|
 |
|
Infection Prevention Education at your Fingertips!
|
This new resource can help better engage your team in infection prevention! Sign up to receive free Washington Project Firstline text messages! Receive timely infection prevention updates over your phone, wherever you are, including access to:
|
• Infection prevention fast facts to help raise awareness and keep engaged with infection control topics.
• Short, informative infection control training videos from the CDC.
• Tips and tools for developing staff’s foundational infection prevention knowledge.
|
|
 |
Sign up today! Text "JoinWAIPC" to 59309 or hover over the QR code to receive free text updates from the Washington Project Firstline. Don't forget to remind your healthcare friends, family, and coworkers/staff to sign up!
Stand Precautions in Adult Family Homes
We are pleased to announce the availability of a new standard precautions document specifically tailored to adult family homes. This comprehensive resource offers quick guidance, references, and valuable resources pertaining to standard precautions and infection prevention.
|
|
 Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR)
In partnership with local health jurisdictions, the HAIAR ICAR team provides free/non-regulatory Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) consultations to long-term care, dental, dialysis, and other health care settings.
Our experienced Infection Preventionists (IP) work closely with the facility and customizes the consultation to assess infection prevention strengths, opportunities on a variety of infection prevention and control topics and any areas of concern the facility has identified.
Each interaction is focused on education and offers the most up-to-date infection prevention resources. Consultations can be completed either onsite or virtually as a televisit.
Visit our website to learn more and to schedule an ICAR assessment.
ICAR Quarterly Metrics Snapshot
The Infection Prevention Program (IPP) is tasked with providing infection prevention resources, education, and support to healthcare facilities and local health jurisdictions. Primarily working with long term care facilities, our IPs also work with other healthcare settings such as hospitals, behavioral health, and outpatient clinics as well. View our most recent quarterly metric snapshot.
 General Updates:
-
Stewardship Website Update
- We are pleased to announce that our website has been updated. New subpages are available specifically for nursing homes, dental clinics, outpatient settings, acute care facilities, and NHSN AUR resources. We welcome any feedback regarding structure and the resources offered on these pages.
-
NHSN AUR Implementation FAQ
-
New 2023 Breakpoint Implementation Toolkit from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
-
This toolkit was designed by CLSI, Association of Public Health Laboratories, American Society for Microbiology, College of American Pathologists, and the CDC to assist clinical laboratories in updating minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoints.
-
CDC’s Priorities for Hospital Core Element Implementation
-
This new resource is now available from the CDC containing recommendations that can help enhance the quality and impact of existing antibiotic stewardship programs.
Clinical Pearls:
-
New Clinical Infectious Diseases Article: Antibiotic Myths for the Infectious Diseases Clinician
- Antimicrobial use is commonly informed by past practices instead of evidence, with “pearls” propagated over time.
-
This article examines eight common antibiotic myths.
-
Updated Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial Resistant Gram-Negative Infections
-
This guidance document from the Infectious Diseases Society of America provides recommendations for the treatment of infectious caused by multi-drug resistant organisms.
-
Medical Providers’ Frequently Asked Questions About Urinary Tract Infections (UTI): Evidence for Safe Management of Suspected UTIs
-
This document is designed to provide an evidence-based perspective on some common concerns that factor into antibiotic prescribing for asymptomatic bacteriuria.
Reminders:
-
NHSN Antibiotic Use and Resistance (AUR) Module Reporting Requirement for Hospitals
- CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Module is the primary surveillance system for tracking antimicrobial use in all US hospitals.
- All hospitals will be required by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to be in “Active Engagement” in NHSN AUR module starting in 2024. We put together a Frequently Asked Questions document to help you get started.
-
Getting Started with the NHSN AUR Module Office to Hours
- You are invited to join: Getting Started with the AUR Module Office Hours.After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
- These office hours are to assist facilities who are either not yet reporting into the NHSN AUR module, or who are just getting started and would like to learn the very basics of the module. The format will be a five-to-ten-minute presentation on a feature of NHSN AUR, followed by time for questions.
-
NHSN Antimicrobial Use (AU) Module Reporting Funding Opportunity for Hospitals
- To help offset the cost of implementing reporting to the NHSN-AU module, the Department of Health is offering $5,000 financial reimbursement to hospitals that start reporting to the NHSN-AU module between August 1, 2022 and March 1, 2024.
 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Healthcare Worker (HCW) Influenza Vaccination Data 2022/2023
Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) are required to report HCW influenza vaccination summary data to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). This includes the percentage of SNF employees and licensed independent providers (LIPs) vaccinated during the flu season. These vaccination data should be interpreted with caution, as they are self-reported and unvalidated. The graphs below show data related to HCW vaccination rates in SNFs during the 2022 flu season.
 Median Proportion of SNF Employees and Licensed Independent Providers (LIPs) Vaccinated for Flu by County
These graphs show the median proportion of vaccinated healthcare workers by county, ranked from highest to lowest median proportion. Vaccination rates varied greatly by county.
 Number of SNFs Reporting HCW Flu Vaccination Data by County
There is a large difference in the number of SNFs between counties. Most counties in Washington have less than 10 SNFs reporting.
|
|
  State Department of Health to provide frontline healthcare workers with infection prevention and control education.
Reduce the Spread of Infection - Become an Infection Control Superhero with the Washington State Project Firstline Learning Modules
Washington Project Firstline has a series of online, interactive training modules on basic infection prevention and control practices. The educational, informative, and fun modules take approximately 20-minutes each to complete. Staff who complete all six modules will earn two contact-hours of continuing education credits through WA DSHS and Continuing Nursing Education at the University of Washington School of Nursing.
The six-module series is based on CDC Project Firstline contend and focuses on the following:
- Infection Control
- How Germs Can Spread on Surfaces
- How Germs Can Spread via Respiratory Droplets
|
- Proper Hand Hygiene
- Proper Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Cleaning and Disinfection
|
Modules are available at firstline.nwcphp.org. Offered in English and Spanish.
We encourage you to print the attached flyer and post it in your breakroom for your staff.
Washington Project Firstline Promotional Flyer
Facility Program: Frontline Infection Prevention Champion
 |
|
| |
Become a Frontline Infection Prevention Champion Facility!
Steps:
- Request a Facility Code
- Have your staff members enter Facility Code in user profile.
- Notify staff to complete all six modules – they will receive two (free) contact hours of CEs/CNEs.
Once 90% of your staff complete all six training modules, you will be recognized as a Frontline Infection Prevention Champion facility.
|
|
Are you unsure how close you are to 90%? Email Project Firstline to verify.
You will receive a certificate and recognition on Washington Project Firstline webpage. Most importantly, your staff will be trained in infection prevention!
 APIC Announces Health Equity Fund and Critical Access Hospital Scholarship Program
The fund aims to support underserved U.S communities with infection prevention and control (IPC) tools. The initial focus is on critical access hospitals. with a scholarship program spanning three years. The Critical Access Hospital Scholarship will provide hospitals with education, tools, and mentoring. Over the course of three years, three critical access facilities will be awarded:
- Up to 150 hours of free IPC consulting services
- Two free APIC memberships + Chapter memberships for two years
- Two free subscriptions to APIC Text for two years
- Two free certification prep courses
- Two free a-IPC™ or CIC® certification exams
- Access to the APIC Policies and Procedures Library for two years
- Membership in APIC’s new CAH virtual network
- Two free APIC Annual Conference registrations for two years + travel
|
|
Applications open in August. To be notified when the application period officially opens, complete the application interest form.
|
|
|
 What is a Respiratory Protection Program?
A Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) is a set of rules and regulations enforced by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). These rules and regulations are in place to keep workers from becoming sick or injured because of workplace exposures to hazards. One significant hazard comes from viruses that spread through the air when a sick or contagious person coughs, talks or sneezes. Read more about how viruses spread through the air are a respiratory hazard.
 |
|
New! Online Lunch & Learn sessions for LTC facilities. DOH will host monthly, 30-minute sessions on topics about the respiratory protection program. |
Sessions start promptly at noon.
|
July 19 - 3M Online Medical Evaluations
August 16 - Tips for Finding the Correct N95 for People's Faces
September 20 - Tips for Employee Respirator Training
October 18 - Tips for Doing Your Own Fit Tests
|
|
 |
Sign up for Fit Test Training
Available dates will be listed on the sign-up form. ALL the prerequisite work must be completed prior to the Virtual Fit Test Training session. It is our expectation that you will attend the training session prepared and will come with questions.
July Dates
August Dates
September Dates
If you have additional questions, please feel free to email our us at HAI-fitTest@doh.wa.gov.
Quarterly NHSN User Group for Hospitals
*Calls are facilitated through TEAMS*
Please contact Sandy Ng for a TEAMS invitation
Next session is October 10, 2023, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
This is monthly forum for NHSN skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to share and collaborate, improve reporting accuracy, and increase user knowledge.
Please contact Paula Parsons for more information
Calls scheduled 2nd Thursday of the month, 11:00 a.m. - noon.
Upcoming dates:
August 10, 2023
September 14, 2023
October 12, 2023
|
|
Best Practice Spotlight
Port Townsend, WA – Life Care Center, a prominent senior care facility nestled in the picturesque town of Port Townsend, is being praised for its exceptional commitment to providing high-quality service to its residents. Situated along the serene Kah Tai Lagoon, Life Care offers a comfortable and tranquil environment for its senior community. With a team of highly trained and compassionate professionals, the facility goes above and beyond to ensure the physical, emotional, and social well-being of every individual under its care.
|
What US hospitals are doing to prevent common device-associated infections during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: Results from a national survey in the United States
This study surveyed infection preventionists from a national random sample of 881 U.S. acute-care hospitals in 2021 to estimate the current use of practices to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), and ventilator-associated events (VAE). They then compared the 2021 results with those from surveys occurring every 4 years since 2005.
A cluster of gram-negative bloodstream infections in Connecticut hemodialysis patients associated with contaminated wall boxes and prime buckets
In this American Journal of Infection Control article, a cluster of Delftia acidovorans infections occurred at a hemodialysis facility due to indirect exposures to contaminated wall boxes and possibly saline prime buckets. D. acidovorans was recovered from a wall box where two patients, who comprised the cluster, had been dialyzed. The outbreak highlighted the importance of proper hand hygiene and daily disinfection of wall boxes to mitigate risk of infection.
New Study Finds Staying up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccination Protected Nursing Home Residents
CDC just released a publication in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that addresses the effectiveness of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among nursing home residents. In this study they found nursing home residents that were up to date with COVID-19 vaccination (most residents had received the bivalent vaccine) had vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection of just over 31%. This study further supports the recommendations for staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccine to ensure additional protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Incidence and Outcomes of Non–Ventilator-Associated Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia in 284 US Hospitals Using Electronic Surveillance Criteria
In a retrospective cohort analysis of 284 hospitals using an electronic surveillance definition applied to detailed clinical data, there was an estimated 0.55 NV-HAP events per 100 hospitalizations, inpatient mortality of 22.4%, and an additional 8.0% discharged to hospice. NV-HAP may account for an estimated 7.3% of all hospital deaths. These findings suggest that NV-HAP is a common and deadly complication of hospitalization that could account for up to one in 14 hospital deaths.
A scabies outbreak in an inpatient rehabilitation setting
This American Journal of Infection Control article discusses a scabies outbreak that occurred at a 435-bed academic medical center with 76 inpatient rehabilitation beds. The index patient was incarcerated and admitted to the hospital in February 2022, and developed crusted scabies after steroids treatment. A total of 46 healthcare workers were exposed, 29 of whom presented symptoms and received treatment. The outbreak highlighted the importance of early diagnosis and effective infection control in controlling contagious disease outbreaks in high-risk settings.
|
|
 Vaccination Station 2.0. A Workshop Series for Long-Term Care Facilities
Beginning June 2023, Comagine Health's expert Immunizations team will host a workshop series that breaks down a residential annual vaccine program into manageable, easy-to-follow monthly activities. These monthly sessions will follow the Comagine Health Vaccine Campaign Calendar and will guide you through establishing a well-run, year-round immunization program.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Certificate Program
The Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) is now offering scholarships to complete their new Antimicrobial Stewardship Certificate Program free of charge.
Eligibility criteria includes clinicians (physicians, pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and microbiologists) without specialized training in infectious diseases who are engaged in antimicrobial stewardship work or who wish to transition to this area of work and who live and work in the United States who identify as underrepresented minorities.
Applications Open for the Adult Family Home Council 2023 Fall Conference Speakers
The AFHC 2023 Fall Conference will be on Thursday and Friday, September 28 and 29 at the Tulalip Resort in Marysville, WA. Please complete the application form and submit it for consideration.
 A provider letter is now available online regarding the following topic:
You are subscribed to Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI&AR) Newsletter for Washington State Department of Health. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
If you aren't already signed up for the Healthcare Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance newsletter, please visit the Department of Health's email subscribers page here.
|
|
|
|
|
