CHA Recognizes Yale New Haven Hospital With the 2026 John D. Thompson Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Healthcare Through the Use of Data
WALLINGFORD — The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) awarded Yale New Haven Hospital the 2026 John D. Thompson Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Healthcare Through the Use of Data for its High-Risk Patient MRSA Prevention Initiative. The Yale New Haven Hospital team was presented with the prestigious award at the 2026 CHA Annual Meeting, held on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Bristol Event Center in Bristol, Connecticut.
Through the High-Risk Patient MRSA Prevention Initiative, Yale New Haven Hospital improved patient care by redesigning how high-risk patients are identified and treated to prevent hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections. The hospital launched the initiative in 2023, shifting from reactive, variable practices to a standardized, proactive, risk-based nasal treatment process guided and validated by externally reported data.
Hospital-onset MRSA bloodstream infections are associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost. Despite adherence to established prevention strategies — such as hand hygiene, contact precautions, and chlorhexidine bathing — data revealed persistently elevated rates, signaling the need for a fundamental change in practice. In response, a multidisciplinary team, including infection prevention, quality and safety, nursing leadership, supply chain, and executive sponsors, built and implemented a process focused on establishing early, consistent interventions based on patient risk rather than relying on surveillance testing or post-colonization response.
High-risk populations were clearly defined, including critically ill patients, those with central venous access devices, patients receiving hemodialysis, burn patients, and additional cohorts as data matured. Nasal treatment strategies are now matched to patient risk, allowing escalation for select highest-risk patients while maintaining broader prevention measures for others.
“I’m very proud of the team for taking an idea and turning it into action, and taking a belief and turning it into lives saved,” said Katherine Heilpern, MD, president, Yale New Haven Hospital. “This team gets up every day thinking, ‘How can we make this hospital more safe for our patients, and how can we delivery the highest quality of care?’ With patient safety and quality, you almost never arrive at the pinnacle. You keep going and climbing until you think that you can go no further, and yet you can, because there’s always an opportunity. This team did that in the most beautiful of ways. It was really a remarkable symphony.”
“Yale New Haven Hospital’s High-Risk Patient MRSA Prevention Initiative reflects a culture of high reliability and an organization-wide commitment to continuous improvement,” said Jennifer Jackson, CEO, CHA. “This recognition is a testament to the collaborative spirit and perseverance required to develop innovative interventions and drive lasting change in healthcare. We applaud the team for this exceptional achievement.”
The redesigned nasal treatment process was embedded directly into the hospital’s routine clinical workflows and staff education. Automated patient identification and ordering minimized dependence on individual clinician recognition, while barcode scanning and medication administration record documentation supported consistent execution at the bedside. Patients were educated on the purpose of nasal treatment and, when appropriate, engaged in self-application, improving acceptance while avoiding additional invasive testing. In oncology populations, where trust, comfort, and autonomy are central to care delivery, encouraging patients to be active participants was particularly well received.
This initiative resulted in measurable, sustained improvement in patient outcomes. At Yale New Haven Hospital, externally reported hospital-onset MRSA bloodstream infection rates declined from 0.61 to 0.36 per 10,000 patient days. Compliance with nasal treatment exceeded 80%, and patient engagement strategies reduced refusals over time. By using data to drive a system-level process redesign and involving patients as partners in prevention, the hospital achieved demonstrable improvement in safety, reliability of care, and patient experience.
CHA’s John D. Thompson Award was established in 1994 and honors the contributions made by John D. Thompson to healthcare administration and patient care quality during his career. Dr. Thompson was a professor at Yale’s Schools of Nursing, Medicine, and Public Health, known for his advocacy of using quantitative data in health policy formulation, and specifically his role in the development of DRGs for hospital reimbursement. The award recognizes excellence in patient care through the use of data, as demonstrated by the improvement of internal operations, procedures, and outcomes.
Learn more about the program by watching the award recognition video here.
