New Haven, CT (June 17, 2026) – Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) has been awarded the 2026 John D. Thompson Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Healthcare Through the Use of Data by the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA), recognizing the hospital’s leadership in improving patient safety through its High-Risk Patient (MRSA) Prevention Initiative.
The award was presented at the CHA Annual meeting on June 11 in Bristol.
Launched in 2023, the High-Risk Patient MRSA Prevention Initiative represents a significant advancement in how the hospital identifies and protects patients at elevated risk for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections. The program replaced variable, reactive practices with a standardized, proactive approach that uses data to guide early intervention.
“I’m very proud of the team for taking an idea and turning it into action and taking a belief and turning it into lives saved,” said Katherine Heilpern, MD, president, Yale New Haven Hospital. “With patient safety and quality, you almost never arrive at the pinnacle. You keep going and climbing until you think that you can go no further, and yet you can, because there’s always an opportunity. This team did that in the most beautiful of ways.”
MRSA bloodstream infections can lead to serious complications; prolonged hospital stays and increased healthcare costs. While established prevention measures were in place, data showed that additional action was needed to further reduce infection rates.
In response, a multidisciplinary YNHH team, including experts in infection prevention, quality and safety, nursing and operations, developed a risk-based prevention model that identifies high-risk patients early and initiates targeted nasal treatment protocols.
The initiative includes:
• Clear identification of high-risk patients, including critically ill individuals and those with central lines or undergoing hemodialysis
• Standardized, risk-based treatment pathways
• Integration into clinical workflows through automated identification and ordering
• Patient engagement to support participation in care
Results include:
• Reduced MRSA bloodstream infection rates from 0.61 to 0.36 per 10,000 patient days
• More than 80 percent compliance with prevention protocols
• Improved patient participation and fewer treatment refusals
By embedding these practices into routine care, YNHH has strengthened patient safety, consistency and the overall patient experience.
Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH), part of Yale New Haven Health, is a nationally recognized, 1,541-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine (YSM). Founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826, today, YNHH has two New Haven-based campuses, and also includes Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital. YNHH has received Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s highest honor of nursing excellence. YNHH has a combined medical staff of about 4,500 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties. www.ynhh.org
