Upcoming Webinar

Exploring Antibiotics and Their Role in Fighting Bacterial Infections Thursday, March 22, 2018 | 2 to 3 p.m. ET Dr. James A. McKinnell --Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Infectious Disease Clinical Outcome Research Unit (ID-CORE), Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA--will lead an educational webinar that will f ocus on the role of antibiotics in fighting bacterial infections in the nursing home setting. The key speaker will discuss what antibiotics are and how they work, basic terminology, potential risks and side effects of antibiotic use, general considerations that guide use and prescribing, and why it is important to use antibiotics judiciously. The session will also share resources available on the HSAG website and how to utilize the self-guided nursing home training sessions to enhance understanding of important concepts and practices that support implementation of principles and practices of antibiotic stewardship and prevention and management of C. difficile infections.

Objectives After attending this webinar, the attendee will be able to: Describe the process of how antibiotics work in the body and differentiate common terms related to antibiotics. Discuss the risks and benefits of antibiotic use. Identify or list common considerations related to choosing an antibiotic. Discuss why it is important to use antibiotics judiciously. Identify what the administrator and NH clinicians can do to ensure antibiotics are used appropriately and how a nursing home can monitor antibiotic use. Describe how to utilize available web resources to enhance understanding in stewardship and C. difficile management.

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CMS New Regulations

In October 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted a final rule to make major changes and updates to the federal regulations surrounding long-term care facilities. The new regulations require nursing homes to: Establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program (IPCP) designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment and to help prevent the development and transmission of communicable diseases and infections (§483.80). Establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program (IPCP) designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment and to help prevent the development and transmission of communicable diseases and infections (§483.80). Designate an Infection and Prevention Control Officer (IPCO) for whom the IPCP is their major responsibility and who would serve as a member of the nursing home’s quality assessment and assurance (QAA) committee by November 28, 2019.

How HSAG Can Help Nationwide, nursing homes and Quality Innovation Networks-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs), including Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG), are working together in the CMS National Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative (NNHQCC), in part to implement antibiotic stewardship and prevent and control healthcare associated infections.

Online Nursing Home Training Sessions

Purpose of the Online Nursing Home Training Sessions   To provide nursing home leaders with a set of training materials that they can use to enhance understanding of important concepts and practices that promote effective communication, antibiotic stewardship, and C. difficile prevention; and to provide information, tools, and resources to take action to improve practices. To provide an opportunity to apply for certificates of participation or a total of 11.3 nursing continuing education credits at no cost. To develop and disseminate materials that can be accessed and used by long-term care (LTC) partners and stakeholders interested in these topics.

Exploring Antibiotics and Their Role in Fighting Bacterial Infections; Session 2

Welcome and Overview In order to fully understand the relationships between infections, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and antibiotic stewardship , a primer on antibiotics provides a helpful foundation. This session will discuss what antibiotics are and how they work, basic terminology, potential risks and side effects of antibiotic use, and general considerations that guide use and prescribing. The session concludes with an introduction to why it is important to use antibiotics judiciously. This session is one of a series of six sessions for nursing home s to support implementation of principles and practices of antibiotic stewardship and prevention and management of C. difficile infections. Learning Objectives Describe the process of how antibiotics work in the body. Discuss the risks and benefits of antibiotic use. Differentiate common terms related to antibiotics. Identify or list common considerations related to choosing an antibiotic. Discuss why it is important to use antibiotics judiciously.

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Nursing Home Training Session 2 Digest HSAG developed this PowerPoint presentation for your convenience to go through the training session at your own pace or as an in-service with your staff members. NHTS 2 Digest

These trainings can be found on fl.train.org by searching for "FDOH Infection Control" and more in-depth instructions are posted on this webpage http://www.floridahealth.gov/ict fl.train.org

Florida Department of Health (DOH) Training Modules in Infection Prevention that are available at no cost to you on the Train Florida website. An Overview on Infection Control Infection control for certified nursing assistants in nursing homes and ambulatory care Infection control for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in ambulatory care Infection control for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in nursing homes Infection control for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in hospitals

Archived QCC Newsletters Available Here.

This material was prepared by Health Services Advisory Group, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Florida, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. Publication No. FL-11SOW-C.2-02162018-01