{"id":19581,"date":"2023-08-11T22:20:59","date_gmt":"2023-08-12T02:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/vipta\/?page_id=19581"},"modified":"2025-08-13T12:11:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T16:11:09","slug":"cheers-for-peers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/vipta\/cheers-for-peers\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheers for Peers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cheers for Peers is a celebration of the big and small successes in our infection prevention and control community.\u00a0 Available to all settings and roles, VIPTA aims to share the wins that make our work in infection prevention safer, fun, and more accessible to staff and patients.\u00a0 We look forward to highlighting recent actions, events, or circumstances related to infection prevention and control, healthcare-associated infections, or antimicrobial stewardship in our Cheers for Peers articles.<\/p>\n

Would you like to share a Cheers for Peers story or nominate another person?\u00a0 Please complete the Cheers for Peers form<\/a> to share your ideas!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Celebrate Your Infection Prevention Achievements!<\/strong>
Recognize the dedication, teamwork, and impact of your peers with a personalized Cheers for Peers<\/em> certificate<\/a>. Simply add your honoree\u2019s name or achievement title, and your organization\u2019s name. Then share or display it to highlight their outstanding contributions to infection prevention and control.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Spotlight on Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t
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\u2728Check out the\u00a0McKnight Prize for Healthcare Outbreak Heroes<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0– a great way\u00a0to cheer on a peer nationally!<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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Bug of the Month<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t
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The infection prevention team at Ballad Health continually seeks\u00a0new and creative ways to educate more than 13,500 team members across\u00a020 hospitals\u00a0on\u00a0important infection prevention topics.\u00a0Supporting this effort is\u00a0Krista Hess, an infection preventionist at Russell County Hospital in southwest Virginia,\u00a0who\u00a0leads the Bug of the Month Committee.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With\u00a0full creative control, the committee\u00a0develops\u00a0a one-page educational flyer each month that is shared by leaders,\u00a0highlighted\u00a0during\u00a0huddles, and featured in\u00a0internal communication,\u00a0such as\u00a0Ballad Health News.\u00a0Now celebrating its two-year anniversary, Bug of the Month continues to gain momentum.\u00a0October\u2019s \u201cSay Boo to the Flu\u201d\u00a0achieved\u00a0the\u00a0highest engagement\u00a0yet.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Over the past two years, the Bug of the Month Committee has\u00a0spotlighted\u00a0topics such as\u00a0<\/span>C.\u00a0difficile<\/span><\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>Candida auris<\/span><\/em>, hand hygiene, and environmental cleaning.\u00a0Congratulations<\/span>\u00a0to Krista Hess and the entire Ballad Health team for\u00a0championing innovative\u00a0approaches that\u00a0keep\u00a0team\u00a0members informed\u00a0on\u00a0vital infection prevention topics!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Effective Partnerships, Safe Communities<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t
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The VDH Eastern Region Infection Preventionist<\/span><\/span><\/a> worked closely with the facility and commended its leadership for their professionalism, adaptability, and dedication to safety. Through consistent communication, on-site and remote support, and shared problem-solving, the team implemented evidence-based interventions and piloted new tools to enhance outbreak readiness.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The success of these outbreak responses underscores the power of strong partnerships between long-term care facilities and public health teams. Old Dominion Rehabilitation and Nursing\u2019s collaborative approach exemplifies excellence in long-term care leadership and a shared commitment to protecting residents, staff, and the community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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Taking Antimicrobial Stewardship Beyond Hospital Walls: Community Outreach for Smarter Antibiotic Use\u00a0<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t
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In an innovative effort to extend antimicrobial stewardship beyond the hospital setting, Carilion Clinic\u2019s Antimicrobial Stewardship<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(AMS) team launched a community outreach initiative aimed at educating families about\u00a0appropriate antibiotic\u00a0use. Patient expectations play a key role in outpatient antibiotic prescribing. Meaningful conversations between patients and providers around antibiotic necessity are needed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Carilion aimed to deliver accessible messaging through visually engaging billboards across southwest Virginia, reinforcing public health messages such as \u201cAntibiotics don\u2019t work on viruses\u201d and \u201cAntibiotics aren\u2019t always the answer when you are sick.\u201d\u00a0Complementary posters in clinic waiting rooms provided patients and families with quick education, addressing common misconceptions about antibiotics for viral infections and raising awareness about potential antibiotic harms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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To further support their youngest patients, the AMS team partnered with a large pediatric practice to distribute \u201cfever\u00a0care\u00a0kits\u201d to improve at-home temperature tracking and symptom relief. Each kit\u00a0contained\u00a0a thermometer, simple symptom relief items, and an educational bookmark on fever and infections. These tangible resources helped empower caregivers to manage mild illnesses confidently at home and understand when antibiotics\u00a0and healthcare visits\u00a0might be unnecessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Early feedback from clinicians has been overwhelmingly positive, many of whom reported that these initiatives\u00a0<\/span>facilitated<\/span>\u00a0more productive conversations with patients about antibiotics. By bringing stewardship principles directly into the community, this is one more way Carilion\u2019s AMS team is helping to reduce\u00a0<\/span>antibiotic\u00a0<\/span>misuse<\/span>, slow the development of resistance, and preserve\u00a0<\/span>antibiotics\u2019\u00a0<\/span>effectiveness for future generations.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Carilion<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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\u2728Alex Minero Shines at Loudoun\u2019s First SNF Symposium<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t
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If your facility is interested in partnering with Alex or any of the VDH Regional Infection Preventionists, visit https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/haiar\/ip\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Cheers to you, Alex! Keep up the amazing work.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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\u2728Innovative Antimicrobial Stewardship Education in Long-Term Care: A Virginia Beach Success Story<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t
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