Case Study: Lafayette General Health reduces sepsis mortality and saves lives with Cerner's St. John Sepsis agent

Lafayette General Health uses technology to help save patients from becoming septic

Lafayette General Health in Lafayette, Louisiana, identified sepsis as the hospital’s leading cause of mortality and set out to reduce deaths, improve CMS quality compliance and limit financial impact. From a baseline sepsis mortality rate of 16.54% (Nov 2014–Nov 2015), hospital leaders partnered with Cerner to analyze workflows and deploy technology and process changes.

They integrated Cerner’s St. John Sepsis agent into the EHR, created a sepsis response nurse role, and improved electronic documentation and sepsis PowerPlan order sets. From March 2016–February 2017 mortality fell to under 13%—more than three lives saved per month—quality measure compliance improved by 949%, coding capture increased, and the hospital saved $343,680 in sepsis treatment costs versus the earlier period.

Lafayette General Health

Amanda Logue

MD, VP, Chief Medical Information Officer