Mitigating the Impact: Preventing, Identifying, and Responding to Infections in Patients
June 12, July 10, August 14, & September 11, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM HST
Overview
Join us for this 4-part webinar series focusing on infection prevention and control in healthcare settings! Participants will be able to identify strategies to mitigate the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of healthcare-associated infections; describe how to recognize signs and symptoms of infection; recognize recommended testing to identify infections; and explore prevention measures to help stop transmission of infection from person to person in a healthcare facility.
June 12: Preventing C. difficile Infections in Healthcare
Patients and residents in healthcare facilities are at increased risk of developing infection due to C. difficile. This pathogen is hearty in the environment and people of advanced age and those with underlying illness are at increased risk of infection. In addition, antibiotic use can contribute to the development of infection, re-enforcing the need for effective antibiotic stewardship programs in our facilities. This session will address risk factors, surveillance and laboratory testing for C. difficile, and strategies for preventing the spread of C. difficile in the healthcare setting.
Learning Objectives:
Define Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and identify risk factors
Identify C. difficile surveillance case definitions
Discuss the role of the environment in the transmission of C. difficile
Describe strategies for preventing the spread of C. difficile infection
July 10: Mitigating the Spread of Respiratory Illness in Long-Term Care
We know the importance of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette when it comes to mitigating the spread of respiratory illness, but what are some of the other things we can do to help prevent transmission in a congregate living/long-term care setting? In addition to reviewing core prevention strategies, this webinar will discuss the importance of testing strategies, duration of precautions, and air management and ventilation strategies for mitigating the spread of respiratory pathogens.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize ten strategies for mitigating the spread of respiratory illnesses in the long-term care environment
Discuss the impact of air and ventilation in the transmission of infectious pathogens
Identify three mitigation strategies for improving ventilation in long-term care facilities
August 14: Infection Prevention Environment of Care Rounds – What Do I Need To Look For?
Performing environment of care rounds is an important practice for the infection preventionist (IP). It’s an opportunity for the IP to work with the staff, provide coaching as needed, and answer questions. In addition, the IP can collect data for measuring compliance with protocols. This session will provide examples of what the infection preventionist needs to be looking for when performing environment of care rounds and participants will be provided rounding tools to support their practice.
Learning Objectives:
Describe three components of environment of care rounds for cross-contamination and transmission of infectious pathogens
Identify five practices that need to be audited by the infection preventionist on a routine basis
Discuss tracking tools and how to summarize and present environment of care findings
September 11: Recognizing Sepsis and Taking Action to Prevent It
Sepsis can lead to severe outcomes and it is important for healthcare personnel to be able to recognize sepsis early so that patients and residents can get treatment quickly to help prevent severe outcomes. Preventing infections helps to prevent sepsis and in the healthcare setting we need to ensure core prevention strategies are implemented effectively to help keep our patients and residents safe. This session will discuss what sepsis is, early detection, and how to prevent it.
Learning Objectives:
Describe sepsis and associated risk factors
Identify signs and symptoms of sepsis for early detection and management of sepsis
Describe strategies for preventing sepsis
Each webinar in this series will be recorded and made available on-demand.
Speaker
A.C. Burke, BS, MA, CIC, FAPIC
VP for Healthcare Quality
RB Health Partners
A.C. Burke is the VP for Healthcare Quality for RB Health Partners, Inc. In this role, she consults with long-term care facilities on infection prevention and control policies, procedures, and practices. She also provides training to nursing home infection preventionists and staff on a variety of infection prevention topics, antibiotic stewardship, and quality improvement.
A.C.’s prior experience includes working as the Director of Infection Prevention for Mayo Clinic Florida and the Healthcare-associated Infection Prevention Program Manager for the Florida Department of Health. She has 25 years of experience in the healthcare field and is nationally board certified in infection control (CIC).
Continuing Education
Valid for the live webinars and on-demand content through 06/12/2027: This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by Oregon Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation, for one (1) nursing contact hour per webinar. Approval valid through 06/12/2027; OCEAN ID #2025-29.
State licensure boards have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses. A.C. Burke and the planners of this educational activity have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
To receive a continuing education certificate, each person must register, pay the registration fee (if applicable), attend the sessions, and complete the corresponding HAH evaluations.
After registration, your link to each session will be sent to you via email prior to the first webinar.
Cost
Registration includes access to participate in the live webinar series, download associated materials, and access to on-demand content.
HAH Members: FREE
Are you an employee of a HAH member organization and qualify for the member rate? CLICK HERE to find out!
Non-Members: $40 per person (individual webinar rate)
Non-Members: $150 per person (series rate)
*Note: No cancellations and no refunds for non-attendance; sessions and materials will be available on-demand.
Registration