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.
🎆Purple Power: Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance Together
Get ready to go purple! Antimicrobial Awareness Week is November 18–24, 2025, and this year’s theme is “Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance Takes All of Us.” Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) isn’t just a healthcare issue; it’s 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 – 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 – World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) Grab shareable graphics, infographics, and messages to spotlight the global effort against antimicrobial resistance.
- CDC – 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 month’s 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
Reinforcing Healthy Behaviors: A Special Dialysis Christmas Shop at UVA Zions Crossroads
Promoting healthy habits in chronic disease patients can be challenging, but UVA Zions Crossroads Dialysis offers a creative example. Administrative Assistant S.P. and Registered Dietician K.G. planned and led a unique Dialysis Christmas Shop to encourage positive behaviors.
Planning and Participation: The event takes over a year to organize and requires stable staffing, so it isn’t held every year. About 90% of the shop’s items are new, sourced through yard sales, staff donations (often re-gifted), and include practical gifts like blenders, grills, jackets, tools, and children’s presents for grandparents.
Purpose and Pricing: Many dialysis patients have limited incomes, and the holidays can be stressful. Items are priced affordably so everyone can participate. Some patients even share leftover “dialysis dollars” to help others buy special gifts.
Earning ‘Dialysis Dollars’: Starting in September, patients earn ‘dialysis dollars’ by demonstrating healthy behaviors, including:
- Controlling phosphorus levels (monthly measured)
- Managing fluid intake (reviewed by K.G. over 7 treatments)
- Consistently attending dialysis sessions
- Staying for the full treatment time
- Completing an educational crossword puzzle
Patients can earn up to $15, and these dollars cannot be taken away, even if unexpected events occur (hospitalization, surgery, transportation issues). Education is provided on why these behaviors matter.
Impact: Three motivated patients earned the full $15 for shopping, and most of the 44 patients participated. Extra items were raffled off to spread holiday cheer.
This initiative shows that positive reinforcement can bring joy and promote health in a chronic disease community during the holidays.
