NACCHO’s Infectious Diseases Team is featured in the July/August 2018 issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. Browse the article summary below and read the full article here.
The 2014 Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa and subsequent cases in the United States highlighted the critical need to enhance coordination in health care and community settings to improve infection control preparedness and response efforts across the nation. Within health care settings, even daily infection control poses a major challenge as evidenced by the prevalence of health care–associated infections (HAIs). These infections, including those caused by antibiotic-resistant (AR) pathogens, are acquired while receiving treatment of other conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 2 million people are infected with bacteria resistant to antibiotics1 and more than 700 000 HAIs occur each year in the United States.2 As the community chief health strategist, local health departments (LHDs) are uniquely positioned to engage health care providers, systems, and communities to enhance infection prevention and control, respond to HAIs and AR pathogens, and prepare for emerging infectious disease threats. To support this work, the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO), with support from CDC, launched a funding opportunity and demonstration site project, the Lessons in INfection Control (LINC) Initiative.
