection procedures, chlorhexidine skin preparation, restriction of IV-start blood culture collections, standardized fill-volume documentation, and transparent performance feedback to staff. Through iterative PDSA cycles, the project reduced contamination rates from approximately 4% to below 1%, achieving sustained performance well below national CDC/CLSI benchmarks.
These improvements enhanced diagnostic accuracy, reduced unnecessary antibiotic use, and generated an estimated $163,000 in organizational savings yearly, while strengthening patient safety and antimicrobial stewardship efforts.
These improvements enhanced diagnostic accuracy, reduced unnecessary antibiotic use, and generated an estimated $163,000 in organizational savings yearly, while strengthening patient safety and antimicrobial stewardship efforts.
