ATLANTA – Tenet Healthcare’s Atlanta market announced today that Atlanta Medical Center and South Fulton Medical Center have become hospital members of the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON).  DICON is a collaboration between Duke University Medical Center and 34 community hospitals in the Southeastern United States that focuses on advancing hospital infection control programs and practices.            

South Fulton Medical Center and Atlanta Medical Center will work with Duke’s physicians and nurses who specialize in infection control to identify practices and policies that are designed to improve patient care and reduce unnecessary medical supply costs, length of hospital stays and related causes of patient dissatisfaction.            

“We are very excited about working with the Duke Infection Control Network,” said William T. Moore, leader of Tenet’s Atlanta Market.  “We are committed to providing safe, quality care for all our patients.  This collaboration will help us find new methods to further improve our infection control programs.”            

“This collaboration shows our commitment to providing quality healthcare to our patients,” said Kenneth C. Kunze, M.D., chief medical officer for Tenet’s Southern States Region. “Duke University Medical Center is a nationally known institution that has achieved great success in improving outcomes and reducing hospital-acquired infections. By working with Duke, we will have access to a broad range of knowledge that has been proven to reduce infections.”            

The DICON program focuses on improving infection control programs by data on noscomial (hospital-acquired) infections from member hospitals.  The program looks at hospital-acquired infections to see what trends and areas for improvement exist.  DICON also provides member hospitals with benchmark data that supports the efforts of local infection control experts.  DICON staff also provides ongoing education and leadership to health providers at member hospitals, discussing problems, sharing solutions and identifying best practices.            

Since its beginning in 1997, DICON has grown from five to 34 member hospitals.  The hospitals range from small community hospitals to large regional medical centers. Two other Tenet facilities are part of the DICON network: Frye Regional Medical Center (Hickory, N.C.) and Central Carolina Hospital (Sanford, N.C.).                    

Tenet Atlanta, part of Tenet Healthcare Corporation’s (NYSE: THC) Southern States Region, comprises three acute care hospitals in the Atlanta metropolitan area with approximately 965 beds and numerous related health care services. Tenet Atlanta’s hospitals include Atlanta Medical Center, North Fulton Regional Hospital and South Fulton Medical Center.  Tenet’s hospitals aim to provide the best possible care to every patient who comes through their doors, with a clear focus on quality and service. 

Tenet can be found on the World Wide Web at www.tenethealth.com .

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