Intensive care units (ICUs) make use of the greatest advancements in medical science and represent areas with great opportunity to improve patient safety and reduce costs. The Rhode Island ICU Collaborative was formed to improve care for adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients by improving the culture of safety and preventing infections, complications and associated costs. Participating teams implement and evaluate proven strategies that address these issues.

Rhode Island is the first state in the nation to achieve 100% hospital and adult intensive care unit participation in such a project. Work with the Collaborative positively impacts the care provided to patients in all 263 ICU beds across the state. Hospitals in Rhode Island care for more than 16,000 patients each year in the ICU setting.

The Collaborative aims to improve the efficiency, reduce costs, change culture and improve staffing through improved retention. Further, it improves patient, family and staff satisfaction. The Collaborative facilitates peer-to-peer ICU team sharing strategies that have been successfully implemented in similar ICU improvement work conducted by Johns Hopkins University and local infection control experts. This work augments prior hospital ICU quality improvement efforts in Rhode Island that had already proven successful. By working together with the ICU Collaborative, hospitals are able to bring patient care to the next level.

The Rhode Island ICU Collaborative was formed, with the support of Rep. Patrick Kennedy, by the Rhode Island Quality Institute and is co-led by Quality Partners of Rhode Island and Hospital Association of Rhode Island. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and UnitedHealthcare of New England have funded the project's management costs and hospitals support the internal costs of the program. Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island also provides financial support.

Statewide ICU Collaborative Launched

In the News

"Project Reduces Sepsis Deaths" - Providence Business News (11/27/09)

"Rhode Island ICU Collaborative is a Bridge to Patient Care Excellence" - AHA News (5/11/09)

"Sepsis Project Raises Bar for ICU Collaborative" - Providence Business News (6/2/08)

"Success of RI ICU Collaboration Means Enhanced Health Care for Patients" - The Westerly Sun (4/15/08)

"ICU Collaborative Yields Results" - Providence Business News (3/24/08)

"ICU Initiative Improves Care for Rhode Island Patients" - Providence Business News (9/27/07)

"State's Hospitals Launch ICU Safety Collaborative" - Providence Business News (11/7/05)

For more information on the Rhode Island ICU Collaborative contact Jean Marie Rocha at (401) 946-7887 ext. 102 or ginar@hari.org.