Baptist Carroll County Earns Zero Harm Award

HUNTINGDON — Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County is one of only eight hospitals statewide to receive the Tennessee Hospital Association’s first Zero Harm Award, a new initiative recognizing outstanding achievements in patient safety across Tennessee hospitals.

The Zero Harm Awards Program, developed in collaboration with the Tennessee Center for Patient Safety and the Tennessee Hospital Association Quality Committee, recognizes hospitals and clinical departments that have zero health care-associated infections in categories that include central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, clostridium difficile infections and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus during the past calendar year.

“Receiving Tennessee Hospital Association’s new Zero Harm Award for consistently providing excellent care is a significant achievement,” said Susan Breeden, chief executive officer and administrator of Baptist Carroll County. “Providing safe and high-quality care for patients is our number one priority, and I am proud of our team for their dedication to providing exceptional care to patients every day.”

Eligible participants include acute care and pediatric hospitals that report data to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network and have voluntarily granted data rights to the Tennessee Hospital Association. The Tennessee Department of Health partnered with the Tennessee Hospital Association to validate the data and ensure accuracy. Award criteria require hospitals to have a minimum of 50 line days, or patient days, hospital-wide or at the unit level for catheter-associated urinary tract infections and central line-associated bloodstream infections.

“The achievements of these hospitals are a testament to exceptional quality and safety practices in their facilities,” said Tammy Van Dyk, THA senior vice president of patient safety. “We are proud to announce that 94 member hospitals received the Zero Harm Awards this year, eight hospitals achieved the remarkable feat of zero harm events across all four eligible categories.”

The Tennessee Hospital Association was founded in 1938 and serves as an advocate for hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations across the state. The Tennessee Hospital Association’s initiatives support the efforts of Tennessee’s hospitals to ensure high-quality care for the patients and communities they serve.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical care to West Tennessee in a variety of specialized areas, including cardiac care, pediatrics, general surgery, physical therapy and palliative care, among others.

Baptist Carroll County is the recipient of many awards and accolades, including the Tennessee Quality Award, Premier Inc.’s QUEST Award for High-Valued Healthcare, the Quest Hero Award, Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval in 2015 and an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group in 2024. For more information, visit baptistonline.org/carrollcounty or follow us on Facebook at @BaptistCarrollCounty.