LHA Trust Funds Safety Star Award

What is the Safety Star Award?

Each year, LHA Trust Funds recognizes three outstanding healthcare facilities with the Safety Star Award — a public acknowledgment of their commitment to quality and organizational safety.

LHA Trust Funds has bestowed the Safety Star award upon Louisiana healthcare facilities since 2012, recognizing providers who have developed innovative ideas that support safety in healthcare.

Do I Qualify for the Safety Star Award?

Members of the LHA Malpractice and General Liability Trust Fund who can demonstrate improved patient or organizational safety from new technology, improved processes or new programs are eligible to apply!

How Do I Apply for the Safety Star Award?

Safety Star nominations must be submitted through CHER®, our learning management system. Here are 4 easy steps to get started on your 2024 Safety Star nomination application:

  1. Login to or sign up for an account on CHER®, our learning management system.
    From this page, click the Sign In button located in the main navigation menu. A login/sign-up window will appear. Forgot your Username or password? Click “Forgot your password?” to regain access.
  2. Login to CHER® here using your Username and Password.
  3. Click the Grants button, located in the navigation menu, to redirect to the Safety Star application.
  4. Click the Continue button, located under the Safety Star application – submission form section.
Award Nominations Closed

Congratulations to our 2024 Safety Star Award Recipients

  • Thibodaux Regional’s transformative Hand Hygiene
    initiative addressed gaps in compliance and observation practices to meet national best-practice standards.

    In 2023, TRHS observed that hand hygiene practices were below The Leapfrog Group standards. The initiative aimed to increase hand hygiene observations and improve hand hygiene compliance rates.

    Through a collaborative effort involving over 20 interdisciplinary team members, TRHS implemented real-time feedback, standardized practices, and accountability measures.

    By June 2024, the initiative surpassed its goals, achieving a 95% compliance rate and sustaining even higher performance in subsequent months.

    This achievement highlights Thibodaux Regional Health System’s dedication to patient safety and its commitment to reducing hospital-acquired infections through innovative and effective practices.

  • Faced with a rising trend in foley catheter use, St. James Parish Hospital identified an urgent need to address the trend and reduce the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) through their impactful Catheter Utilization Performance Improvement project.

    Through a comprehensive approach involving updated nurse-driven protocols, rigorous quality audits, staff training, and the introduction of less invasive alternatives, the hospital successfully reduced catheter utilization to 10% by the end of FY 2024. Remarkably, this effort contributed to a 30% reduction in catheter use and zero reported CAUTIs for the year.

    Their achievement underscores the hospital's commitment to improving patient safety, reducing healthcare costs, and fostering a culture of excellence in care. The project’s success has also influenced broader improvements, including innovative practices in the Emergency Department.

  • Iberia Medical Center’s innovative Code Red Response – A HOT Topic project enhanced fire safety preparedness across the organization.

    Recognizing critical gaps in staff fire drill performance—where less than 50% selected the appropriate fire extinguisher and no ancillary staff evacuated to designated meeting areas—the hospital implemented targeted educational enhancements to its Fire Response Plan.

    Using tailored, department-specific training and hands-on fire extinguisher simulations, Iberia Medical Center empowered staff to respond confidently during fire emergencies. By the project’s conclusion, 100% of participants correctly selected the appropriate fire extinguisher, and 90% of ancillary staff successfully evacuated to external meeting points, far exceeding initial objectives.

    This initiative underscores Iberia Medical Center's dedication to ensuring the safety of patients, staff, and visitors while fostering a culture of preparedness and accountability.

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