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.
Your Infection Prevention Week Game Plan Starts Here
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) is October 19–25! It is a great time to celebrate the people who make infection prevention happen. Get your team in the game with activities that build skills, raise awareness, and keep others safe.
What to Expect:
International Infection Prevention Week: Start with the official IIPW site. Be on the lookout for resources for this year’s theme, Generations of Infection Prevention: PAST. PRESENT. PROTECTED.
VIPTA Resource Library: Build your game plan with resources for each daily focus. Monday covers sterile processing, TB, and outbreaks. Tuesday focuses on hand hygiene. Wednesday covers vaccines and antibiotics. Thursday focuses on environment of care. Finish the week on Friday with technology.
VDH Infection Prevention Training Power Tools: Add some fun with ready-to-use puzzles, coloring pages, games, and step-by-step training guides.
How to use it:
- Make a daily play: Pick one resource for each day. Send it to unit leaders with a few discussion points or trivia questions to share with staff. (Hack: A Project Firstline Micro-Learn is ready to go if you don’t want to make something new.)
- Set up a game station: Put puzzles, coloring pages, or trivia in a break room or staff area. Add a prize drawing to boost play.
- Cheer on your team: Use Cheers for Peers certificates to thank staff for great infection prevention work. Or, create an IIPW Kudos Wall where staff can leave notes or shout outs to celebrate each other.
Target Audience: Foundational & Intermediate IPC Education Level
EMS Infection Prevention Training: Expanding Education Across Virginia
Infection prevention is an important part of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) practice. However, many agencies have relaxed some infection control practices since the COVID-19 pandemic. To help address this need, David Keeler of the Tidewater EMS Council has added infection prevention training to their annual and quarterly EMS education programs.
David partnered with Ginger Vanhoozer from the Virginia Department of Health to provide training for EMS professionals. Topics included everyday infection prevention practices, new infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, MRSA, and other drug-resistant organisms. The sessions brought the topic to life with hands-on activities, including glow-in-the-dark demonstrations that showed how contamination can spread. These activities helped make the information easy to understand and remember.
The response from participants has been extremely positive. Attendees reported a 100% satisfaction rating and asked for more training opportunities, including additional foundational infection prevention education opportunities. By strengthening their infection prevention knowledge, EMS professionals can better protect themselves, their patients, and their communities.
Regional EMS councils throughout Virginia offer a great way to bring infection prevention information to providers.
How can I get involved with EMS education in my area?
To bring similar trainings to your area, contact your local EMS council to learn more. These councils can help organize educational events, connect EMS and healthcare partners, and support infection prevention efforts in their communities.
By working together, infection preventionists and EMS professionals can strengthen infection prevention practices across Virginia.
Find your EMS region and connect with your local EMS council.
