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 Virginiaâs healthcare, congregate care, and public health settings.
đPurple Power: Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance Together
Get ready to go purple! Antimicrobial Awareness Week is November 18â24, 2025, and this yearâs theme is âFighting Antimicrobial Resistance Takes All of Us.â Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) isnât just a healthcare issue; itâs a One Health challenge that affects people, pets, and our planet. Every reminder, game, or hallway conversation helps keep antibiotics and antifungals working for everyone.
What to Expect:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention â U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) Find ready-to-use social media posts, fact sheets, and talking points to kickstart awareness activities across your organization.
- World Health Organization â World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) Grab shareable graphics, infographics, and messages to spotlight the global effort against antimicrobial resistance.
- CDC â What Is One Health? See how the health of people, animals, and the environment are all linked and why your daily actions matter beyond the bedside.
How to Use It:
- Go purple! Ask teams to wear purple or decorate breakrooms to spark conversation.
- Host a mini-moment. Share a quick AMR fact in your next huddle or meeting.
- Make it a game. Use ideas from this monthâs Cheers for Peers feature, where Whitney Rice created a microbe-matching challenge about bacterial vs. viral infections.
- Spread the message. Share graphics or stories from the WHO or CDC campaigns on your intranet or social media.
- Recognize Purple Champions. Celebrate strong antimicrobial stewardship by giving a Cheers for Peers certificate.
Target Audience: Foundational IPC Education Level
Virginia APIC Members Share Their Work at the APIC National Conference!
The 2026 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) National Conference was held June 15â17 in Nashville, TN, offering infection preventionists a valuable opportunity to learn, collaborate, and showcase their work. With about 400 submissions received, selection to present is a notable achievement. This year, several APIC Virginia Chapter members were featured.
Congratulations to the following presenters!
âDana Chapman (Sentara Leigh Hospital) and Ginger Vanhoozer (VDH) presented âReciprocal Mentorship That Fits: Education-Rich, Time-Smart, and Built for Collaborationâ, discussing APIC Virginia & VDHâs novel mentorship program.
âMai Jatta (Carilion Clinic) discussed Carilionâs systemwide approach to implementing a water and steam testing program in alignment with ANSI/AAMI ST108 in âSystemwide Implementation of Water and Steam Quality for Medical Device Reprocessingâ.
âCarolyn Kiefer and Andrea Chapman (VDH) presented âFrom Airways to Outbreaks: A Stateâs Journey Strengthening Respiratory Care Assessmentsâ. They discussed the importance of incorporating respiratory care assessments into outbreak investigations with pathogens such as Candida auris, Group A Streptococcus, and other multidrug-resistant organisms, and how to implement them in the field.
âKrysta Luzynski (VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital) discussed âPublic Health in Practice: Leveraging Public Health 3.0 to Strengthen Infection Prevention in a Small, Rural Hospitalâ. This presentation focused on using the Public Health 3.0 framework to strengthen infection prevention programs, and how a âchief health strategistâ role can facilitate collaboration and empower teams.
âSamuel Ntow (Carilion Clinic) presented âHospital-Onset Sepsis: Characterizing a Hitherto Underrecognized HAI Burden Using Five Years of Surveillance Data at an Academic Medical Centerâ which discussed the underreporting of hospital onset sepsis in an academic medical center. He found that the rates exceeded several currently tracked HAI categories in his facility.
Tools & Tips to Share Your Work
- Local conferences are a great place to begin. Consider submitting a poster at the APIC Virginia Fall Conference (October 15â16):
âŞď¸APIC Virginia provides guidance on what to include plus a free poster template! - Join the APIC Research Network (free for APIC members) to connect with peers and access helpful resources.
- Need help shaping your idea or outlining your poster or presentation? Schedule a free Infection Prevention Boost Session for one-on-one support.
