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.
Measles Cases Hit 25-Year High: Is Your Team Prepared?
Measles is highly contagious and can spread before symptoms even appear. That’s why early recognition and rapid action are critical. As of July 22, 2025, 1,319 confirmed measles cases have been reported by 40 jurisdictions, including Virginia. This is the highest number since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
The Measles Micro-Learning from CDC’s Project Firstline is a quick, targeted training designed to help healthcare workers understand how measles spreads and how to stop it.
What to Expect: The short module reviews measles transmission, why it spreads so easily, and key steps to protect patients and coworkers. Clear visuals and real-world examples help staff connect the dots quickly.
How to Use It: Share it in a huddle, add it to an in-service, or assign it individually. It’s short, easy to fit into busy schedules, and makes an excellent refresher.
Why It Works: It’s direct, visual, and action-focused, with a facilitator guide to ensure consistent messaging.
Target Audience: Foundational IPC Education Level
Carilion Clinic
The Carilion Clinic Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team is engaging patients in the outpatient hand hygiene program. Infection prevention is a team effort, and everyone, including patients, has a role to play. Hand hygiene is the most crucial strategy for preventing infections, and through this program, Carilion is committed to providing the best patient care.
The Patient Feedback Monitoring Program invites patients at ambulatory sites to provide feedback on their providers’ hand hygiene. During their visits, patients receive feedback cards where they can indicate “yes,” “no,” or “unsure” if their provider performed hand hygiene before initiating physical contact. These data are compiled into a Tableau dashboard and shared with sites in real-time to evaluate compliance. The goal of this program is to highlight the importance of hand hygiene in the clinical setting and empower patients to be allies and advocates for infection prevention.
Since the program’s creation, the Carilion Clinic IPC team has been actively engaging ambulatory clinics and promoting the initiative, setting a goal for each clinic to submit 40 observations per month. Collaborating with the marketing and technology departments, the team ensured that the observation tools are accessible. The total number of outpatient hand hygiene observations increased from 12,311 in 2022 to 17,033 in 2023. As of July 2024, outpatient clinics have already collected 11,259 observations, and the year is only half over!
Carilion Clinic IPC Hand Hygiene Survey
