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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Healthcare Ventilation Can Really Blow

When it comes to infection prevention, what’s in the air matters. This month’s featured resources focus on healthcare airflow and ventilation, breaking down complex concepts into practical tools that are easy to use. Be sure to check the Regulation & Guidance Updates section for new information from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to stay current on the latest recommendations.

What to Expect

  • ASHE Project Firstline Explainer Videos: Short, easy-to-share resource from American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) that help facility managers and frontline staff understand the critical role ventilation plays in keeping healthcare environments safe. (English & Spanish)
  • CDC Project Firstline Ventilation Factsheet: A clear, shareable overview of how ventilation supports infection control and helps reduce the spread of germs in healthcare settings. (English & Spanish)
  • ASHE Ventilation Quick Guide FAQs: A plain-language reference with concise answers to common questions about ventilation and prevention in the healthcare environment. (English & Spanish)

How to use it:

  • Walk-Through with Unit IP Champion: Have a charge nurse or IP do a 5-minute walk of the area looking for best practices and asking staff:
    • “What should never be in front of an airflow vent?”
    • “What rooms require doors closed?”
  • Breakroom Air Facts Board: Post the CDC factsheet with a simple header like: “This room protects patients/residents too. Here’s how the air helps.”
  • Play Rank That Risk!: Use airflow issues you found on rounds or create hypothetical risks you want staff to be aware of like a vent blocked by a trashcan, propped open door of an airborne isolation room, or a missing or open ceiling tile. Ask: “What’s the risk here?”

Target Audience: Intermediate IPC Education Level

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.

Spotlight on Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital

This month, we’re highlighting Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk, VA—a 296‑bed facility offering multiple levels of care, including skilled nursing rehabilitation, long‑term care, an adult ventilator unit, and a 25‑bed pediatric unit caring for medically complex children who often require ventilators, tracheostomies, feeding tubes, and continuous monitoring. 

When a pediatric patient transferred to an acute‑care hospital for a respiratory infection and grew carbapenem‑resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) in Spring of 2025, Lake Taylor quickly identified a second child in their own facility with the same organism. In response, the team launched unit‑wide point prevalence testing every two weeks. Over seven rounds, six asymptomatic children tested positive. All were promptly cohorted to reduce transmission risk.

The facility conducted a thorough review of hand hygiene practices, signage, and supply placement. They introduced ATP testing to validate environmental cleaning and switched to a disinfectant with a shorter contact time to improve compliance. According to Infection Preventionist, Carol Evans and VP of Patient Services, Karen Wilhelm, these changes strengthened staff confidence and consistency.

Collaboration with the Virginia Department of Health and the CDC was central to their success. Leadership remained deeply engaged, implementing recommendations swiftly. The team at Lake Taylor spoke highly of the mentorship they received from VDH throughout the process, and Devonne Winston from VDH, who nominated the Lake Taylor team for this month’s Cheers for Peers, says “They led by example” of the leadership team.

On October 17, Lake Taylor hosted a highly successful education event with 106 participants from across the facility, recognizing that this education was important in the adult units as well. Staff practiced hand hygiene using GloGerm, completed PPE donning and doffing demonstrations, learned about multiple MDROs, and participated in an environmental cleaning station.

Kudos to the Lake Taylor team for their rapid, coordinated response and commitment to protecting patients throughout the facility.

✨Check out the McKnight Prize for Healthcare Outbreak Heroes – a great way to cheer on a peer nationally!

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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