Celina Health and Rehabilitation Center was among 19 Tennessee Health Care Association (THCA) member nursing homes recently honored for completing a national safety program designed to reduce certain health care-associated infections (HAI).

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Long-Term Care focuses on reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and other HAIs in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

According to AHRQ, between 1 million and 3 million HAIs strike nursing home residents annually, contributing to nearly 400,000 deaths each year. Urinary tract infection is a common HAI in these facilities and is a major reason residents are hospitalized. The AHRQ program teaches proven methods for preventing CAUTI and ways to incorporate these methods into a facility’s regular procedures so that safety becomes the norm.

Other participating facilities included Bailey Park Community Living Center, Humboldt; Beverly Park Place Health and Rehabilitation, Knoxville; Briarwood Community Living Center, Lexington; Decatur County Healthcare and Rehabilitation, Parsons; Gallatin Health Care Center; The Heritage Center, Morristown; Humphreys County Nursing Home, Waverly; Jefferson City Health and Rehabilitation Center; Knollwood Manor, Lafayette; Lakebridge Health Care Center, Johnson City; Lewis County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Hohenwald; Pine Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Bolivar; Quality Care Health Center, Lebanon; Savannah Health Care and Rehabilitation Center; West Hills Health and Rehabilitation Center, Knoxville; West Meade Place, Nashville; Westwood Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, Decaturville; White House Health Care.