APIC Calls on Healthcare Facilities to Assess Infection Prevention Workloads and Prioritize Critical Patient Safety Work

As Omicron Cases Continue to Surge, APIC Calls on Healthcare Facilities to Assess Infection Prevention Workloads and Prioritize Critical Patient Safety Work

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Statement from APIC President Ann Marie Pettis, BSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC

Arlington, Va., January 21, 2022 – “The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) expresses its concern that the COVID-19 Omicron is taxing infection prevention and control teams nationwide and urges facilities to prioritize activities critical to patient safety and infection surveillance work inside our nation’s healthcare facilities.

“Infection prevention professionals serve as a critical line of defense in preventing and responding to infections and integrating evidence-based strategies to limit their spread. Given the current Omicron surge, facilities must prioritize activities that are crucial to patient safety and use infection prevention and control resources wisely to ensure we can keep facilities safe from infection.  Failing to do so could enable the spread of COVID-19 among patients and staff and spur increases in healthcare-associated infections and the spread of drug-resistant organisms.

“The current IP workload, combined with a shortage of IPs, requires healthcare leaders to work with their infection prevention and control teams to carefully examine where they should focus their efforts. APIC calls on healthcare leaders to focus on critical patient safety work.

“To assist, APIC has created the IPC Acuity Scale for Crisis Situations, a free, downloadable tool that organizes infection prevention and control tasks into categories that should remain high priority, as well as those that can be delegated.”

Founded in 1972, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is the leading association for infection preventionists and epidemiologists. With more than 15,000 members, APIC advances the science and practice of infection prevention and control. APIC carries out its mission through research, advocacy, and patient safety; education, credentialing, and certification; and fostering development of the infection prevention and control workforce of the future. Together with our members and partners, we are working toward a safer world through the prevention of infection. Join us and learn more at apic.org.

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Media Contacts: Aaron Cohen, (301) 633-6773, aaroncohenpr@gmail.com; Liz Garman, 202-365-7421, egarman@apic.org