Healthcare infection prevention and control (IPC) describes a set of practices which aim to prevent and control the spread of infections, including healthcare associated infections, antimicrobial resistant pathogens, and emerging infectious diseases, in healthcare settings. Local health departments (LHDs) play a critical role as frontline staff in supporting IPC in healthcare facilities. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has been supporting LHDs by assessing training needs and identifying critical components in need of development for this unique workforce.
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) hosted a webinar on Tuesday, September 19, 2pm-3pm ET to share about the role and needs of the local public health workforce in healthcare infection prevention and control (IPC). This webinar featured two valued NACCHO partners, WE Public Health and Cardea.
- WE Public Health highlighted the findings of a workforce environmental scan that characterized local health departments’ (LHDs’) healthcare-associated infection and antimicrobial resistance related roles and training needs.
- Cardea presented results from an assessment to identify essential skills for LHDs to enhance their IPC workforce capacity and build impactful partnerships.
The full workforce environmental scan report, as prepared by WE Public Health, can be viewed here. A fact sheet that provides an overview of the report can be viewed here.
An executive summary of the Essential Skills Assessment conducted by Cardea can be viewed here.
