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! SCREEN SAVER and POSTER campaign.
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 Saver
"Keeping Patients Safe: Correct Hand Hygiene," a video provided by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
"High Five" Power Point presentation
NEW! Self-assessment tool
High Five poster - prints on standard 8.5" x11" paper
High Five sticker template - compatible with Avery 5294 round labels