Virginia Infection Prevention & Control Training Alliance (VIPTA)

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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 Virginia’s healthcare, congregate care, and public health settings.

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Stand Up for Infection Prevention on Internation Infection Prevention Week

🎆Let’s Throw an Infection Prevention Party!

International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) is October 19–25 and a great reason to have a party! A simple way to add flare to your celebration is with the brand-new Cheers for Peers certificate. It’s a ready-to-use tool that makes it easy to spotlight the everyday wins that keep patients, residents, and staff safe. You can hand one out during a huddle, post it on a breakroom bulletin board, or make it part of a bigger party.

Free Tools to Bring the Fun: The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) makes it easy to host your own celebration. The IIPW toolkit offers:

  • Fun graphics and posters to brighten up your space.
  • Ready-to-use PowerPoint slides to add flair to your next huddle or staff meeting.
  • Promotional videos and infographics that spark conversation.
  • Daily themes and games to keep the energy high all week long.

Explore and download resources at: Infection Prevention and You.

Party Ideas for Your Team

  • Kick off the week by surprising a unit with balloons, snacks, and a quick game.
  • Hand out Cheers for Peers certificates to celebrate a champion of healthcare infection prevention, an infection-free milestone, great hand hygiene audits, or a colleague who consistently models best practices.

Puzzle It Out! Want to add an extra layer of fun? Create your own infection prevention puzzles for staff to solve using a free site like Puzzel.org. Imagine sending someone a crossword or jigsaw puzzle that, when solved, reveals: “You won a Cheers for Peers award!”

Why It Matters: Celebrating infection prevention wins is more than just fun — it can boost morale and remind your team that every effort counts. As we head into the busy fall respiratory season, a little joy goes a long way in keeping spirits high.

So, gather your balloons, download your graphics, and throw an infection prevention party this IIPW. And don’t forget to share your celebrations with VIPTA, we’d love to cheer alongside you!

Target Audience: Essential IPC Education Level

Guidance & Regulation Updates

VIPTA members track guidance and regulation resources to share source documents that guide infection prevention and control practices for public health staff and clinical and non-clinical healthcare personnel.

The date of the regulation or guidance update is included in each post.  Please check linked content to be sure it is the most up to date and recommended practice.

Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
SHEA
Acute Care Hospital
Nursing Home / Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
Pediatric / NICU
Infection Prevention and Control of Candida auris in Pediatric Settings (6/23/2026) The guidance recommends identifying at-risk pediatric patients through targeted screening, using appropriate isolation and room-placement precautions, and coordinating closely with infection prevention and public health partners when Candida auris is suspected or confirmed. It also emphasizes prevention through meticulous hand hygiene, effective environmental cleaning and disinfection, and careful management of shared medical equipment, toys, common spaces, visitors, breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, and caregiver-child interactions.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 
CMS
Nursing Home / Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
Regulatory Compliance
CMS QSO-26-14-NH Memo: Nursing Home Risk-Based Survey National Implementation (7/16/2026) CMS will implement a nationwide risk-based survey process beginning September 8, 2026. Qualifying high-performing nursing homes may receive streamlined recertification surveys, allowing survey resources to be focused on facilities and complaints that present greater risks to resident health and safety.
VDH: Clinician Letter – Measles Outbreak Expansion and Back-to-School Immunizations (6/26/2026)
VDH
Acute Care Hospital
Ambulatory (Outpatient) Care
Department of Health
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Pediatric / NICU
Emergency Preparedness & Operations
Vaccination
Clinician Letter: Measles Outbreak Expansion and Back-to-School Immunizations (6/26/2026) The Virginia Department of Health announced that the Buckingham County measles outbreak has expanded to Cumberland County. Review the expanded outbreak vaccination recommendations, encourage patients to stay up to date on immunizations before the school year, and immediately report suspected or confirmed measles cases to your local health department.

From Outbreak Response to Lasting Success at Bland Nursing and Rehab

Building a Strong Foundation

Bland Nursing and Rehab, a ventilator-capable skilled nursing facility in Southwest Virginia, recently achieved a major milestone: its carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii (CRAB) outbreak has officially closed, with no new cases identified. This success came from a team effort focused on strengthening infection prevention practices across the facility.

Leadership secured a full-time infection preventionist and built strong support from key leaders, including the administrator, director of nursing, assistant director of nursing, wound care nurse, and respiratory therapy manager. Together, they created a culture focused on safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Turning Plans into Action

The facility redesigned its environmental services program by updating cleaning policies, introducing an automated disinfectant dispensing system, and switching to single-use microfiber mops for each resident room. Staff received retraining and competency validation to ensure consistent practices.

The team also strengthened personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene, and isolation precaution monitoring through regular audits, observations, and staff education. Respiratory therapy practices were enhanced through direct observation, competency validation, simulation-based training, and routine audits of ventilator and tracheostomy care.

Keep the Momentum Going

Bland Nursing and Rehab’s success shows that lasting infection prevention is possible when leadership, education, monitoring, and teamwork come together. Facilities looking to strengthen their own programs can take advantage of these free resources:

  • CDC Project Firstline: Practical training materials and educational resources to support staff education and reinforce infection prevention best practices.
  • VDH Infection Prevention and Control Assessments: No-cost, consultative, non-regulatory onsite help to identify strengths and address potential gaps in your facility’s infection prevention and control program.
    These resources can help facilities proactively strengthen infection prevention practices to protect residents, staff, and the entire care community.

IPC Education & Training Library

Search the VIPTA library of curated infection prevention and control (IPC) education and training resources. The IPC Education & Training Resource Library includes state and national resources related to healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance and/or IPC. Visit the VIPTA FAQ page to learn more about VIPTA library content.

 

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