Infection Prevention Liaison Program NOFO Grant

The Infection Prevention Liaison Program NOFO aims to enhance the knowledge of healthcare providers in Illinois regarding infection control practices. Collaborating with the Illinois Department of Public Health, the program will deliver educational opportunities and expert assessments to long-term care facilities and hospitals. Key activities include webinars on best practices for preventing drug-resistant organisms and engaging leadership in infection prevention strategies, ensuring a comprehensive approach to healthcare safety.

A. Program Description
The purpose of this grant is to improve healthcare provider(s) knowledge of infection control and prevention practices in healthcare facilities in the state of Illinois. The grantee, in coordination with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Prevention Program and Regional Infection Prevention Program (RIPP), will provide infection prevention and control guidance and support to long term care facilities (LTCFs), targeted acute care facilities, and local health departments.
The grantee will do the following:
Provide infection prevention and control educational opportunities for long term care infection preventionists to enhance their knowledge and understanding of regulatory requirements and implementation of infection prevention and control best practices.Conduct educational webinars topics to include general long term care focused infection prevention and control and address best practices for prevention and control of extensively drug resistant/multidrug resistant organisms (XDRO/MDRO).Deploy expert level infection preventionists to conduct on-site and remote infection control assessments at safety net and/or critical access hospitals using the CDC’s Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) or similar/adapted tool as a guide. As part of this work, grantee will provide recommendations and technical assistance to facilities to mitigate gaps identified. Identify and implement best practice strategies to engage nursing home administrators and corporate/system leadership in promoting infection prevention in LTCFs. This should include, but is not limited to, development of a business case for infection prevention in LTCFs.