Fall 2024 IPC Collaboration Series

The Fall 2024 IPC Collaboration Series is here! This series provides an opportunity for participants to hear from  IPs and various department leaders about best practices and results which can be accomplished when leveraging strong inter-departmental relationships. Topics include: Environmental cleaning, laundry management, and heater/cooler sterilization.

Collaboration between Child Life Specialists and Infection Preventionists - A look at how an adult Comprehensive Cancer Center was able to safely onboard pediatric care for radiation therapy while maintaining a child friendly atmosphere

CE: 1/IPU: 1 

Monday, September 16, 2024 @ 1 pm ET

Todd Hertel, MLS(ASCP)CM, CHS(ACHI) and Sami Rundo, CCLS

Speakers will discuss the importance of listening to understand and building a foundational relationship amongst Child Life and Infection Prevention. Infection Prevention and Child Life departments have continually collaborated at this organization to ensure pediatric care can happen safely while avoiding infection risk but also allow for a kid friendly environment to reduce emotional distress and trauma. This collaboration was the first of its kind across our Comprehensive Cancer Center previously tailored to an adult population. We will share our successes, struggles, risk assessments, and compromises.

Learning objectives:

 1. How to approach new departments in a non-threatening way and lay a foundation for continued collaborative success

2. Best practice when advocating with leadership and requesting funding for projects not included in original budget planning

3. How to appropriately create and implement a toy cleaning and disinfection policy

4. Special considerations for access to unique Child Life managed play and therapy spaces

Linen Supply Goes Up in Smoke 

CE: 1/IPU: 1 

Thursday, October 24, 2024 @ 1 pm ET

Michelle Power MT(ASCP), CIC and Justin Ballas

A significant fire has occurred at the main facility responsible for reprocessing linens for hospitals, surgeries, and ambulatory services across three campuses, encompassing a 1200-bed health system and 160 ambulatory offices, with minimal redundancy in place. Measures have been implemented to outsource linen processing to prevent any disruptions to hospital operations and to expedite the restoration of the textile department's capabilities to the highest level possible in a timely and safe manner.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Determine the remediation process. 

2. Establish a replacement linen supply system (including temporary linens, disposable lines, and sterile linen). 

3. Implement steps to quality control all refurbished equipment, test new equipment, and ensure textiles are hygienically clean.

Behind the Curtains: Unveiling the Hidden Risks and Realities of Healthcare Linen Hygiene and Safety

CE: 1/IPU: 1 

Monday, October 28, 2024 @ 1 pm ET

Gregory Gicewicz, CLLM and Missy Travis, MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC

This session will provide a behind the scenes in-depth investigation into the realities and risks associated with healthcare linen & laundry. Missy Travis is the founder of IP&C Consulting, LLC, and a 20-year Board Certified Infection Prevention (IP) veteran. Greg Gicewicz is CEO of Compliance Shark, and a 20-year accredited healthcare laundry owner/operator. Together, they will share their diverse actionable perspectives on healthcare linen & laundry. Missy will provide the IP perspective on linen processing and handling and what “should” happen in a perfect world. Greg will provide the laundry operator’s insider perspective on what actually happens in the real world of linen processing and handling. Through combined efforts, they will offer tips and tricks for what dangers are lurking and how to mitigate these findings.
Overall, this session will illustrate the perfect world versus actual world linen concepts. The audience will follow a healthcare textile on a virtual journey from patient use at the hospital, to transportation to the laundry facility, to processing at the laundry facility, to transportation back to the hospital, and back to the point of use.
 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the risks associated with improperly processed and handled healthcare textiles
2. Evaluate healthcare laundry processing and handling using “perfect world” standards
3. Develop skills to identify hidden dangers in healthcare linen processing and handling
4. Apply techniques to mitigate dangers found in healthcare linen processing and handling.

Collaborative Efforts in Mitigating Heater-Cooler Contamination Risks

CE: 1/IPU: 1 

Monday, December 9, 2024 @ 1 pm ET

Cyndi Culbreth, RN, BSN, CIC and Greg Griffin, BS, CCP LP

Infection Prevention and Clinical Perfusion teams collaborate to improve safety of heater-cooler machines in the OR

Learning Objectives
1. Understand the Importance of Cross-Departmental Collaboration
2. Identify Challenges and Solutions in Equipment Maintenance
3. Appreciate the Role of Executive Support

Continuing Education (CE) Credit: 

In support of improving patient care, The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. 

 Nursing: 

• APIC designates this activity for 4 Nursing Contact Hours 

Physicians: 

• APIC designates this live course activity for a maximum of 4 PRA Category 1 Credits™
• Physicians should claim only the credits commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

IPUs: 

• APIC designates this activity for 4 infection prevention unit(s). 
• For more information, please see https://www.cbic.org/CBIC/Rece...