Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Assessments

Proactive Onsite Infection Prevention & Control Assessments with VDH

Health department staff including experienced Regional Infection Preventionists conduct proactive infection prevention and control (IPC) assessments at healthcare facilities that do not currently have an outbreak. The assessments are not regulatory, free, and are designed to identify a facility’s IPC program strengths and areas of opportunity. 

During these onsite visits, health department staff assist healthcare facilities in reviewing current infection prevention practices and provide recommendations for improvement. The proactive assessments are conducted using a standardized set of tools. Similar tools are available on the CDC website and may be used by healthcare facilities as self-assessments to conduct internal quality improvement even after the visit. 

Eligibility

All Virginia acute and long-term acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, and outpatient dialysis facilities are eligible to request proactive onsite IPC assessments.

Requirements

  • Completion of an IPC assessment and site visit 
  • Facility commitment to take measures to implement VDH recommendations to improve IPC practices  

Benefits to Participation

  • Enhance your facility’s IPC capacity
  • Receive free resources and recommendations to address IPC areas identified for improvement
  • Strengthen the collaborative relationship between your healthcare facility and VDH

Proactive IPC Assessments: What to Expect

Reactive Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) Assessments 

IPC assessments can also be conducted in response to an outbreak or known infection prevention concern. This type of assessment is called a reactive IPC assessment. The VDH HAI/AR Program recommends that a reactive IPC assessment be conducted when there has been an infection control breach (e.g., unsafe injection practices identified) or in response to certain types of outbreaks (e.g., Candida auris, MRSA in a neonatal intensive care unit, invasive group A Strep in an acute care or long-term care facility). Reactive assessments may also be done in response to other outbreaks such as COVID-19. For questions regarding reactive IPC assessments, please contact hai@vdh.virginia.gov. 

Additional questions about infection prevention and control assessments? Please contact hai@vdh.virginia.gov. 

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Last Updated: September 18, 2024