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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Hand Hygiene with Florence Nightingale. Image of woman emerging from photo frame.

May 5th is World Hand Hygiene Day

Mark your calendars because May 5th is no ordinary day—it’s World Hand Hygiene Day! It’s time to roll up our sleeves and celebrate the power of clean hands in keeping us all healthy. We know it’s not always easy to find the right tools to keep those hands squeaky clean. Fear not, because we’ve got your back with an exciting bundle of resources that’ll make hand hygiene a breeze!

🛠️ Toolkit: APIC Toolkit for Patient Hand Hygiene

  • About this resource: This toolkit is an all-encompassing resource designed to empower healthcare professionals like you to champion hand hygiene practices among patients and residents.
  • Target Audience: Foundational IPC education

📽️ Video: Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center – Hand Hygiene with Florence Nightingale

  • About this resource: Get ready to be entertained and educated when Florence Nightingale comes to life to tell a memorable and short story on how to perform hand hygiene and why it matters in healthcare.
  • Target Audience: Foundational IPC education level

💻 Technology: Speedy Audit

So, gear up, spread the word, and let’s make this World Hand Hygiene Day the cleanest one yet!

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.

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.
VDH: Clinician Letter – Public Health Updates on Measles, Ebola Preparedness, and Travel-Associated Illnesses (6/03/2026)
VDH
Acute Care Hospital
Ambulatory (Outpatient) Care
Department of Health
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Pediatric / NICU
Emergency Preparedness & Operations
Vaccination
Clinician Letter: Public Health Updates on Measles, Ebola Preparedness, and Travel-Associated Illnesses (6/03/2026) This clinician letter provides updates on rising measles activity, Ebola preparedness, and travel-associated illnesses. Protect patients and staff by maintaining a high index of suspicion, assessing travel history, following infection control guidance, ensuring vaccination coverage, and promptly reporting suspected cases to your local health department.
APIC: New Toolkit to Address Problematic Manufacturer Instructions for Use for Non‑Critical Devices (5/08/2026)
APIC
Any Practice Setting
Department of Health
Quality Improvement
Regulatory Compliance
New Toolkit to Address Problematic Manufacturer Instructions for Use for Non‑Critical Devices: This toolkit provides practical strategies and resources to help healthcare professionals address problems with manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs) for non-critical medical devices. It supports infection preventionists in safely reprocessing devices when IFUs are unclear, incomplete, or difficult to follow.  *Access this resource with a free APIC account.

VDH Infection Prevention Education in the Northwest Region

Kayleigh Rehkopf, VDH’s Northwest Regional Infection Preventionist, would like to highlight three VDH staff in the Northwest region (Stephanie Neal, Candace Ashworth, and Brad Evert) for their outstanding work in infection prevention and control (IPC) education!

Stephanie is the Junior District Epidemiologist for Lord Fairfax Health District, and she has been working on preparing and disseminating IPC education for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and schools. Brad and Candace, part of the Regional Containment Team, eagerly jumped in to help with the education and went outside their normal scope of work to be a part of this important initiative.  They did a great job familiarizing themselves with the education and making connections in the community to deliver the content effectively. Having them on the team really helped to make this education effort a success.

Thank you, Stephanie, Candace, and Brad, for all that you do to keep our community safe and healthy!

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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