Infection Control in Critical Access Hospitals

 

To: Critical Access Hospitals From: Pamela Fricke  CDPHE HAI/AR Program My name is Pamela Fricke, and I am the Field Infection Preventionist (IP) in the Healthcare Associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program at Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). I am writing to you to let you know about a new infection prevention initiative we are launching for critical access hospitals.  I am reaching out today to introduce myself and the HAI/AR Program. The HAI/AR Program exists to prevent healthcare-associated infections and control the spread of emerging antimicrobial-resistant threats in all healthcare settings in Colorado through surveillance, containment and response, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship. We serve as subject matter experts (SMEs), using best practices and evidence-based recommendations to guide mitigation and prevention efforts, provide education, and respond to current HAI/AR events. Our work often includes consultation and on-site infection control assessments in order to better understand facility processes, transmission threats, and guide mitigation.  Starting September 1st, 2023, we will conduct proactive infection prevention assessments in critical access hospitals. The purpose of the assessments will be to support best practices for infection prevention as part of a statewide quality improvement initiative. Proactive infection control assessments are distinct from response-driven assessments. Prevention-based infection control assessments are intended to provide feedback on infection control policies and practices before a problem is identified to help improve healthcare programs. These assessments are known as ICARs (Infection Control Assessment and Response surveys) and will require direct in-person observation and the use of a structured form for data collection Infection Control Assessment Tools | HAI | CDC.  The infection prevention assessments will focus on core infection prevention practices. Depending on the setting, we will assess practices for sterile instrument reprocessing, injection safety, and prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), and ventilator-associated events (VAE). We will prioritize assistance to facilities that offer on-site hemodialysis. Assessments will generally consist of a six-hour visit (at minimum) that will be scheduled ahead of time at the convenience of the facility. An infection preventionist from the HAI/AR Program 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 to guide quality improvement and priorities for mitigation. Participation is voluntary and highly encouraged. The site visit is not a regulatory visit and the purpose is not punitive. Rather, the purpose is to support and improve infection control practices and to guide education and training. The HAI/AR Program supports efforts aimed at improving healthcare practices in Colorado. Either myself or a team member will be reaching out to facilities individually for participation. When contacted, we encourage facilities to take advantage of this opportunity. In the meantime, I’d like to share some great resources specific to infection prevention and control (IPC): CDC/STRIVE Infection Control Training: Provides training courses, including those specific to core IPC practices (hand hygiene, PPE, environmental cleaning, etc.) and high-risk care activities (e.g., CAUTI, CLABSI, etc.). Additional IPC Training for Healthcare Professionals can be found here. CDCs Core Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Safe Healthcare Delivery in All Settings: Guidance that is similarly separated by topic/care activity, providing healthcare facilities with current evidence-based recommendations.  Continuing education and IPC training specific to setting types can be found here. Project First Line: CDC’s National Training Collaborative for Healthcare Infection Control. More information on Infection Control can be found here. Should you have any questions, want to schedule your assessment in advance, or need other HAI/AR support, please email me directly at pamela.fricke@state.co.us. We look forward to collaborating with you and your facility. You can view the full letter here.