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DOH-LHJ Community of Practice to Improve Interfacility Communication when Patients Transfer Care
Our Community of Practice (CoP) to Improve Interfacility Communication has been meeting regularly since July 2023. The goals of this effort are to understand how and why breakdowns occur in communication of important infection prevention information and to improve this communication in order to keep patients safe by preventing transmission of healthcare associated infections. The next phase of this CoP will support LHJs leading quality improvement projects with acute and long-term care facilities in their jurisdiction to improve this communication.
We are taking this opportunity to make LHJs aware that they can still join in this next phase of the CoP even if they have not participated before. We meet every other Wednesday from 3:30-4:30 PM and the next meeting is January 17th. Register!
Please contact Marisa D’Angeli with any questions about this effort.
Sunsetting the U.S. Government COVID-19 Therapeutics Distribution Program
Please see the linked guide for information from US Department of Health & Human Services for details on changes to ordering and management of Paxlovid and Lagevrio:
(1) plan for the transition away from USG ordering; (2) understand the impact of this transition on ordering mechanism; (3) understand how to manage inventory of USG distributed OAV products, including continued reporting requirements for remaining USG inventory; and (4) provide summary information about programs to provide access for uninsured and underinsured individuals as COVID-19 OAVs become commercially available. This guide is for planning purposes only and will be updated as additional details become available.
Saline and Sterile Water Medical Products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a Safety Communication warning consumers, health care providers, and health care facilities not to use recalled saline (0.9% sodium chloride) and sterile water medical products manufactured by Nurse Assist, LLC. The potentially contaminated products are sold under various brands and include a wide range of product types with expiration dates that extend to 2025 and beyond.
- Relaying this information to your clinical partners can help assure the timely and effective removal of these products.
- Consider assessing the potential role of recalled saline and sterile water products as part of your outbreak response activities.
- Reports of HAIs associated with use of these recalled products can be transmitted via MedWatch.
Please refer to the FDA Safety Communication for more details.
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Infection Prevention and Control |
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IPChat 2024!
Are you a skilled nursing home IP? Come join us on IPChat for mini learnings and connect with colleagues around the state. Share experiences and learn from others by registering for 2024 IPChat! More info will be shared soon.
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Antimicrobial Stewardship |
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New WA DOH Resources for Long-Term Care Facilities
Antimicrobial Stewardship Toolkit for Nursing Homes
This toolkit contains resources that can assist facilities with practical implementation and maintenance of an antimicrobial stewardship program.
Urine PCR Guidance Document for Long-Term Care Facilities
Urine polymerase chain reaction-based (PCR) laboratory testing has been promoted to clinicians as an alternative method of obtaining urine cultures. Due to the high prevalence and overuse of antibiotics for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) in the post-acute and long-term care population, guidance on the topic of PCR urine testing is provided to ensure safety.
New Resources for Penicillin Allergy Delabeling
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Is It Really a Penicillin Allergy Patient Education Handout: This is a brand-new handout designed to educate patients on the importance of clarifying penicillin allergies. A Spanish translation will be posted within the next month.
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Penicillin Allergy Testing Patient Education Handout: This is a brand-new handout designed to educate eligible patients on what to expect. A Spanish translation will be posted within the next month.
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Penicillin Allergy Delabeling Webinars: This is a series of short, pre-recorded webinars focused on the concept and the practical applications of this topic.
Clinical Pearls
Support for the reporting to the NHSN Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Module
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WA DOH’s NHSN AUR Implementation FAQ: 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. A new page describing the specific updates has been added (Page 2).
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WA DOH’s Getting Started with the NHSN AUR Module Office Hours **These have been updated to occur quarterly**
- Learn more & register: Getting Started with the AUR Module Office Hours
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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 1st, 2022, and March 1st, 2024. Learn more and apply for funding.
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HAI/AR Health Equity Project
The HAI/AR NHSN Epidemiology Team is working on a health equity project, and we would like to invite you to attend the January 9, 2024 NHSN Hospital User Group Call for more details. This project would involve having the race, ethnicity, and zip code fields for the patient to be submitted to NHSN. Goals of this project are to use race and ethnicity data to assess health inequities in healthcare facilities and work with facilities to develop HAI prevention strategies to mitigate disparities.
Register for the call on Jan 9, 2024 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
 HAI Epidemiology Team Flyer
The HAI Epidemiology Team created a flyer to explain the services provided by the team, as well as contact information for members of the team. The flyer outlines the activities completed by the team in three main categories: Investigations and Outbreaks, NHSN HAIs – Acute Care Hospitals (ACH), and NHSN Long Term Care (LTC).
Skilled Nursing Facility COVID-19 Vaccination Rates
The up -to-date definition was changed beginning September 25th, 2023, so that only individuals who received a 2023-2024 Updated COVID-19 vaccine are considered up to date. While we understand facilities may still be getting familiar with the updated definition for up-to-date for COVID-19 vaccination, current NHSN data indicate low COVID-19 vaccination rates among both residents and staff in a majority of facilities.
Percentage of SNF Residents and Staff Considered Up-to-Date Since June 1st, 2022
The graph below shows the percentage of SNF residents and SNF considered up-to-date by the definition at that time. The vertical gray line denotes the most recent definition change beginning the week of September 25th, 2023.
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Want to Become an Infection Control Superhero? We have the Perfect Start!
Start your journey to becoming an infection control superhero by taking the Washington State Project Firstline Leaning 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.
The six-module series is based on CDC Project Firstline content and focuses on the following:
- Infection Control
- How Germs Can Spread on Surfaces
- How Germs Can Spread via Respiratory Droplets
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- Proper Hand Hygiene
- Proper Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Cleaning and Disinfection
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Modules are available at nwcphp.org and are offered in English and Spanish.
All corresponding job aids are now also offered in Russian, Tagalog, Amharic, Korean, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. Check it out on our website under Education and Training!
Continue your superhero journey by checking out how your facility can become a Frontline Infection Prevention Champion!
Details can be found on our website and via this informational flyer.
Infection Prevention Education at your Fingertips!
Enhance your team's engagement in infection prevention! Text "JoinWAIPC" to 59309 (or scan the QR code) to receive free Washington Project Firstline text messages on timely infection prevention updates over your phone, wherever you are, including access to:
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• 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.
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Don't forget to remind your healthcare friends, family, and coworkers/staff to sign up! Additional information available on our WAIPC flyer.
CDC Project Firstline Micro-Learns!
Micro-learns are short, adaptable training resources to educate your team on a variety of topics through guided discussions. These discussions aim to assist in connecting infection control concepts to practice, helping healthcare workers recognize infection risks and to take action to stop the spread of germs. These micro-learns can be incorporated into your next team meeting or huddle.
Current topics include: (What to do when you see…)
Project Firstline Podcast!
The Project Firstline Podcast, hosted by the Washington State Department of Health, is geared toward frontline healthcare workers to bring awareness to infection prevention and public health practices. We identify the importance and impact of infection prevention on our lives and on the lives of our community.
New Episode!
Recent Episodes:
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Program Updates
There are three types of support currently provided by the WA DOH HAI/AR Occupational Health team:
- 3M Online Medical Evaluation (ending December 30, 2023)
- Fit tester training
- Consultation support for the rules and regulations of respiratory protection through June 30, 2024
Reminder of the upcoming changes:
As of December 2023, no new facilities will be incorporated into the DOH 3M Online Medical Evaluation system, and DOH will no longer offer financial support for utilizing the system.
Please update your accounts by archiving the staff that are no longer employed by you and add in your new staff. Have your new staff complete their medical evaluation as soon as possible. If you have received notice that your staff is due to renew their medical evaluation, please encourage them to complete it before the deadline of December 30, 2023. There will be no exceptions or extensions past December 30, 2023.
Consultation support:
To assist facilities with the requirements for their respiratory protection program we have the following webinars:
If you have additional questions, please feel free to email us at
HAI-fitTest@doh.wa.gov.
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National Healthcare and Safety Network (NHSN) |
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Now Available: Two New WA DOH NHSN Dashboards
The Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) released two new dashboards using NHSN data: the Laboratory-Identified (LabID) HAI dashboard containing data for hospital-onset Clostridiodes difficile infection (CDI) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia, and the Surgical Site Infection dashboard containing data for SSIs following colon surgeries or abdominal hysterectomies. The LabID dashboard replaced the pre-existing CDI dashboard. The dashboards show annual data for the last five years of reportable HAI data. It also shows the progress hospitals in our state have made in reducing HAIs, and how our hospitals are currently performing. Data will be updated annually.
The dashboards, and the pre-existing device-associated HAI dashboard, are available through the HAI Epidemiology and Reporting webpage or through the WTN HAI landing page, where more information can be found on the data included in the dashboards.
Quarterly NHSN User Group for Hospitals
New invitation for the NHSN Hospital User Group calls in 2024. We will host these calls every other month. Please register in advance for this call series at this link. Upcoming meetings are as follows.
- Jan 9, 2024 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
- Mar 12, 2024 10:30 AM
- May 14, 2024 10:30 AM
- Jul 9, 2024 10:30 AM
- Sep 10, 2024 10:30 AM
- Nov 12, 2024 10:30 AM
Please reach out to Sandy Ng if you have any questions or have topic ideas for any of the calls.
Monthly Long-Term Care NHSN User Group
You are invited to register for the monthly NHSN skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) forum to share and, collaborate, improve reporting accuracy, and increase user knowledge. Calls are scheduled for the second Thursday of the month, 11:00 a.m. – noon. Upcoming meetings are as follows:
- Jan 11, 2024
- Feb 8, 2024
- Mar 14, 2024
- Apr 11, 2024
Please contact Paula Parsons for more information.
NHSN Support Services
For a more comprehensive list of NHSN support options the HAI Epi Team can provide, see the NHSN Support and Technical Assistance for Skilled Nursing Facilities flyer.
NHSN Reporting Updates and Trainings
Reporting Influenza and RSV Cases and Vaccination for Long-term Care Facility Residents: Long-term care facilities (LTCF) will now be able to report influenza and RSV vaccine and case information in addition to reporting COVID-19 vaccine and case information for LTCF residents. Reporting influenza and RSV data for LTCF Residents is optional and will be completed through the Long-term Care (LTC) Component. LTCFs should continue to follow reporting requirements for submitting COVID-19 data information for residents and staff.
Long-term Care Facilities (LTCFs) can now prepare for collecting annual healthcare personnel (HCP) influenza vaccination summary data for the 2023-2024 influenza season. The reporting period for the 2023-2024 influenza season for Annual Healthcare Personnel (HCP) summary data is from October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. Facilities are only required to submit one report that covers the entire reporting period through the NHSN Healthcare Personnel Safety (HPS) Component, which is due in May 2024.
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Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) |
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WA DOH Influenza Update for Week 48 now available!
State Summary available below:
- Influenza-like illness activity was low during week 48.
- To date, 5 lab-confirmed influenza deaths have been reported for the 2023-2024 season.
- To date, 4 influenza-like illness outbreaks in long term care facilities have been reported for the 2023-2024 season.
- During week 48, 2 percent of visits among Influenza-like Illness Network (ILINet) participants were for influenza-like illness, which was above the baseline of 1.9 percent.
- During week 48, 5.2 percent of specimens tested by WHO (World Health Organization) and NREVSS (National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System) collaborating laboratories in Washington were positive for influenza.
- Influenza A and Influenza B were reported to the ILINet surveillance system during week 48.
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Abstract Submissions Now Open for NACCHO360 2024
The call for abstracts for the 2024 NACCHO360 Conference, to be held July 23–26, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan, is now open!
Abstract Submission Guidelines
The 2024 NACCHO360 Annual Conference invites public health professionals nationwide to showcase and share their research findings, best practice training models, tools, or other resources that advance the field of public health and healthcare.
The abstract submission period is open through January 8th, 2023 (11:59 PM PT). Deadline extensions are not guaranteed. Sessions will be organized around this year’s conference theme.
Attendee Registration Opening Soon
Online registration for the 2024 NACCHO360 Conference will open soon. Please monitor the NACCHO360 website for additional updates and information or subscribe to the NACCHO360 newsletter using your MyNACCHO account to receive e-mail updates about the conference.
Questions? Email NACCHO360reg@naccho.org.
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