By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

As the COVID-19 pandemic strained healthcare systems in 2020, Carilion Clinic in Virginia took an unorthodox step. The clinic expanded its infection prevention and control (IPC) team. The move was grounded in a belief that more boots on the ground could deliver better outcomes across its eight-hospital network. 

Healthcare Facilities Today spoke with Maimuna Jatta, director of infection prevention and control at Carilion Clinic, to understand how expanding the IPC team helped slash healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and boost key performance indicators tied to safety and quality. 

HFT: What drove the Carilion Clinic to begin expanding its IPC team in the middle of the pandemic? 

Maimuna Jatta: The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the infection prevention landscape. The need for infection prevention subject matter expertise intensified as infection preventionists (IP) redirected focus to emergency pandemic response. Many IPs were burnt out from the high demand. We just could not meet the needs of the health system, even with primary focusing on pandemic response. The pandemic brought to light the critical need for infection prevention specialists that will not only get us through the pandemic but also help build a more resilient program. 

Related Content: Infection Preventionist Staffing Levels Correlate to HAI Incidence

HFT: How does the increase in full-time infection preventionists reduce specific HAIs so significantly? 

Jatta: There is a strong correlation between improved IP staffing levels and reduction in healthcare-associated infections, and this is by no coincidence. IPs have specialized training that allows them to impact every aspect of care delivery, from antimicrobial stewardship to the type of supplies used in patient care.  

With increased staffing, our IPs were able to proactively engage with bedside staff and provide feedback and education at the elbow. They’re able to help identify risk and mitigate it in real time, before the issue escalates to a patient safety issue. This proactive approach has been the key to our success. Infection prevention is risk mitigation, and IPs cannot identify risks promptly if they are overtasked. Adequate staffing ensures efficiency and proactiveness. 

HFT: How did your team align infection prevention goals with broader organizational priorities, such as CMS Star ratings and HCAHPS scores? 

Jatta: Quality programs like the CMS Star ratings, Leapfrog safety grades and CMS value-based purchasing can be influenced by a strong IPC program. Infection rates factor into the scoring systems for these programs. When we reduce infections, we provide the organization with a competitive advantage to score higher in these quality programs, which are tied to financial incentives. 

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market.