HJB ICU Reduces Infection Rates by 100% After Technical Visit from the 'Health in Our Hands' Project
The Jean Bitar Hospital (HJB), in Belém, received a planned technical visit from representatives of the Beneficent Hub Portuguesa de São Paulo, Juliana Sabino Fonseca and Andreia Lopes Lima, who are involved in the 'Health in Our Hands' Project. Since joining the project in September of last year, HJB has experienced an important moment of technical closeness and strengthening of continuous improvement strategies in critical patient care.
As a result of the actions implemented by the project, the HJB ICU achieved significant accomplishments: a 100% reduction in the rate of Laboratory Confirmed Primary Bloodstream Infection (IPCSL); a 76% decrease in the rate of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP), and maintenance of a 0% rate of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI).
These numbers reinforce the hospital's commitment to patient safety and demonstrate the effectiveness of the infection prevention and control practices implemented by the multidisciplinary team.
Approval- Patient Lívia Marques, 43, a teacher from the city of Paragominas, about 290 km from Belém, is hospitalized in the HJB ICU after undergoing bariatric surgery. In recovery, she reports satisfaction with the care received.
"I used to weigh 120 kg two years ago when I started the pre-operative process. My expectation is to improve my health and have a better quality of life. Here in the ICU, I received excellent care, always with safety and attention from the team. It has been very good. Just gratitude!" said the user.
Conceived by the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital and other reference centers, the 'Health in Our Hands' Project aims to reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), focusing on ventilator-associated pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and catheter-related bloodstream infection.
With 15 months remaining until the completion of the improvement plan, the HJB ICU already presents results above the national target, which aims to reduce HAIs by 50%. The moment of the visit was marked by collaborative learning, exchange of experiences, and appreciation of teamwork, strengthening the sense of belonging and commitment to care excellence.
The technical director of HJB, Rafael Maia, highlighted the importance of the achievement due to the significant results and improvements. "The results achieved by the ICU reflect the daily effort of our professionals, the strength of teamwork, and alignment with the best national health practices. We will remain steadfast in our purpose of providing increasingly safe and humanized care to our patients."
Currently, the Jean Bitar Hospital has 70 beds, including 40 surgical, 20 clinical, and 10 adult ICU beds, dedicated to the specialties of rheumatology, internal medicine, endocrinology, pulmonology, geriatrics, mastology, and general surgery.
Between January and August 2025, the HJB ICU recorded 1,460 admissions, establishing itself as a reference unit in patient safety and quality of care in the state public network.
Service: The Jean Bitar Hospital belongs to the public health network of the Government of Pará and is managed by the National Institute of Social and Human Development (INDSH), in partnership with the State Department of Public Health (Sespa).
HJB provides medium and high complexity assistance in outpatient and hospital areas for transgender users, and in medical and surgical clinics for patients with metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases. The unit is located at Rua Cônego Jerônimo Pimentel, No. 543, in the Umarizal neighborhood, in Belém.
Text: Marcelo Zeno/ Ascom HJB
