RAPID INFECTIOUS OUTBREAK TEAM
(RIOT): TRAINING FOR THE NEXT
SERIOUS INFECTIOUS DISEASE
In February 2017, UAB Hospital received the designation of Serious
Infectious Disease Network Assessment Facility by the Alabama
Department of Public Health. This designation highlights UAB’s
important role in protecting the citizens of Alabama from the continued
threat of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The UAB
Hospital Rapid Infectious Outbreak Team (RIOT) remains a key piece
of the response to these threats. This team maintains a high level of
preparedness by conducting bi-annual training coordinated by the
Office of Interprofessional Simulation for Innovative Clinical Practice
(OIPS). These training sessions give team members an opportunity to
practice donning and doffing personal protective equipment to more
safely care for patients.
The Deep South Biosafety Worker Training Program, a National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences grant-funded collaboration between
the UAB School of Public Health and OIPS, is another example of how
simulation is helping UAB Medicine meet its pillar goals of Quality,
Finance, Engagement, and Advancement of Knowledge. Through
this collaboration, OIPS helped coordinate training for more than 250
health care providers in three of Alabama’s six EMS regions. The goal
is to enhance biosafety and infection control procedures for health
care and public safety workers throughout the Deep South (Alabama,
Mississippi, and the Florida Panhandle).
Rapid Infectious Outbreak Team (RIOT) training
www.uabmedicine.org
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