At PQCNC III the collaborative evaluated a series of proposals and began immediate work on 2 short term initiatives. At the same time, there was a lot of enthusiasm and interest in the development an initiative that addresses issues common to all ICU's, has broad appeal, has the potential to impact a large population and to demonstrate measurable improvement in outcomes. With the nationwide increase in MRSA infections, a chronic inability to eliminate hospital acquired infections in the NICU, and a high level of interest/support from government agencies and hospital administrations, PQCNC decided the time was right to develop an initiative focused on decreasing the rate of acquired infections in the Neonatal ICU.
