Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Hosts Quality Improvement Summit - Caregivers from 15 States and Canada Gather in Hartford for Intensiv...( Central Connecticut Cystic Fibros...),Health

Central Connecticut Cystic Fibrosis Center Becomes National Model after Significant Gains in Health Outcomes for CF

BETHESDA, Md., May 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Physicians, nurses, dieticians, social workers and respiratory therapists from 15 states and Canada who treat cystic fibrosis will gather in Hartford, Conn., June 2-4 to observe first-hand how the Central Connecticut CF Center delivers exemplary care. The center, which has become a national model, includes Connecticut Children's Medical Center for pediatric care and Hartford Hospital for adult care.

The first-of-its-kind gathering is designed to showcase the processes of care that resulted in superior medical outcomes at the Connecticut care center, and inspire visiting healthcare providers to creatively implement improvements in their own care centers. The Connecticut center belongs to a nationwide network of 115 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-accredited care centers.

"This concept is called benchmarking -- and while common in other industries -- it's rare in medicine," said Bruce Marshall, M.D., vice president of clinical affairs for the Foundation. "Benchmarking is one of the core strategies of our quality improvement program, and overall, we remain highly committed to driving improvement throughout our care center network."

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that causes serious lung infections and digestive complications. It affects 30,000 children and adults in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide. Some 10 million Americans are symptomless carriers of a defective CF gene.

The outlook for people with CF continues to improve steadily each year. Life expectancy has more than doubled in the last 25 years. This progress is accelerating due to quality improvement programs led by the Foundation, the sponsor of the event.

"We've learned that improving care doesn't happen by accident -- it takes a team with tremendous dedication, ye
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