Virginia Infection Prevention & Control Training Alliance (VIPTA)

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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Image of microbes with word bubbles around it. Word bubbles include: food supply, communities, across the world, water and soil, and healthcare facilties.

Health Equity and Antimicrobial Resistance Resources from CDC

CDC provided a toolkit of resources that incorporate health equity science into antibiotic stewardship program research.   

Ways to Share this Resource  

  • Perfect for sharing during U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (November 18-24). 
  • Resources for different audiences to help you match the right materials for patients, residents, family, administrators, prescribers, and healthcare workers.  

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.

ASHRAE: Ventilation of Healthcare Facilities (2/16/2026)
Any Practice Setting
Air Quality
Ventilator
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)  Ventilation of Healthcare Facilities (02/16/2026)   The 2025 edition of ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170 outlines minimum ventilation requirements for health care facilities, emphasizing compliance and best practices for HVAC system design.  Key updates include the option for natural ventilation, total outdoor air calculations for combined spaces, and clarified requirements for imaging and outpatient areas. 
CDC: Updated 2026 National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Surveillance Protocols (January 2026)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
Department of Health
Surveillance
CDC updated the NHSN Patient Safety Component Manual, including Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Module protocols and data definitions used for facility reporting. These updates include new documentation and reporting guidance, effective for 2026 surveillance. A summary of updates is available on the CDC website. 
APIC: New White Paper on Centralized Health-Associated Infection Surveillance Programs and Micro-Credential to Advance Centralized HAI Surveillance and Patient Safety (1/20/2026)
APIC
Any Practice Setting
Department of Health
Surveillance
This paper offers guidance and expert perspectives on implementing centralized surveillance programs for healthcare-associated infections (HAI) data within health systems, a key step toward more standardized HAI measurement and prevention. It emphasizes improving surveillance accuracy, data use, and patient safety. 
VDH: Clinician Letter: Respiratory Illness and Measles Updates for Virginia (1/21/2026)
VDH
Acute Care Hospital
Ambulatory (Outpatient) Care
Department of Health
Outbreak Investigation
Standard Precautions
Vaccination
The clinician letter reports that respiratory illness activity in Virginia has declined but influenza-related hospitalizations remain elevated, and clinicians should continue vaccination, testing, and prompt antiviral treatment for high-risk patients.   The letter also warns of ongoing measles cases and exposures in Virginia, urging clinicians to maintain a high index of suspicion, immediately isolate suspected cases, notify public health, and ensure staff and patients have documented MMR immunity.  
AHRQ: Toolkit for Improving Skin Care and MDRO Prevention in Long-Term Care Settings
AHRQ
Acute Care Rehabilitation or Long-Term Care Acute Hospital (LTACH)
Assisted Living Facility (ALF)
Behavioral Health Facilities
Hospice and Palliative Care
Nursing Home / Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
Antimicrobial & Diagnostic Stewardship
Toolkit for Improving Skin Care and Multidrug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) Prevention in Long-Term Care Settings   Clinical topics in the toolkit center around four key strategies to protect skin and prevent infection: (1) Keep skin clean and safe; (2) Reduce MDRO transmission; (3) Use antibiotics wisely; and (4) Clean high-touch surfaces.   The toolkit also includes “teachable moments.” These documents use real-world healthcare scenarios to reinforce concepts related to skin care and infection prevention.
Photo of 8 APIC-VA Conference Participants

APIC Virginia Conference

On October 5th and 6th, infection preventionists and public health partners from around the state came together in Richmond, VA for two days of education, networking, and learning about new products from industry partners.

The Virginia chapter of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC Virginia) had their highest attendance ever, with over 100 attendees for the conference on Friday, and approximately 60 pre-conference attendees on Thursday!

Preconference attendees learned the ins and outs of basic microbiology, how specimen collection can impact culture results, how to read susceptibility results and antibiograms, and how they can contribute to antimicrobial stewardship programs by focusing on enhancing their partnership with the laboratory.

Conference attendees brushed up on water management, dialysis, construction, nasal decolonization as a means to prevent infection, and heard about interesting Group A Strep and scabies outbreaks. A social event on Thursday provided great food and drink, and opportunities to network and socialize.

APIC Virginia looks forward to seeing you at next year’s educational conference! 

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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Last Updated: June 30, 2025