Virginia Infection Prevention & Control Training Alliance (VIPTA)

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.

More about VIPTA

 

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Cleaning and Disinfection

Cleaning with Purpose: EVS and the Fight Against HAIs

Infection prevention isn’t ONLY about hand hygiene and PPE—it starts with the very environment we work in. Environmental Services (EVS) professionals are on the front lines of infection prevention, playing a critical role in stopping multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and keeping patients, staff, and visitors safe.

What to Expect
These resources highlight the essential role of EVS teams in infection prevention, from stopping the spread of MDROs to creating a safe environment for patients, residents and staff.

How to Use These Resources

  • Incorporate them into EVS team huddles and training sessions.
  • Use videos as onboarding tools for new EVS staff.
  • Empower EVS teams by reinforcing their critical role in healthcare safety.

Target Audience: Essential 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: Raising Awareness About an Ebola Disease Outbreak Caused by Sudan Virus in Uganda (2/11/2025)
VDH
Acute Care Hospital
Department of Health
Outbreak Investigation
Surveillance
Shares CDC recommendations for clinicians (see Ebola Health Advisory for more details) Reminds clinicians to immediately contact the local health department to report any patient with compatible signs and symptoms of Sudan virus disease and an epidemiologic risk factor.
CDC Health Advisory: Ebola Outbreak Caused by Sudan virus in Uganda (2/6/2025)
CDC
Acute Care Hospital
Department of Health
Outbreak Investigation
Surveillance
Review CDC's recommendations for U.S. public health departments and clinicians about case identification, testing, and biosafety considerations in clinical laboratories. As a precaution and because there are other viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in East Africa, CDC is sharing best practices to raise awareness about this outbreak.
VDH Clinician Letter: Avian Influenza Update for Virginia (1/31/2025)
VDH
Acute Care Hospital
Ambulatory (Outpatient) Care
Department of Health
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Outbreak Investigation
Surveillance
Avian influenza A(H5) has not been detected in people or dairy cattle in Virginia. It has recently been detected in Virginia in wild birds, commercial poultry, and in birds housed in a zoo collection. These detections are not unexpected, as avian influenza A(H5) virus is currently widely circulating in the environment. The risk from avian influenza viruses to the public remains low. People with job-related or recreational exposure to birds or other avian influenza virus-infected animals are at greater risk of infection. Clinicians should consider the possibility of avian influenza virus infection in persons showing signs or symptoms of acute...
Health Advisory: Accelerated Subtyping of Influenza A in Hospitalized Patients (1/16/25)
CDC
Acute Care Hospital
Emergency Preparedness & Operations
Laboratory Collection and Interpretation
Surveillance
To prevent delays in identifying human infections with avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses, especially during periods of high seasonal influenza activity, the CDC recommends a shortened timeline for subtyping all influenza A specimens from hospitalized patients. This measure will support optimal patient care, infection control, and case investigation. Clinicians and laboratory staff are urged to test for influenza in patients with suspected influenza and to prioritize the rapid subtyping of influenza A-positive specimens, particularly those from patients in intensive care units. Additionally, clinical laboratories should increase efforts to identify non-seasonal influenza strains.
Termination of Rulemaking: Occupational Exposure to COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings (1/15/25)
OSHA
Any Practice Setting
Regulatory Compliance
The COVID-19 Healthcare rulemaking, which was first published as an Emergency Temporary Standard on June 21, 2021, has been terminated. The agency will continue to focus efforts to protect healthcare workers through work on a broader Infectious Diseases standard.
Photo of 8 APIC-VA Conference Participants

APIC Virginia Conference

On October 5th and 6th, infection preventionists and public health partners from around the state came together in Richmond, VA for two days of education, networking, and learning about new products from industry partners.

The Virginia chapter of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC Virginia) had their highest attendance ever, with over 100 attendees for the conference on Friday, and approximately 60 pre-conference attendees on Thursday!

Preconference attendees learned the ins and outs of basic microbiology, how specimen collection can impact culture results, how to read susceptibility results and antibiograms, and how they can contribute to antimicrobial stewardship programs by focusing on enhancing their partnership with the laboratory.

Conference attendees brushed up on water management, dialysis, construction, nasal decolonization as a means to prevent infection, and heard about interesting Group A Strep and scabies outbreaks. A social event on Thursday provided great food and drink, and opportunities to network and socialize.

APIC Virginia looks forward to seeing you at next year’s educational conference! 

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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Last Updated: February 14, 2024