Q&A: Infection Prevention Shouldn’t Be a Hit-or-Miss Thing
Sharon Ward-Fore, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, says that non-healthcare companies need a lot of help following infection prevention and control guidelines. They may call on infection preventionists for that help.
The efforts of many private industries and government institutions to create infection prevention and control programs are downright cringe-worthy, says Sharon Ward-Fore, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, an infection prevention consultant, and member of Infection Control Today®’s Editorial Advisory Board. For instance, Ward-Fore witnessed one large retailer issue face shields to its cashiers without also issuing masks (a violation of OSHA standards). Other employees at the same store wore cloth masks below their noses. She hopes that infection preventionists will be called upon to offer their expertise. It’s also possible that IPs will be hired in non-healthcare settings thanks to the confusion caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Back to Basics: Hospital Restores Catheter-Associated UTI Rates to Prepandemic Baseline
June 16th 2025A 758-bed quaternary medical center slashed catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) by 45% over 2 years, proving that disciplined adherence to fundamental prevention steps, not expensive add-ons, can reverse the pandemic-era spike in device-related harm.
