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Tags Posts tagged with "NICC"

NICC

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Photo by Tai's Captures on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) shares ODPANN 23-046: Infection Control Procedures and Mitigating the Spread of Infectious Diseases with an NICC Team Consulting Flyer and Mission Statement. This announcement has two purposes:

  • First, to draw attention to the revised guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) describing how to determine if a facility should be considered a healthcare or a non-healthcare congregate setting.
  • The second purpose is to provide updated guidance to providers of the Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) home and community-based services (HCBS) and Private Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ICF/IDs) for development of policies related to infection control procedures.

Please review the announcement and attachments for further information and detail.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fundamental role that infection prevention and control (IPC) practices play in the delivery of safe healthcare and sustaining a strong, healthy community. The pandemic has taught us that not all healthcare settings have the same needs, abilities, or serve the same populations, and because of that, each facility may have their own set of unique IPC challenges. Behavioral health/psychiatric facilities, drug & alcohol treatment centers, and group homes have been identified as the state’s non-traditional healthcare settings, and through experience, we have learned that these sites may require additional IPC support and resources. Recognizing this need, DOH has created the Non-traditional Infection Control Consulting (NICC) Team.

The NICC Team is a group of certified, experienced infection preventionists with commitment to empowering and supporting non-traditional healthcare settings throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as they aim to reduce transmissible diseases and conditions. To assist in promoting integration of best practice IPC principles into all roles and aspects of care in these settings, the NICC Team can provide the following free of cost services:

  1. Infection prevention and control consultations;
  2. Guided facility assessments;
  3. Policy and guidance interpretation and recommendations (DOH, CDC, CMS, DHS, etc.);
  4. Education and training resources; and
  5. Tools and resources to support facility needs, including audit tools, checklists, and fact sheets.

Please review the more detailed information sheet about the team’s services and an introductory program flyer to share with non-traditional healthcare partners & facilities. This new resource is intended to increase awareness of IPC best practices as they aim to ensure patient safety in all PA healthcare settings.

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