Multisociety Calls for Enhanced Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Facilities

A coalition of leading healthcare organizations, including the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), has issued a comprehensive joint position paper emphasizing the need to strengthen infection prevention and control (IPC) programs within U.S. healthcare facilities. Despite substantial progress over the years in reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted ongoing vulnerabilities and resource gaps in IPC efforts, underscoring the urgent necessity for more robust and well-funded programs.

The position paper advocates for healthcare leaders, regulatory agencies, and payers to treat IPC as a foundational element of healthcare delivery. Dr. Tom Talbot, Past President of SHEA and lead author, emphasized that infection prevention is essential for patient safety, quality care, and operational stability. The document outlines a clear roadmap to transform IPC programs into proactive, effectively resourced entities that can significantly reduce preventable harms.

Key recommendations include prioritizing comprehensive risk management in infection control, establishing direct access of IPC program leaders to senior management for swift support, and incorporating evaluations of leadership and resource allocation into facility surveys by regulatory bodies. The paper criticizes current regulatory standards, such as those from CMS, for lacking precise measures of program effectiveness, which often results in minimum compliance rather than genuine improvement.

To address these issues, the authors propose adopting a dyad leadership model — pairing a Medical Director of IPC with an Infection Preventionist Director of IPC — to foster better communication, collaboration, and strategic planning. They also call for revised standards that promote continuous improvement, data-driven interventions, and measurable outcomes.

Prioritizing effective IPC programs not only enhances patient safety but also offers financial benefits by reducing healthcare costs related to preventable infections. The Society emphasizes that investing in robust IPC infrastructure and leadership is crucial for maintaining trust, improving health outcomes, and ensuring a resilient healthcare system.

Future initiatives will focus on equipping healthcare facilities with the necessary tools and training to implement these best practices, ultimately elevating infection control standards nationwide.