Infection Control Newsletters

Briefings on Infection Control Medical Environment Update OSHA Watch

Your facility's infection control and prevention initiatives are in the spotlight: Scrutiny from The Joint Commission, CDC guidelines, mounting pressure from state government, and heightened public awareness all paly a role. How will you keep up?

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Briefings on Infection Control

Issue 12, December 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Environmental services: Prevent infections and ensure safety

  Even with initiatives such as hand hygiene awareness, respiratory etiquette, and standard and...

• ESSENCE provides hospitals with early flu virus detection

  When H1N1 outbreaks were first encountered in April, the Maryland Department of Health was one of...

• Educating visitors about isolation precautions

  With Joint Commission standards requiring patient and visitor education on HAIs, coupled with the...

Issue 11, November 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Bringing down infection rates quickly

  On June 31, the New York State Health Department released a report detailing the HAI rates of...

• New York requires flu vaccines for healthcare workers

  As medical facilities around the country begin their flu vaccination programs, IPs and employee...

• Horror stories highlight safety and IC faux pas

  When you work in the healthcare field, you accumulate plenty of stories. Pretty soon, you begin to...

Issue 10, October 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• New ICU technology could improve IC processes

  Imagine you could interact with multiple patients, diagnose and treat their illnesses, administer...

• Protecting your work force from MDRO infections

  In recent years, MDROs have come under increased scrutiny, particularly in hospitals. As more...

• Affecting change in Nevada’s IC regulations

  Everyone needs a wake-up call now and then. For some, it’s reprimand from your boss. For...

Issue 9, September 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Steam sterilization is on Joint Commission’s radar

  After working with multiple professional and trade organizations on the common and proper use of...

• Infection prevention faces budget cuts, higher expectations

  There isn’t a business in the United States that hasn’t felt the brunt of the recession...

• Building an antimicrobial stewardship program

  Preventing the spread of MDROs in your facility is increasingly important. With close attention...

• SSI prevention measures include evidence-based guidelines

  The final National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) that deals with a specific infection is...

Issue 8, August 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Electronic surveillance systems increase efficiency

  The demands on today’s IP are extensive. In addition to managing and educating frontline...

• IC deficiencies elicit a close look at the MRI suite

  For years, many MRI suites in hospitals and outpatient facilities have operated without proper IC...

• How to plan better for infectious waste disposal

  Although the summer months usually override the thought of flu season for healthcare workers and...

• Reducing central line infections outside of the ICU

  Meeting the requirements of The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG...

Issue 7, July 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Swine flu scare provides real-time preparedness training

  For years, the CDC has proclaimed that the potential of a pandemic is not a question of if, but...

• Ambulatory surgery centers face IC crackdown

  On May 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began enforcing the new...

• HHS plans to use $50 million to prevent infections

  Although we’ve yet to see whether the $787 billion economic stimulus package passed by...

• Getting organized to meet standards on MDROs

  The Joint Commission’s 2009 National Patient Safety Goals (NSPG) related to improving IC...

• N95 fit testing during a pandemic

  When the novel influenza A H1N1 virus, or swine flu, hit Mexico and subsequently the United States...

Issue 6, June 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• New antibiotic organism elicits CDC recommendations

  Although much of the focus of MDROs has been on MRSA, a relatively new, and potentially more...

• Are checklists the future of infection prevention?

  The use of checklists dates back to World War II, when pilots used them to conduct final...

• How much PPE is enough during a pandemic?

  Emergency management directors and IPs are aware of the importance of personal protective equipment...

• Deadlines come fast and furious on National Patient Safety Goals

  Procrastinators take note: The Joint Commission has a number of deadlines looming in your future...

• Train the Trainer, reducing MRSA rates with positive deviance

  : Few question the ingrained hierarchy present in most healthcare facilities. In many cases...

Issue 5, May 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Greening your hospital without sacrificing IC

  It’s not uncommon for IPs to raise a caution flag when they hear the words “going...

• Counting particle dust during construction

  The Joint Commission’s Environment of Care standards in the Comprehensive Accreditation...

• Study finds a decline in MRSA in the ICU

  On an all-too-regular basis, newspaper headlines depict grim trends related to MRSA, both in the...

• Communication is the key to compliance

  It’s difficult enough to establish effective means of communication between the IC team and...

• APIC campaign can benefit visitors and staff

  If you are looking for a free and easy training tool requiring little time or effort, you may want...

Issue 4, April 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Secret shoppers help improve hand hygiene compliance

  If you want to see someone’s true behavior, watch what they do when they think no one is...

• Malpractice lawsuits could have more implications for infection prevention

  Think about the typical multimillion-dollar medical malpractice lawsuits that are most publicized...

• Activity-based management plus financial accountability equals success

  Today’s infection preventionist (IP) is in a difficult situation. While the hospital...

• Eight ways to get more IC for your money

  If you are an infection preventionist (IP), you are likely feeling the pressure of doing more with...

• Forge a working relationship with the lab

  Although it’s not technically considered part of the IC department, the laboratory services...

• Make support staff part of infection control

  The support services area of IC, including housekeeping and the janitorial staff, plays a...

Issue 3, March 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Eight tips to help you conduct a thorough outbreak investigation

  Tracking down the source of an infectious disease outbreak is the stuff television dramas are made...

• Overcome challenges to reduce surgical site infections

  The operating room (OR) can be a world unto itself. It’s physically separated from the rest...

• Preventing disease transmission is focus of IC.02.03.01

  Under Joint Commission standard IC.02.03.01, an organization must work to prevent the transmission...

Issue 2, February 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Three hospitals share their award-winning infection prevention strategies

  Three of the five Joint Commission 2008 Ernest A. Codman Awards were bestowed on hospitals whose IC...

• Tennessee hospital reduces MRSA in long-term care patients

  At Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, TN, a team effort reduced MRSA rates among patients...

• This patient rights standard has implications for IC

  A new 2009 Joint Commission standard requires hospitals to tell patients that the facility may need...

• New CDC guidelines: Current and comprehensive

  The CDC issued updated disinfection and sterilization guidelines November 18, 2008, in a...

• New kid on the block: DNV accreditation offers choice

  In September 2008, an independent foundation that began by inspecting and evaluating Norwegian...

• Eight ways to get the word out on a new policy or procedure

  When a new document such as the recent CDC disinfection and sterilization guidance gets issued (see...

Issue 1, January 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• C. diff more prevalent than previously believed

  A new nationwide APIC study shows the number of C. diff infections may be six to 20 times higher...

• Aggressive action (and aggressive nurses) fight Acinetobacter at Louisiana hospital

  When Baton Rouge (LA) General Hospital began seeing highly susceptible patients develop...

• IC.01.03.01, assessing risk is a starting point

  When a Joint Commission surveyor comes into your IC department, the first thing he or she will...

• Take a strong stand against the flu with declination forms

  APIC officials took a strong position in support of flu vaccinations this season by issuing a...