• Interim Clinical Considerations for the Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States (10/24/23) 
• Preventing Transmission of Viral Respiratory Pathogens in Healthcare Settings (9/29/23) 
  • CDC published a summary of existing infection control measures to help prevent and slow the spread of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 to protect patients and healthcare personnel. 
• Viral Respiratory Pathogens Toolkit for Nursing Homes (9/29/23) 
  • CDC published a summary of recommendations for long-term care facilities to prepare for respiratory virus season, to respond when a resident or healthcare provider develops signs and symptoms of a respiratory infection, and to control transmission when spread has been identified in a facility. 

Upcoming CMS HAI Reporting Deadline.

The deadline to enter 2023 Q2 data into NHSN under CMS Quality Reporting Programs for participating acute care hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), and cancer hospitals is November 15, 2023. To ensure your data has been correctly entered into NHSN, please verify that: 1) your monthly reporting plans are complete, 2) you have entered appropriate summary and event data or checked the appropriate no events boxes, and 3) you have cleared all alerts from your NHSN facility homepage.  

• Hospitals that have conferred rights to VDH will be receiving a quality assurance report in November; please be sure to check your email and acknowledge receipt and review.  
• Please update mounika.bazar@vdh.virginia.gov with any IP contact changes.  
• For additional guidance on ensuring your data are accurately sent to CMS for Quality Reporting purposes, please visit the NHSN website and navigate to the appropriate section(s) for your facility type. 

Strengthen Your Infection Prevention Program.

HQI collaborates with DSS to improve infection prevention practices in assisted living facilities and adult day care centers. HQI provides free on-site assessments and interactive resources to enhance the quality of care and ensure resident safety at no cost including:  

• Glo Germ demonstrations provide a great example of appropriate hand hygiene and environmental cleaning practices. 
• Fit testing is performed to ensure that a respirator fits correctly and that the mask used provides the ultimate protection and is comfortable. 

New! VIPTC posted four fun and visually engaging short videos on their website. These videos are aimed at the foundational to intermediate infection prevention and control education level: 

• Contact Precautions Featuring Acinetobacter (5:31) 
• Hand Hygiene With Florence Nightingale (4:42) 
• Chain of Transmission With Clostridiodes difficile (4:20) 
• Sterile Surgical Instrument Peel Packs: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly With Amy Britton (2:44)

• What diseases must be reported to the health department 
• Who is required to report 
• How the report should be shared 
• Access additional information such as the updated reportable disease list, laboratory reporting, outbreak reporting and more. 

Virginia Long-Term Care Clinician Network (LTC-CN). Join an organized network of medical directors, physicians, and advanced practice providers who work in long-term care facilities and other congregate care settings across Virginia with the purpose of sharing best clinical practices. 

• Monthly Newsletter: Receive a monthly newsletter that focuses on updates pertinent to long-term care in Virginia, including infection prevention guidelines, treatment options, and other updates. 
• Monthly Forum: Access to monthly virtual forums where issues can be discussed with a group of peers practicing in the same care setting. 
• Resources: Access to a central website with free resources.