Infection Prevention and Control and ASP: 2026 CMS Compliance Requirements

A hospital must have an active infection control program throughout the facility to track, prevent and control infectious diseases, including Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs). Additionally, the hospital must have a program for the optimization of antibiotic use through stewardship. This program will discuss the changes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made to the infection control standards in 2019, as well as the interpretive guidelines developed in July 2022.

The program will cover what a hospital must have in place to comply with the regulations, such as the qualifications of the infection preventionist, a hospital-wide antibiotic stewardship program, and nationally recognized infection control standards. This webinar will also cover the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) procedures for cleaning and disinfecting reusable medical devices and will provide training resources.

At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to:

• Recall the standards and interpretive guidelines for infection prevention and control.
•  Explain key requirements for an infection prevention and control program.
• Identify the requirements for the infection preventionist and Antibiotic Stewardship lead.
• Describe incorporation of infection prevention and control and ASP into the QAPI program.

SPEAKER:

Laura A. Dixon, RN, JD, RN, CPHRM
President
Healthcare Risk Education and Consulting, LLC
Denver, CO