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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Is it Really a Penicillin Allergy?

Did you know that 10% of U.S. patients report a penicillin allergy, but fewer than 1% are actually allergic? Taking the time to clarify whether a penicillin allergy is real or not can make a big difference in patient care. As we approach U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW), November 18-24, it’s the perfect opportunity to confirm if that reported allergy is accurate.

By doing so, healthcare providers can help reduce the unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics—lowering healthcare costs and decreasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance. A simple conversation or assessment can go a long way!

Ready to take action? Here are some helpful resources to get started:

  • Penicillin Allergy Education: The CDC’s flyer “Is it Really a Penicillin Allergy?” provides key insights for healthcare professionals on the importance of evaluating reported penicillin allergies.
  • Allergy Assessment Tool: The AHRQ tool helps clinicians safely evaluate reported penicillin allergies, supporting accurate diagnosis and improved patient care.
  • CDC Toolkit for USAAW: Use the toolkit and daily themes to inspire your activities throughout Antibiotic Awareness Week.

Target Audience: Intermediate IPC education level

Guidance, Recommendations, & Regulatory 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.

CDC: Conjunctivitis (09/11/2026)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
The CDC recommends excluding healthcare personnel with suspected or confirmed infectious conjunctivitis, including epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), from work for the duration of their symptoms. These recommendations emphasize strict hand hygiene, appropriate cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and shared medical equipment, and prompt identification and management of cases to prevent transmission and healthcare-associated outbreaks.
CDC: Viral Respiratory Infections (09/11/2026)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
The CDC provides updated recommendations for managing healthcare personnel exposed to or infected with viral respiratory infections, including work restrictions, symptom monitoring, and source control. Asymptomatic exposed personnel may continue working with source control through at least five days after their last exposure, while infected personnel should be excluded from work for at least three days and meet additional symptom-based return-to-work criteria, followed by source control through at least day seven.
CDC: Preventing Respiratory Infections in the Workplace (08/28/2026)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
The CDC provides recommendations to help employers prevent and respond to respiratory infections in the workplace through improved ventilation, engineering controls, environmental cleaning and disinfection, and policies that encourage sick employees to stay home.  These recommendations also emphasize using respiratory illness surveillance data to inform workplace prevention strategies, including masking and remote work, to reduce transmission and protect employee health.

Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

SHEA

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...

Celebrating One Year Without a Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection!

On Thursday October 12, 2023, the Infection Prevention and Nursing leadership teams at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital rounded on the nursing units to celebrate achieving one year without a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)!  Cupcakes (yellow frosted, of course) were distributed to all and many thanks shared with the teams. The entire hospital has been instrumental in reducing CAUTIs at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.

It starts in the Emergency Department with urinary catheters only being placed when absolutely necessary, then responsibility moves to the inpatient units where daily conversations are held to assess the need for the catheter.  Infection Prevention reviews urinalysis and urine culture orders on patients with catheters, ensuring good culture stewardship.  Physicians are engaged with the infection prevention and nursing teams in the conversations about catheter and urine culture necessity. This excellent teamwork has led to a reduction in CAUTIs and the achievement of being one-year CAUTI free! 

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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