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 Virginiaâs healthcare, congregate care, and public health settings.
đPurple Power: Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance Together
Get ready to go purple! Antimicrobial Awareness Week is November 18â24, 2025, and this yearâs theme is âFighting Antimicrobial Resistance Takes All of Us.â Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) isnât just a healthcare issue; itâs a One Health challenge that affects people, pets, and our planet. Every reminder, game, or hallway conversation helps keep antibiotics and antifungals working for everyone.
What to Expect:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention â U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) Find ready-to-use social media posts, fact sheets, and talking points to kickstart awareness activities across your organization.
- World Health Organization â World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) Grab shareable graphics, infographics, and messages to spotlight the global effort against antimicrobial resistance.
- CDC â What Is One Health? See how the health of people, animals, and the environment are all linked and why your daily actions matter beyond the bedside.
How to Use It:
- Go purple! Ask teams to wear purple or decorate breakrooms to spark conversation.
- Host a mini-moment. Share a quick AMR fact in your next huddle or meeting.
- Make it a game. Use ideas from this monthâs Cheers for Peers feature, where Whitney Rice created a microbe-matching challenge about bacterial vs. viral infections.
- Spread the message. Share graphics or stories from the WHO or CDC campaigns on your intranet or social media.
- Recognize Purple Champions. Celebrate strong antimicrobial stewardship by giving a Cheers for Peers certificate.
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 VelcroÂŽ 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!
