NACCHO, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Health Quality Promotion, is excited to announce an opportunity for a new cohort for local health departments (LHDs) to build infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity through partnership with APIC Consulting Services (APIC Consulting), a subsidiary of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). The goal of the Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Training (IPC-AT) project is to enhance IPC capacity in LHDs so they can better respond to infection threats, such as COVID-19 and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Specifically, LHDs will receive technical assistance from a locally-based board-certified Infection Preventionist (IP) who will help LHDs refine their IPC skills by conducting standardized IPC assessments and follow up. NACCHO anticipates participation in these activities will improve LHD staff performance regarding disease surveillance, disease transmission prevention, adherence to IPC protocols, and training staff at LTCFs. LHDs with and without experience using the CDC’s Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) tool will benefit from this opportunity.

The deadline for submitting applications for technical assistance is Friday, December 2, 2022. On a rolling basis through Friday, December 16, 2022, NACCHO will select and notify LHDs. The customized IPC consultation and support by a board-certified IP consultant associated with this project typically costs thousands of dollars.

Expectations

APIC Consulting will match LHDs with an IP who will review the ICAR tool and practice delivery of the TeleICAR assessment. The training will include shadowing and co-implementation of up to four remote TeleICARs conducted at LTCFs within their jurisdiction. LHDs will also be required to:

• Coordinate IPC outreach and assessment efforts with state health departments, particularly the HAI/Antibiotic Resistance (AR) program, and as appropriate, other local IPC partners (e.g., academic universities, IPs, regulatory agencies). Examples of coordination activities include sharing data, prioritizing facilities in order to not duplicate efforts and promoting ongoing communication for assessment follow-up.
• Attend remote online sessions with the APIC Consultant for TeleICAR training and shadowing, including facilitating communications, introductions to facilities, and a summary report of assessment findings.
• Participate in occasional NACCHO-facilitated peer-sharing and technical-assistance calls to review progress of planned activities and share lessons learned.
• Complete evaluation-related activities that include post-assessment reporting with outcomes tracking and measurement.

Interested in participating?

Start now by reviewing the application instructions. The application instructions include greater detail about expectations, timeline, and the questions included on the request for technical assistance.

To learn more about applying, view the recording of the optional informational webinar, which was held on Wednesday, September 15 from our first cohort. The recording is available here. The slides presented during the webinar are available here.

After reviewing the application instructions, complete the application for technical assistance.

Important dates

• Request for technical assistance application opens: Monday, October 24, 2022.
• Application submission deadline: Friday, December 2, 2022.
• Anticipated technical assistance award notification: NACCHO will share notice of award of technical assistance with applicants on a rolling basis as applications are submitted. The latest NACCHO will share award notifications is Friday, December 16, 2022.

Questions?

For more information or questions, please email NACCHO at [email protected] and check this webpage for a regularly updated FAQ document.

To learn more about NACCHO’s HAI/AR work, visit this webpage.