Neonatal Intensive Care Unit staff recognized; Stadler and Theuriere receive November 2008 CARE Awards for innovative hand hygiene decals

Judith Stadler, SW and Claudette Theuriere, RN received a November 2008 CARE Award for their innovative approach to improving hand hygiene in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Ms. Stadler, a social worker in the Department of Social Work at NYPH/Weill Cornell and Ms. Theuriere, Clinical Manager at Women & Children's Health-NICU, NYPH/Weill Cornell, collaborated to design eight eye-catching decals for the NICU isolettes -- reminders to the NICU health care team about the importance of hand hygiene for patient safety.

Grimilda Mendez-Augsburg, Director of Operations for Epidemiology, notes, "The hand hygiene rates in the NICU are now above 90% and have been sustained for several months. In addition, the decals that she designed have been used hospital-wide with great success."

CARE Award recipients are selected each month at the Key Personnel meeting by the Chief Operating Officer. The award recognizes employees from NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell who exemplify the NYPH motto of “We Put Patients First” as well as the NYP Values: Respect, Teamwork, Excellence, Empathy, Innovation and Responsibility.

For more information about the CARE Award, please contact Employee Activities/Awards & Recognition.