Proactive prevention-based infection prevention assessments in outpatient hemodialysis facilities

 

To: Outpatient Dialysis Facilities   From: CDPHE   The Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program in the Disease Control and Public Health Response (DCPHR) Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will conduct proactive prevention-based infection prevention assessments in select outpatient hemodialysis facilities between May and September 2023.   The mission of the HAI/AR Program is to prevent healthcare-associated infections and control the spread of emerging antimicrobial-resistance threats in all healthcare settings in Colorado through surveillance, containment and response, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship. We offer expertise and ongoing support, and wish to foster a collaborative relationship with healthcare partners. The assessment is not regulatory or punitive in nature. Starting May 1, 2023, our HAI/AR Program infection preventionist will contact outpatient hemodialysis facilities to offer on-site assessment and consultation. We will prioritize outreach to facilities that may be at increased risk of HAIs based on publicly-available data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services (HFEMS) Division at CDPHE, and HAI data reported to CDPHE via the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).  The purpose of these assessments is to support best practices for infection prevention as part of a statewide quality improvement initiative. Assessments will consist of at minimum a six hour visit that will be scheduled ahead of time at the convenience of the facility. Our infection preventionist will accompany facility staff to conduct an in-depth review that will include direct observation of infection prevention practices related to patient care. At the end of the assessment, we will discuss our immediate findings with facility staff. Following the visit, we will provide a written summary of findings with recommendations for improvement and additional resources. If contacted, we encourage outpatient hemodialysis providers to take advantage of this opportunity. Should you have any questions, email tori.davis@state.co.us.