Infection Prevention Partner, Blount

Inspire health. Serve with compassion. Be the difference.

Responsible for operationalizing system strategy at the local level and across the continuum of care. Uses epidemiological principles and methods for identification and prevention of infectious diseases to patients and healthcare workers. These strategies include staff and physician in-services as well as educational tool development. Manages, studies, and educates on all aspects of hospital functions related to surveillance, prevention of infections for all patient populations and helps to ensure the Pulse clinical operating system is implemented across the continuum of care.

Responsible for supporting continuous Infection Prevention improvement and ensuring sustained adherence to established Pulse program elements, standard work practices, regulatory requirements, and accreditation standards while partnering with Safety, Quality, Experience, Advocacy, Accreditation, Clinical Quality Data, and Risk. Works collaboratively with data support specialist/analyst and the Senior Infection Preventionist to coordinate data collection and analysis and assists in the overall risk assessment of the inpatient and outpatient population.

Provides support in the implementation of guidelines, policies and initiatives. Active in the identification, classification and reporting of all HAIs and when indicated, community acquired infections. Adheres to reporting standards as set forth by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other regulatory bodies and will enter this information accurately and timely into National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) system.

Works with the local and state health department to identify trends in reportable diseases.

• All team members are expected to be knowledgeable and compliant with Prisma Health's purpose:
  Inspire health. Serve with compassion. Be the difference.

• Make rounds a key mechanism to conduct surveillance and communicate with team members regarding infection prevention measures, such as device necessity and maintenance. Recognize potential hazards and take appropriate actions to minimize or eliminate them. Participate in facility and department specific environment of care rounding (EOC, construction, HLD), regulatory tracers, project rounds and leader focused rounds. Conduct unit-based rounds to ensure key elements of infection prevention are consistently in place throughout the hospital.

• Collaborate with education, facility and department leaders to implement infection prevention best practices. Provide department-based in-services based on request, new initiatives, and identified opportunities. Develop infection prevention related education programs or assist with the development of programs that have infection prevention related elements. Serve as IP subject matter expert to facilities, engineering, safety, and contractors on indoor air quality, construction and new facility development.

• Follow the standards of practice that provide the IP framework and defines its specialty: surveillance, epidemiology, education, collaboration, consultation, program management, performance improvement, leadership, implementation science, research, technology, occupational health and fiscal responsibility.

• The IP has the following responsibilities related to Performance Improvement:
  1. Coordinate infection prevention improvement efforts with leaders across facilities, care continuum and facility service lines of division.
  2. Support all safety efforts. Role model expectations and techniques.
  3. Collaborate with facility and department leaders to implement infection prevention best practices including the establishment of infection prevention related policy and procedures.
  4. Facilitates and/or leads teams and performance improvement activities to enhance infection prevention efforts.
  5. This role will require strong skills in team facilitation to help groups and cross functional teams collaborate to create a seamless experience across the continuum of care.
  6. The Infection Prevention Partner will develop and implement trainings and participate in…