Virginia Infection Prevention & Control Training Alliance (VIPTA)

VIPTA is a statewide infection prevention and control education collaborative, led by the Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group.  Through partnership, VIPTA curates IPC resources for Virginia’s healthcare, congregate care, and public health settings.

More about VIPTA

 

Upcoming Events

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Coming to a town near you! Infection Prevention Educator Roadshow. May-July 2024; see registration for dates. Sample of Activities: workplace education hacks, conquer speaker anxiety, escape room adventures, supercharging educator strengths, hands-on education practice, educator goodie bag

The Infection Prevention Educator Roadshow Is Back This Summer

The Infection Prevention Educator Roadshow is hosted by the VDH HAI & AR Program and will be coming to a location near you in summer 2024.  

More About This Resource

  • This free training is focused on building your skills to educate healthcare workers on infection prevention and will be a hands-on learning day. 
  • Participants may come from all practice settings. Last year, participants came from acute care, long-term care, EMS, health department, behavioral health, congregate settings, public health, and more. All are welcome.  
  • This will be an all-new training; previous attendance not required. If you came to Roadshow 2023, there will be all new lessons this year, so please join us again! 
  • Register online – seats are filling up! 

For questions about this training resource, contact ginger.vanhoozer@vdh.virginia.gov 

Guidance & Regulation Updates

VIPTA members track guidance and regulation resources to share source documents that guide infection prevention and control practices for public health staff and clinical and non-clinical healthcare personnel.

The date of the regulation or guidance update is included in each post.  Please check linked content to be sure it is the most up to date and recommended practice.

H5N1 Bird Flu: Current Situation Summary (5/24/2024)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
Emergency Preparedness & Operations
Surveillance
H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with two cases of H5 in U.S. dairy workers. While the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures. CDC is using its flu surveillance systems to monitor for H5N1 activity in people.
Updates on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (5/20/2024)
FDA
Department of Health
Surveillance
FDA is providing routine updates on avian influenza and the ongoing work to ensure continued effectiveness of the federal-state milk safety system.
Health Advisory: Meningococcal Disease Cases Linked to Travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA): Ensure Pilgrims are Current on Meningococcal Vaccination (5/20/2024)
CDC
Acute Care Hospital
Ambulatory (Outpatient) Care
Department of Health
Mobile Clinic
Pediatric / NICU
Emergency Preparedness & Operations
Surveillance
Vaccination
Since April 2024, 12 cases of meningococcal disease linked to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) travel for Umrah have been reported to national public health agencies in multiple countries including the United States (U.S.). Healthcare providers in the U.S. should: Recommend quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccination for people considering travel to KSA to perform Hajj or Umah (pilgrims) in addition to routine meningococcal vaccination for adolescents and other people at increased meningococcal disease risk. Maintain a heightened index of suspicion for meningococcal disease. Immediately notify the local health department about suspected or confirmed cases of meningococcal disease. Consider postexposure prophylaxis.
Rapid Evidence Product: Active Infection Surveillance of Clostridioides difficile ( diff) and Multidrug-Resistant Organisms: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), and Candida auris (5/9/2024)
AHRQ
Acute Care Hospital
Department of Health
Nursing Home / Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
Surveillance
A summary of relevant and recent literature on active surveillance strategies in patient populations to reduce infection transmission of Clostridioides difficile, MRSA, CRE, and Candida auris.
VDH: Reporting Adverse Events in Children Following Exposure to THC and CBD Containing Products (4/24/2024)
VDH
Acute Care Hospital
Ambulatory (Outpatient) Care
Department of Health
Pediatric / NICU
Surveillance

What’s In Your Water?

Hayley Andrews, an infection preventionist in the southwest region of Virginia, used her curious mind and a desire to educate others to help uncover environmental contamination that caused an illness in one of her patients.

Hayley’s facility admitted a patient with sepsis, and blood cultures grew Aeromonas hydrophila.  Because Hayley had never heard of this organism, she researched it and learned that it is typically a waterborne organism.  Hayley took this information to the nursing unit where the patient was located and the patient’s son heard her educating the nurses about Aeromonas.  He joined in and mentioned that his mom had a well and he was concerned that it may be contaminated.

The health department visited the home and tested the water. Sure enough, it was contaminated with Aeromonas and other organisms, and failed potability testing. The health department was able to get the patient an alternate, safe water source upon her discharge to prevent further infection until her well water could be remediated. 

Thank you, Hayley! Your diligence prevented this patient from getting sick again, and perhaps prevented other neighbors from a similar outcome! 

IPC Education & Training Library

Search the VIPTA library of curated infection prevention and control (IPC) education and training resources. The IPC Education & Training Resource Library includes state and national resources related to healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance and/or IPC. Visit the VIPTA FAQ page to learn more about VIPTA library content.

 

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