Clean your hands!

The “High Five for a Healthy NH” campaign is organized by the NH Commission on Healthcare Quality Assurance, with staff support provided by the Foundation for Healthy Communities.  We aim to have 100% compliance with hand hygiene (HH) as recommended in the CDC Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings in all New Hampshire hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. 

Hand hygiene reduces the chances that patients and staff will acquire a healthcare associated infection while receiving care.  Each hospital and ambulatory surgery center in New Hampshire is invited to participate in the High 5 for a Healthy NH program.  The 5 "fingers," or pillars, of best practice of the program are: 

NEW! Assessment of the HIGH FIVE for a Healthy NH campaign (December 2011)

Leadership Commitment
The highest level of organization leaders (i.e. CEO, Board of Trustees) commits the organization and its resources to the campaign and its goal of 100% compliance with hand hygiene.

Availability/Convenience of Products
Hand hygiene supplies and products must be made as accessible as possible.  These include a waterless hand sanitizer, hand washing sinks with appropriate soaps and paper towels.

Hand Hygiene Training & Competency
All new and current patient care staff members and physicians will be trained in HH and required to demonstrate competency in HH. 

Measurement
Observations of HH compliance will be done at the point-of-care using a uniform measurement process.  Observations will be done by trained observers. 

Feedback & Accountability
Organizational leaders know what their overall institutional hand hygiene compliance rate is, and areas in need of improvement.

“High 5” tools and documents

High Five for a Healthy NH Screen Savers and Posters

"Keeping Patients Safe: Correct Hand Hygiene," a video provided by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

"High Five" Power Point presentation

Additional internet resources

 Self-assessment tool

Hand Hygiene observation tool

Leadership commitment memo

High Five sticker template - compatible with Avery 5294 round labels