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.
Whoop Whoop! New Infection Prevention Playbook for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
EMS touch all parts of healthcare and play a critical role in the infection prevention landscape. The updated EMS Infectious Disease Playbook condenses essential information into a single, comprehensive resource. It’s designed to assist EMS agencies in developing clear, effective policies that address a wide range of infection prevention topics like dispatch procedures, transmission-based precautions, personal protective equipment, and special considerations in pediatrics and aeromedical transport.
EMS Infectious Disease Playbook from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Ways to Use This Resource
- Comprehensive Guidance: Provides streamlined workflows for education tailored to resonate with EMS personnel.
- Centralized Resource: Consolidates the latest guidelines from various sources, ensuring EMS professionals have immediate access to current standards.
Target Audience: Foundational IPC education level
Bug Busters!
This month, we are featuring the UVA Health Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) team and their Bug Busters program!
Attending the IP Roadshow with Ginger Vanhoozer from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) inspired Julianna Felsher, Jim Hovanec, Ann Sidebottom, and Fati Craighead to bring fun infection prevention and control education to acute care at UVA Health University Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In August 2024, the IP&C team launched a mobile poster board initiative to deliver timely, engaging education across units. The cart (with candy, of course!) features rotating content on key topics like catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), and other relevant infection prevention efforts. Each section is updated monthly, with educational materials attached via Velcro® for easy customization. The team spends about 30 minutes per unit, giving staff the flexibility to engage around their clinical duties. Creative themes–such as December’s festive “Grinch Busters”–help draw attention and boost participation.
Bug Busters has been very well received by the staff who have commented on how much they love the colorfulness of the board, the informal setting, and of course, the candy! The casual nature of education encourages staff to ask questions that they may not have realized they even had. They have even had departments such as wound care ask how they can create their own education programs just like this one.
Thank you to the UVA Health IP&C team for sharing your program with us and helping our readers find creative ways to bring education to the masses!
