The Role of the Infection Preventionist in Quality Care
July 17, 31, August 14 & 28, 2026 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM HST
Overview
July 17: Water Safety for Healthcare
This training will address why healthcare facilities need to assess potential risks the water system may pose to patients and how to mitigate these risks with a water management plan. This session will review CDC’s key elements of a water management program and discuss control measures for water safety.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the types of infections waterborne pathogens can cause
Discuss sources of exposure to infectious waterborne pathogens
Define elements of CDC’s water management program
July 31: Roles and Responsibilities of the Infection Preventionist
The roles and responsibilities of the infection preventionist require multi-disciplinary teamwork and senior leadership support in order to have an effective infection prevention program. This training will help the infection preventionist better understand what is involved in the job role and provide guidance to on how leadership can support the job role.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the roles and responsibilities of acute care and long-term care infection preventionists
Identify the duties and tasks that an infection preventionist needs to complete on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis
Identify infection preventionist duties that may not occur on routine intervals
August 14: Preventing non-ventilator-associated healthcare-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP)
Non-ventilator-associated healthcare-acquired pneumonia can lead to sepsis, morbidity, and mortality. These infections may be due to bacteria, viruses, or fungus and prevention strategies include addressing environment risk factors as well as modifiable risk factors. The focus of this webinar is to discuss the role of oral care in preventing NVHAP and how healthcare facilities can implement successful oral care programs. Information presented is based on nationally recognized guidelines from CDC, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) HAPPEN project.
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the impact of non-ventilator-associated healthcare-acquired pneumonia
Identify prevention strategies for pneumonia due to bacteria, fungus, and viruses
Discuss the role of oral care in preventing non-ventilator - associated healthcare-acquired pneumonia and strategies for implementing oral care programs in the healthcare setting
August 28: Being Prepared for Candida auris, What Do I Need to Know?
Candida auris is a fungus that is on CDC’s emerging pathogens list. It can cause severe, often multidrug-resistant, infections and is spread easily in healthcare facilities. This webinar will help healthcare facilities prepare for how to respond to and manage patients/resident with C. auris. Webinar participants will learn how C. auris presents in patients/residents, risk factors for infection, how it is transmitted, and strategies to prevent transmission.
Learning Objectives:
Describe Candida auris
Discuss risk factors for C. auris infection
Identify three key strategies for preventing the spread of C. auris in healthcare facilities
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
To be eligible for a CE certificate each person must register for the series, attend the session via the webinar software on your computer or via the GoTo Webinar™ mobile app, and complete the corresponding HAH evaluations. Phone only attendance is not tracked.
Valid for the live webinars and on-demand content through 07/17/2028: This nursing continuing professional development activity is pending approval 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.
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.
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