|
UPCOMING WEBINARS AND
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
|
|
Roundtable Discussion on the Utilization of COVID-19 Therapeutics in Long-Term Care Settings
Join Comagine Health’s medical director for long term and post-acute care, Dr. Thuan Ong, for a round table discussion with a panel of experts regarding the utilization of COVID-19 Therapeutics in long-term care settings.
January 18,11am PST • Register
Talking to Patients about Vaccine Misinformation
Misinformation spreads like wildfire and is just as difficult to combat. In this presentation, college librarian and educator Kim Reed provides context to the challenges presented by misinformation in health care and shares a set of strategies for how health care providers can guide patients towards credible information.
January 19, 11am PST • Register
Hot Topics — PH WINS for the Future: Understanding the Strengths and Needs of Rural Public Health
The Public Health Workforce Interest and Needs Survey (PH WINS) provides data for examining differences in competencies, training needs, and turnover risk between rural and urban public health practitioners. Understanding these differences provides insight into steps that can be taken to strengthen the capacities of our rural public health workforce.
January 23, 12pm PST • Register
|
|
|
INFLUENZA
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is informing Washingtonians that the flu is spreading at a high rate in Washington state right now
The current flu season is early this year and flu deaths are at higher rates than usually seen at this point in the year. Visit the WA DOH Flu Overview webpage for additional information.
The Department of Health (DOH) collects data on flu activity in Washington state all year. DOH publishes flu activity reports every week from the fall through the spring.
The flu vaccine is still available through winter
You may visit your local doctor's office, pharmacy or clinic event in your area. See www.vaccinefinder.org or call the Help Me Grow Washington hotline at 1-800-322-2588 (language assistance available) to find a flu vaccine location near you.
- In Washington, all children under age 19 get flu vaccines and other recommended vaccines at no cost.
- The provider may charge an administration fee to give the vaccine. You can ask them to waive this fee if you cannot afford it.
- Most insurance plans, including Medicare part B, cover the cost of flu vaccine for adults.
- Flu and COVID-19 vaccines can both be received in the same day, or even the same visit for convenience.
- Talk to your local health department for information about other no-cost flu vaccine options that may be available in your community.
Interim Guidance for Clinicians to Prioritize Antiviral Treatment of Influenza in the Setting of Reduced Availability of Oseltamivir
|
|
COVID-19
A NEW training toolkit, Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccine Administration, is now available for pediatric vaccine providers. This toolkit is designed to increase clinics' confidence and capacity to offer COVID-19 vaccines to patients in the office setting. The toolkit offers an array of staff training materials, details incorporating COVID-19 vaccines into daily workflow, and numerous updated resources for providers and staff, patients and families.
The Department of Health and Human Services is offering four free at-home COVID-19 tests per household. The tests will begin to ship starting the week of Dec. 19 and can be ordered via COVIDTests.gov, or by calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) between 8 a.m. and midnight Eastern time any day of the week.
The CDC’s What’s New & Updated tool is a helpful way to stay up to date with new and updated content on CDC’s COVID-19 webpages. Users can filter by date, webpage type, audience, and topic.
Policymakers should rethink their “stagnant” approach to booster shots argue the researchers behind a new, first-of-its-kind national study linking COVID-19 vaccination of nursing home staff to significantly improved resident outcomes over time.
|
|
|
Project First Line is a nationwide project supported by the CDC and the Washington State Department of Health to provide frontline healthcare workers with infection prevention and control education.
 Become an Infection Control Superhero with Washinton State Project Firstline
|
Washington Project Firstline is excited to announce a new series of training modules for professionals working in long-term care facilities. These online, interactive modules will train and prepare long-term care workers to become infection control superheroes who can reduce the spread of disease at work and home.
|
|
|
|
We encourage you to print the attached flyer and post it in your breakroom for your staff.
Washington Project Firstline Promotional Flyer
The six modules focus on the following:
- Infection Control
- How Germs Can Spread on Surfaces
- How Germs Can Spread via Respiratory Droplets
|
- Proper Hand Hygiene
- Proper Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Cleaning and Disinfection
|
The modules are educational, informative and fun, and take approximately 20-minutes each to complete. Staff who complete all six modules will earn continuing education credits for two contact-hours through the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and a two contact-hour CNE certificate through Continuing Nursing Education at the University of Washington School of Nursing.
Modules are available now at firstline.nwcphp.org.
|
|
The Project First Line Podcast, hosted by the Washington State Department of Health, is geared toward frontline healthcare workers to bring awareness to infection prevention and public health practices. We identify the importance and impact of infection prevention on our lives and on the lives of our community. |
|
Strengthening infection prevention and control programs in nonacute care settings is a national priority. Efforts require thorough and ongoing appraisal of organizational structures, human resources including personnel training and competencies, system challenges and adaptive strategies implemented. Assessment of those in infection preventionist (IP) roles outside of the acute care setting is necessary to capture ongoing changes and challenges in the IP profession.
|
|
|
NEW Episode
Catch up on Previous Episodes
|
|
TOPIC: Respiratory Protection
The DOH Occupational Health Team is hosting monthly 30-minute, Lunch & Learn sessions on specific respiratory protection topics. Bring your lunch and listen to our Occupational Health Nurse talk about the topic of the month. Sessions start promptly at 12:00 PM. Bring your topic questions to the session or email them ahead of time to HAI-FitTest@doh.wa.gov.
January 18 – Fit Testing Tips
February 15 – APGs and Respirator Use
March 15 – Written Program Overview
April 19 – Who should be in the Respiratory Protection Program?
For more information contact Stella Daniels, Occupational Health Team Supervisor.
|
|
Quarterly NHSN User Group for Hospitals
Please contact Sandy Ng for an invitation
All sessions are from 10:30 - 11:30 AM
April 11, 2023
July 11, 2023
October 10, 2023
|
|
Introducing: Monthly LTC NHSN User Group
This is monthly forum for NHSN skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to share and collaborate, improve reporting accuracy, and increase user knowledge.
Please contact Paula Parsons for more information
Calls scheduled 2nd Thursday of the month, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Upcoming dates:
Feb 9, 2023
Mar 9, 2023
Apr 13, 2023
May 11, 2023
|
|
|
Jan 11, 2023, Uganda declared the end of the Ebola disease outbreak caused by Sudan ebolavirus, less than four months after the first case was confirmed in the country’s central Mubende district on 20 September 2022.
Every year, millions of patients acquire healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) while being treated for other health issues. While largely preventable, HAIs are the most common complication of hospital care and a leading cause of death in the United States. In response to this ongoing issue, states have proposed legislation to strengthen and sustain infection prevention capacity, implement requirements for data tracking and reporting through national surveillance systems, and prioritize antimicrobial stewardship.
An outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRA) in a general hospital due to contamination of a laundry evaporative cooler and the laundry environment using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). MLST confirmed that contamination of the laundry evaporative cooler and surrounding environment caused a polyclonal CRA hospital outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to emphasize the importance of following existing recommendations for maintaining and monitoring dental waterlines. Multiple outbreaks of nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) infections have occurred in children who received pulpotomies in pediatric dental clinics where the dental treatment water contained high levels of bacteria.
Japanese researchers have discovered a new mechanism to allosterically inhibit a respiratory chain enzyme widely conserved across species. The research, published December 8 in the journal Nature Communications, identified an antibiotic effective against a drug-resistant strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae based on their findings.
A new program underway in King County is aimed at early identification of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs).
In December, LeadingAge wrote a letter to the Biden administration to institute an Office on Aging Policy for a more focused approach to addressing the influx of older adults. While the department of Health and Human Services established the Administration for Community Living, that federal service focuses primarily on programs supported by the Older Americans Act and doesn't include nursing homes, home health, or hospice.
|
|
|
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urinary tract infections (UTI) are responsible for 20% to 30% of healthcare-associated infections in nursing home residents. Comagine Health offers several resources, including a sepsis toolkit organized by Comagine Health and the Nevada Sepsis Coalition.
The first three episodes of the Comagine Health-produced "Flu Fighters" podcast are now available online. Hear public health experts answer common questions about the flu and vaccination best practices. Listen on Apple, Google or Spotify.
Comagine Health’s education and consultation for infection prevention and control help protect staff and patients, create a standardized, evidence-based approach to infection prevention and mitigate costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID Mitigation Medal recognizes vigilance and excellence in infection control and prevention efforts at long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) centers. Fifteen centers across five states were recognized for their accomplishments.
|
|
The National Healthcare Safety Network has released clarification regarding long-term care centers reporting influenza vaccination data.
To remain in compliance with the Nurse Aid 1135 waiver, Washington State is required to provide CMS monthly reports. As a part of the report process, the state needs to compile information from each CMS certified nursing home on a monthly basis. Please assist in this process by completing the 3-question survey. If we are unable to provide the requested information to CMS, Washington state may lose this critically important 1135 waiver and the ability to allow NARs to continue working in a nursing home beyond 4 months while they complete the certification process.
A letter to Providers/Administrators/Superintendents for all care settings regarding the following topics is now posted online:
HAIAR Employment Opportunities
Public Health-Seattle & King County - Project/Program Manager (PPM) II for the Communicable Disease, Epidemiology and Immunization Section
|
|
|
DOH website
HAIAR Website
You are subscribed to Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI&AR) Newsletter for Washington State Department of Health. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
|
|
If you aren't already signed up for the Healthcare Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance newsletter, please visit the Department of Health's email subscribers page here. |
|
|
|
|
