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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Time to Fall in Love with Measles Prevention

This Valentine’s season is a good time to revisit one of infection prevention’s most reliable love stories: the partnership between measles vaccination and early public health response. 

In 2025, the United States saw the highest number of measles cases in more than 30 years, with more than 2,200 people sickened and three deaths reported. After decades of progress, measles is once again reminding us why consistent prevention efforts still matter. 

What to Expect: 

How to use it: 

  • Build a microlearning moment.
    Choose one resource per week to review briefly during staff meetings, huddles, or shift change to reinforce key prevention concepts without adding time burden. 
  • Strengthen onboarding and refreshers.
    Incorporate these resources into onboarding or annual education to reinforce measles prevention, vaccination importance, and early response expectations. 
  • Practice vaccine conversations.
    Pair the Measles Myths and Facts factsheet with role-play or discussion to help staff practice responding to common questions or misconceptions with clear, evidence-based messages. 

This Valentine’s Day, fall back in love with measles prevention and the tools that help keep everyone safer. 

Target Audience: Essential IPC Education Level 

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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.

CDC: Core Elements of Hospital Diagnostic Excellence (DxEx) (February 4, 2026)
CDC
Acute Care Hospital
Acute Care Rehabilitation or Long-Term Care Acute Hospital (LTACH)
Assisted Living Facility (ALF)
Department of Health
Hospice and Palliative Care
Nursing Home / Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
Core Elements of Hospital Diagnostic Excellence (DxEx) (February 4, 2026) The Diagnostic excellence (DxEx) provides guidance to implement actionable strategies within hospitals to enhance diagnostic accuracy through improved diagnostic reasoning, testing methodologies, and communication processes, ultimately elevating patient safety standards. It encourages the implementation of systematic approaches and evidence-based practices for improving diagnostic processes, ultimately aiming to reduce errors and increase patient safety across healthcare settings.
CDC: Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) Surveillance (March 19, 2026)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
Department of Health
Surveillance
Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) Surveillance (March 19, 2026) The guidance on Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) emphasizes the importance of implementing prevention strategies, including appropriate antibiotic use, enhanced infection control practices, and patient education to reduce the incidence of C. diff infections in healthcare settings. It highlights the role of the Emerging Infections Program (EIP) in monitoring C. diff cases, promoting research on infection trends, and improving response efforts to effectively manage outbreaks and improve patient care.
VDH: Clinician Letter – Updates on Virginia Department of Health Vaccine Recommendations (2/19/2026)
VDH
Department of Health
Pediatric / NICU
Vaccination
Clinician Letter: Updates on Virginia Department of Health Vaccine Recommendations (2/19/2026) The clinician letter reports that Virginia recommends continued use of the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 immunization schedule despite recent federal changes, emphasizing that current vaccine guidance should remain grounded in established scientific evidence and clinical best practices. The letter also states that there are no changes to Virginia school immunization requirements and urges clinicians to continue offering recommended vaccines and use clinical judgment in shared decision-making with patients and families.
CDC: Considerations for Reducing Risk – Water in Healthcare Facilities (2/6/2026)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
Water Management
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Considerations for Reducing Risk: Water in Healthcare Facilities (February 6, 2026) CDC recommends establishing a water management program that identifies risk areas in a facility’s water system and implements controls to prevent harmful pathogens like Legionella. The program should be routinely monitored, documented, and adjusted to ensure it remains effective and responsive to changing conditions.
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. 

What’s In Your Water?

Hayley Andrews, an infection preventionist in the southwest region of Virginia, used her curious mind and a desire to educate others to help uncover environmental contamination that caused an illness in one of her patients.

Hayley’s facility admitted a patient with sepsis, and blood cultures grew Aeromonas hydrophila.  Because Hayley had never heard of this organism, she researched it and learned that it is typically a waterborne organism.  Hayley took this information to the nursing unit where the patient was located and the patient’s son heard her educating the nurses about Aeromonas.  He joined in and mentioned that his mom had a well and he was concerned that it may be contaminated.

The health department visited the home and tested the water. Sure enough, it was contaminated with Aeromonas and other organisms, and failed potability testing. The health department was able to get the patient an alternate, safe water source upon her discharge to prevent further infection until her well water could be remediated. 

Thank you, Hayley! Your diligence prevented this patient from getting sick again, and perhaps prevented other neighbors from a similar outcome! 

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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