Partnering for Healthcare-Associated Infection

Prevention

Andrea Alvarez, MPHHAI Program CoordinatorOffice of Epidemiology

Virginia Department of Health

Healthcare-Associated Infections

• A major, yet often preventable, threat to patient safety• On any given day, about 1 in 25 hospital patients has at

least one healthcare-associated infection• Estimated 722,000 infections in acute care hospitals in

2011• About 75,000 hospital patients with HAIs died during their

hospitalizations

• One of CDC’s 10 “winnable battles”• VDH HAI Program established in 2009

• Program gets input from multidisciplinary HAI Advisory Committee

• Significant reductions in some HAIs in Virginia and other states, but more work to be donehttp://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1306801

http://www.cdc.gov/hai/progress-report/index.html

Continuum of Care

Health Department

VDH HAI Program Partnerships

VDH HAI Program Collaborative Projects

• Surgical site infection surveillance pilot (2010)• Partners: APIC-VA, 18 acute care hospitals

• Central line-associated bloodstream infection data validation project (2011)• Partners: VHHA, APIC-VA, 37 acute care

hospitals• Urinary tract infection prevention collaborative

(2011)• Partners: VHCA, 12 long-term care facilities

• Clostridium difficile infection prevention collaborative (2013)• Partners: VHQC, 22 acute care, 22 long-term

care facilities

Highlight of Partnership: Hepatitis B Prevention Workgroup

• Co-led by Dr. Danny Avula, Richmond City Health District Deputy Director and Dr. Laurie Forlano, Deputy State Epidemiologist• Includes members of HAI Program

• Partners: DSS, Department of Medical Assistance Services, Virginia Board of Nursing

• Accomplishments:• Revised curriculum for registered medication aides (staff who

assist assisted living facility residents with blood glucose monitoring)

• Suggested revisions to DSS regulations to enhance infection control policies, procedures, and training requirements

• Trained DSS inspectors about best practices for safe blood glucose monitoring

• Working with DSS to develop infection prevention trainings for assisted living providers

Educational Collaborations

• Infection prevention trainings for assisted living facilities and nursing homes (2011)• Partners: VHCA, VANHA, VALA, DSS, VDH

Office of Licensure and Certification and local health departments

• >550 people trained on toolkit materials and basic infection prevention strategies

• Webinar and in-person trainings for acute care and long-term care facilities

• Partners: APIC-VA, VHHA, VHQC, Near Southwest Preparedness Alliance

Andrea.Alvarez@vdh.virginia.gov

Program website: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiolo

gy/surveillance/hai