from the editor
from the editor
Adequate IP Staffing Impacts Infection Rates
Earlier this year, we covered the release of the SHEA / APIC /
IDSA / PIDS multi-society position paper, Raising the Bar: Necessary Resources and Structure for Effective Healthcare Facility Infection Prevention and Control Programs, which advocated for raising the expectations for facility infection prevention and control( IPC) programs, moving to effective programs that are foundational and influential parts of the facility’ s operational structure, resourced with the correct expertise and leadership, and prioritized to address all potential infectious harms.
It’ s common sense to assume that improved staffing and resourcing can benefit IPC programs, but one healthcare system demonstrated this concept vividly. In 2020, Virginia’ s Carilion Clinic health system increased the size of its IPC team. The strategy paid off as, over a three-year period, various infection rates dropped precipitously as more full-time infection preventionists( IPs) joined the health system.
In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, Carilion Clinic had only 11 IPs for its eight-hospital system of more than 1,000 licensed beds. The facility ramped up gradually, believing that more trained IP staff could result in sustained improvements in both the infection rates and patient safety outcomes. By 2023, Carilion more than doubled its IP staff from 11 to 24 full-timers and reaped the benefits of a marked decrease in the incidence of various healthcare-associated infections( HAIs) as a direct result of hiring additional IP staff.
Carilion reported that catheter-associated urinary tract infections( CAUTIs) were reduced by 57 percent; Clostridioides difficile declined by 52 percent; colon surgical site infections( SSIs) were down by 26 percent; and central line-associated bloodstream infections( CLABSIs) dropped by 16 percent.
The team, led by Maimuna Jatta, RN, MSN, CIC, director of IPC for Carilion Clinic, the hospital’ s parent company, aligned IP resources with Carilion’ s organizational priorities, knowing that a well-resourced IPC program is fundamental to patient safety, quality care, and effective risk management. And that reducing HAIs directly impacts CMS star ratings, Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, HCAHPS scores, and value-based purchasing metrics.
Bolstered IPC programs also pay dividends for patients, as reduced HAIs lead to fewer extended stays, lower readmission rates, fewer CMS penalties and significant cost savings.
“ Pushing more infection preventionists to the front line means that instead of just controlling infections, we were preventing them from occurring in the first place,” says Jatta, who adds,“ IP leaders should collaborate with finance executive to analyze the cost per HAI event, project potential savings from reduction of HAIs and build a data-driven business case for additional IP staffing and infrastructure.”
Here’ s hoping your facility or system has the same kind of success with boosting IPC staffing and resources. The SHEA / APIC / IDSA / PIDS multi-society position paper can be accessed below if you need some excellent talking points when approaching your C-suite leadership.
Until next time, bust those bugs!
Kelly M. Pyrek Editor & Publisher Kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine. com
SHEA / APIC / IDSA / PIDS multisociety position paper: Raising the bar: necessary resources and structure for effective healthcare facility infection prevention and control programs healthcarehygienemagazine
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4 • www. healthcarehygienemagazine. com • jul-aug 2025