Hospital-acquired pneumonia is the #1 hospital-acquired infection (HAI), with non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) representing over 60% of cases (Magill, O’Leary, & Janell, 2018). Preventing even 100 cases of NV-HAP is estimated to save $400 million, 700-900 hospital days, and the lives of 20-30 patients (Quinn, Baker, Cohen, Stewart, Lima, & Parise, 2013). It has been shown that hospital-acquired pneumonia can be decreased by 70% through inexpensive, easily integrated preventive measures such as oral care, respiratory exercises, and mobility (Baker & Quinn, 2018).

Our APSS outline actionable steps healthcare organizations should take to successfully implement and sustain behavior change for high reliability, shared understanding, thorough communication, and meaningful person-centered care across the organization.

Actionable steps include:

• Executive Summary Checklist
• Leadership checklist guide to determine whether current evidence-based guidelines are being followed in your organization
• Performance improvement plan to follow if improvements are necessary
• Clinical workflow for preoccupation with workflow for areas of improvement
• How to educate patients and family members about the significance of their role throughout the continuum
• Guidance on how to measure outcomes