May 5^th is World Hand Hygiene Day

Mark your calendars because May 5th is no ordinary day—it's World Hand Hygiene Day! It's time to roll up our sleeves and celebrate the power of clean hands in keeping us all healthy. We know it's not always easy to find the right tools to keep those hands squeaky clean. Fear not, because we've got your back with an exciting bundle of resources that'll make hand hygiene a breeze!

🛠️ Toolkit: APIC Toolkit for Patient Hand Hygiene

• About this resource: This toolkit is an all-encompassing resource designed to empower healthcare professionals like you to champion hand hygiene practices among patients and residents.
• Target Audience: Foundational IPC education

📽️ Video: Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center – Hand Hygiene with Florence Nightingale

• About this resource: Get ready to be entertained and educated when Florence Nightingale comes to life to tell a memorable and short story on how to perform hand hygiene and why it matters in healthcare.
• Target Audience: Foundational IPC education level   

💻 Technology: Speedy Audit

• About this resource: Speedy Audit is a free resource to track and compile your hand hygiene audits. A 2023 study showed that using Speedy Audit reduced the amount of time to complete hand hygiene analysis when compared to a paper audit tool (Libero, G., Bordino, V., Garlasco, J., Vicentini, C., & Maria Zotti, C. (2023)). 
• Target Audience: Foundational to Intermediate IPC education level   

So, gear up, spread the word, and let's make this World Hand Hygiene Day the cleanest one yet!

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
  • Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Epidemiology and Control of Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel and Patients (3/28/2024)
  • Mpox waste management guidance updated on Mpox Infection Control in Healthcare Settingswebsite (4/5/2024)
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  • Proposed Rule: Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2025 Rates (4/10/2024)
    • Fact Sheet
• Infectious Diseases Society of America
  • Guide to the Utilization of the Microbiology Laboratory for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases: 2024 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Society for Microbiology (3/2024)
• Virginia Department of Health – Clinician Letters
  • Increase in Meningococcal Disease: Ongoing Statewide Outbreak and Local Detections of a Separate Antibiotic Resistant Strain (4/11/2024)
  • Reporting Adverse Events in Children Following Exposure to THC and CBD Containing Products (4/24/2024)

Virginia Long-Term Care Infrastructure Pilot Project (VLIPP)

Carilion Clinic’s Virginia Long-Term Care Infrastructure Pilot Project (VLIPP) is a grant-funded program focused on improving infection prevention and control practices within local long-term care (LTC) facilities. The team has been working on various projects since the program’s launch, collaborating with LTC facilities across the Southwest Region. A keystone of the project is staff education on setting-specific infection prevention and control practices. The team provides education in fun and engaging ways including escape rooms and simulated training that incorporates real-life scenarios. The program also hosts a quarterly “Staying in the Know” webinar series aimed at providing updates and guidance on current infection prevention and control issues. Visit Carilion Clinic Infection Prevention and Control for additional information about Carilion Clinic VLIPP. 

In addition to education, training, and onsite technical support, a peer-to-peer network has been launched for LTC facility infection preventionists (IPs). The network’s goal is to create a safe space for LTC IPs to connect, share resources and perspectives, and support one another. The network provides an avenue for IPs to talk about IP challenges in the facility, problem solve, and promote mentorship relationships between the IPs. The inspiration for the network arose from feedback received from facility IPs. Interest in knowing how other IPs practice in the LTC setting and navigate their roles and responsibilities was identified as a recurring theme.

The successful launch of the peer-to-peer network demonstrates the devotion of the LTC IPs to the work they do. The Carilion Clinic VLIPP team is excited to see a positive response to the network. LTC IPs in Virginia are welcome to join the network. For additional information about joining, reach out to either of the Carilion Clinic VLIPP infection preventionists listed below.

Steve Carter – stcarter@carilionclinic.org

Matthew Skinner – mrskinner@carilionclinic.org