Setting-Specific Resources

Infection prevention is of concern to healthcare facilities across the continuum of care. Historically, most published infection prevention and control guidelines have been developed using research conducted in acute care hospitals. However, increasingly, resources and research are geared toward addressing the challenges of applying infection prevention principles in other types of settings, including ambulatory care and long-term care.

Unless stated otherwise, most of the materials on the VDH HAI website are applicable to acute care facilities and may also be relevant to other settings. Infection-specific prevention guidance can be found here. For strategies proven to decrease the risk of infection, please see the Prevention Strategies page.

Acute Care Facilities

• Special considerations for infection prevention in these settings:
• Patients in these facilities are often very ill, with chronic health conditions and weakened immune systems that increase the risk for developing an infection.
• Care for patients in these facilities often requires invasive devices such as ventilators and catheters that increase the risk for developing an infection.
• Acute care facilities generally have more resources dedicated to infection prevention than other settings, including an infection preventionist and perhaps other staff members such as a hospital epidemiologist.

• VDH reports and projects
• Acute care needs assessment report
• Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) data audit report
• CLABSI quarterly reports
• Surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance pilot project, data presentation collaborative, and SSI mini-grant report

• Reporting requirements
• Virginia reportable disease list
• Outlines diseases and conditions (including outbreaks) that are reportable to the local health department by physicians, directors of medical care facilities, and directors of laboratories.
• Part of the Regulations for Disease Reporting and Control.
• Healthcare-associated infections

For more specific resources targeted to a particular type of healthcare setting, please click on one of the links below:

Long-term Care Facilities

Ambulatory Care Settings