VIPTA

November Awareness Month
2025-11-01 - 2025-11-30
CDC has designated November as C. diff Awareness Month to raise awareness about this potentially deadly threat. The CDC C.diff website includes resources and materials you can share with your colleagues, patients, and families about protecting against transmission. Additionally, C. diff Awareness Month coincides with National Family Caregivers Month, and National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Whether you’re a healthcare provider, community partner, caregiver, advocate, or simply someone who wants to help spread the word—this resource hub is for you.

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week
2025-11-18 - 2025-11-24
U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW), every November 18-24, raises awareness of the importance of appropriate antibiotic and antifungal use and the threat antimicrobial resistance (AR) poses to people, animal, plants, and their shared environment. CDC’s theme for USAAW 2025 is Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance Take All of Us. CDC champions using a One Health approach to fight antimicrobial resistance, recognizing the health of people closely connects to the health of animals, plants, and their shared environment (for example soil and water). Each day during USAAW, CDC will focus on a different theme and a variety of resources are available below to help you participate.

National Rural Health Day
2025-11-20
Celebrate National Rural Health Day with American Hospital Association. Rural hospitals and health systems provide vital care to their communities. See how the AHA is standing up for rural hospitals like ours with the 2025 AHA Rural Advocacy Agenda.

CIDRAP: Narrowing the Focus: Optimizing Antibiotic Spectrum through Diagnostic and Stewardship
2025-11-20 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Please join on Nov 20 at 12:00 noon CST for a webinar on the ongoing challenge of unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotic use and its associated risks, with a focus on sepsis care and pediatrics. This discussion will highlight opportunities to inform decision-making based on diagnostics, patient risk factors, and local epidemiology.
Presenters:

Tristan T. Timbrook, PharmD, MPH, MBA, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Utah College of Pharmacy; Infectious Diseases Pharmacist, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Chanu Rhee, MD, MPH, Director, Center for Sepsis Epidemiology and Prevention Studies (SEPSIS), Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
Jeffrey S. Gerber, MD, PhD, Professor, Pediatrics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

CIDRAP-ASP outreach coordinator Marnie Peterson, PharmD, PhD, will moderate the webinar. Continuing Pharmacy, Medical, and Nursing Education credits are available.

CIDRAP Webinar on Cancer and Antimicrobial Resistance
2025-11-21 12:00 - 13:00
Join on November 21 for a 1-hour roundtable on the impact of antimicrobial resistance in cancer care. A panel of experts will discuss recent research, share key takeaways, and explore how stewardship and infection prevention can help protect patients. Register now!

Cuppa Tea with an IP
2025-11-26 14:00 - 14:30, 2025-12-03 14:00 - 14:30, 2025-12-10 14:00 - 14:30, 2025-12-17 14:00 - 14:30, 2025-12-31 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-07 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-14 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-21 14:00 - 14:30 and 7 more dates
Every Wednesday at 2:00pm infection preventionist (IP) can join the VDH HAI/AR Team for Cuppa Tea with an IP. Cuppa Tea with an IP is a weekly chance to chat live with a VDH IP and subject matter experts (SMEs) about your infection prevention and control questions. We can’t wait to hear your questions and see how we can help.
Register once for the Cuppa Tea with an IP meetings and attend whenever you have questions or need a little IP peer boost.

VIPTC On-Demand Courses in Infection Prevention & Control
2025-11-30, 2025-12-31
For anyone looking to expand their leadership skills in the new year, the Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center (VIPTC) offers a variety of on-demand IP management and communications courses.

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW)
2025-12-01 - 2025-12-05
December 1-5, 2025 is National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), an important reminder that as long as flu viruses are circulating, it is not too late to get vaccinated. Even when flu vaccination does not prevent infection completely, it can help protect against serious flu-related complications, including hospitalization and death.
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) has compiled resources from NFID and partner organizations that can be used during NIVW and throughout the season to help raise awareness about the importance of flu prevention and treatment.

CDC MDRO Prevention and Containment Webinar (CPOs in Pediatrics)
2025-12-09 15:00 - 16:00
Please join CDC for the November MDRO Prevention and Containment Webinar on Tuesday, December 9th, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET, where we will discuss an ongoing project regarding Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms in Pediatrics

2025 - 2026 Clinical Recommendations for Seasonal Influenza Prevention and Control
2025-12-11 14:00 - 15:00
During this COCA Call, presenters will provide an overview of the burden of influenza disease and discuss recommendations for influenza vaccination, testing, and treatment for people of all ages for the 2025 – 2026 season.
If you are unable to attend the live session of this COCA Call, the closed-captioned video and transcript will be available on the COCA Call webpage approximately one week after the live session.
The slide set will be available on the day of the call on the COCA Call webpage under Webinar.
Free Continuing Education (CE) will be offered for this COCA Call.
Registration is not required.
Webinar Link: A few minutes before the webinar begins, please click here to join. Registration is not required.

From Cave to Clinic: Managing Histoplasmosis in Returning Travelers
2026-01-15 14:00 - 15:00
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection caused by Histoplasma, a dimorphic fungus found in soil. It also spreads in bird and bat droppings that mix in soil. People may be at increased risk for Histoplasma exposure when engaging in adventure activities such as cave exploration, ecotourism, or other activities that disturb contaminated soil or aerosolize fungal spores. Illness can range from asymptomatic or mild respiratory disease to severe acute pulmonary or disseminated disease, especially in immunocompromised individuals.
During this COCA Call, presenters will share current evidence on the epidemiology of travel-associated histoplasmosis, with a focus on cave-associated outbreaks in travelers visiting Central and South America. They will also discuss best practices for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
If you are unable to attend the live session of this COCA Call, the closed-captioned video and transcript will be available on the COCA Call webpage approximately one week after the live session.
The slide set will be available on the day of the call on the COCA Call webpage under “Webinar”.
Free Continuing Education (CE) will be offered for this COCA Call.

National Patient Recognition Week
2026-02-01 - 2026-02-07
National Patient Recognition Week is observed from February 1 to 7, 2026, with National Patient Recognition Day on February 3, 2026.

National Patient Recognition Week is an annual observance aimed at promoting patient satisfaction and emphasizing the importance of patient-centered care in the healthcare system. It serves as a reminder for healthcare professionals to recommit to providing high quality, empathetic care to their patients. The week encourages healthcare providers to reflect on their practices and find ways to improve the patient experience.

2026 Virginia Patient Safety Summit
2026-02-26 09:30 - 16:00
Safe Care, Every Step of the Way: Advancing a Culture of Safety in Healthcare
About the Event
The 2026 Virginia Patient Safety Summit will highlight work being done in Virginia and across the country to advance a culture of safety and continuous improvement in healthcare. By establishing a set of shared values and behaviors that prioritize patient safety and worker safety and wellbeing, healthcare organizations can minimize errors, improve outcomes, and enhance the overall quality and experience of care. For highly reliable organizations, a culture of safety describes a commitment to core values and principles that recognize the inseparable integration of both patient safety and worker safety.
The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association’s Center for Healthcare Excellence is proud to host this event in partnership with the Virginia Nurses Association/Virginia Nurses Foundation (VNA/VNF), the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV), the Virginia Pharmacists Association (VPhA) and the Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists (VSHP). Join us for this state wide gathering to learn about efforts to advance a culture of safety in healthcare every day, every step of the way!

National Patient Safety Awareness Week
2026-03-08 - 2026-03-14
Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW), an annual recognition event in March, aims to showcase the practices and initiatives that advance safety and engage patients, consumers, and communities in the coproduction of safe care. During this week, IHI seeks to advance important discussions locally and globally and inspire action to improve the safety of care for patients and the workforce. Patient Safety Awareness Week is a dedicated time to grow awareness about patient safety and recognize the work already being done.
Join IHI for two free webinars on March 9 and March 12, 2026, to support learning and spark meaningful action during this year’s observance.

Upcoming Webinars
Five Forces Shaping the Future of Diagnostic Safety
March 9, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00PM ET
Participants will gain insight into the latest scientific, educational, and clinical practice advancements shaping the future of diagnostic safety. The session will highlight promising approaches to measuring and improving diagnostic performance, with actionable steps for health care organizations, quality and safety leaders, and risk management professionals. The webinar will also emphasize the critical role of patient co-design and co-production as key drivers of safer, more reliable diagnostic processes.
Register Now
AI and Health Care: Implications for Safety and Quality as the Field Matures
March 12, 2026 |11:00 AM – 12:00PM ET
Join Dr. Robert Wachter as he examines the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in health care and what it means for quality, safety, cost, and the clinician experience. He shares practical insights on how AI can meaningfully improve a system under strain, along with highlights from his new book, A Giant Leap.
Register Now

Long-Term Care Administrators Week
2026-03-08 - 2026-03-14
Since 1994, the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) has sponsored this national observance each March. Long Term Care Administrator’s Week is time to nationally appreciate and celebrate the critical role administrators have in providing leadership for the delivery of quality, resident-centered care and a supportive work environment.
Administrators are entrusted with the responsibility of managing the care of the older adults and individuals with disabilities who live in nursing facilities. They touch the lives of residents, families, and employees in innumerable ways, and ensure that their staff provides the highest level of quality care to this vulnerable population.
