Lillee S. Gelinas, RN, MSN, FAAN, Vice President Clinical Performance, VHA, Inc.;
Cynthia A. Hare, Vice President, VHA Southeast, Inc.

      Today, hundreds of VHA member organizations are harnessing the power of Rapid Response Teams. Starting February 2005 at VHA Southeast, a national initiative evolved which has accelerated implementation of Rapid Response Teams across the United States in order to reduce codes outside of the intensive care unit and other adverse events. A standardized measurement system has facilitated benchmarking, improvement tracking and results reporting. This session will focus on impact to date, lessons learned and barriers to implementation experienced.
      After this presentation you will be able to:

• Identify the evidence supporting Rapid Response Teams as a key improvement strategy in the IHI 100,000 Lives Campaign.
• Describe approaches to successful implementation in different size health care organizations.
• Describe different models and critical success factors for each.