ICCS Publishes Dental Infection Control Special Report on Pulpotomy Procedures and Mycobacteria in Children

ICCS has published a new special report on dental infection control and prevention practices.

It focuses primarily on incidents over the past two years concerning Mycobacterium abscessus odontogenic infection outbreaks in children following pulpotomy procedures ("child root canal").

In the report, President Phenelle Segal advises the following to dental practices: "Every effort to mitigate the risk of infection should be entertained and implemented."  

Access the ICCS special report on dental infection control.

Phenelle Segal to Present on Infection Prevention and QAPI at Northeast ASC Conference

ICCS President Phenelle Segal will be presenting at the 2016 Northeast ASC Conference, which is taking place October 4 at the Waltham Woods Conference Center at the Massachusetts Medical Society in Waltham, Mass.

Phenelle's session on "Infection prevention and Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement (QAPI)" is scheduled for 11:00-noon.

The Northeast ASC Conference, hosted by the Massachusetts Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (MAASC), is a "one-day program designed for physicians, clinical and allied health staff, administrators and business professionals. It will provide an opportunity to enhance knowledge and understanding of current critical issues affecting ambulatory surgery centers and outpatient medical facilities."

To arrange an on-site meeting with Phenelle, contact ICCS.

Phenelle Segal to Present on ASC Infection Control Surveyor Worksheet at TASCA Fall Conference

ICCS President Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, will be presenting at the Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center Association's (TASCA) 2016 Fall Conference & Trade Show, which is taking place September 29-30 at the Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin.

Phenelle's session on "CMS Requirements for ASCs – Updated Surveyor's Worksheet" is scheduled for 8:30-10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 29.

Her session's description is as follows:

Infection prevention in the ASC setting continues to be a large area  of focus for CMS and this session will discuss the changes made to the surveyor worksheet in 2015. Each item listed on the worksheet will be addressed in detail and will include ongoing deficiencies noted during onsite visits.

TASCA is a non-profit organization that represents organizations directly involved in the operations of freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities in Tennessee. There are over 160 licensed ASCs in the state.

To arrange an on-site meeting with Phenelle, contact ICCS.

Phenelle Segal Discusses Hand Hygiene With ASC Focus

ICCS Founder Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, discusses hand hygiene in the September issue of ASC Focus, the official magazine of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.

The column is titled "Splash, Soap, Rinse, Dry: How to assess hand hygiene and stay compliant."

As the column notes, despite years of hard work to pro­mote and attain hand hygiene com­pliance in the health care setting, the industry continues to struggle to achieve goals that are set by external agencies and within the facilities themselves.

In addition to providing insight for the column, Phenelle also offers seven tips for hand hygiene compliance in an accompanying sidebar.

View the ASC Focus column by clicking here.

Phenelle Segal to Present Infection Prevention Pre-Meeting Workshop for OAASC

ICCS President Phenelle Segal will present a pre-meeting infection prevention (IP) workshop for the Ohio Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (OAASC) 2016 Annual Conference.

This daylong IP pre-session will take place September 14 from 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The session is described as follows:

"Accrediting bodies, ODH and Medicare — oh my! They are cracking down on infection prevention more than ever before! You and your center MUST have ongoing training, acceptable protocols in place and in-service training. There are also numerous items being inspected in ASCs that have never been reviewed before.

"There is only one place in Ohio to get AFFORDABLE training and resources you need for your center. No need to travel to expensive trainings elsewhere that often cover far more than you and your ASC need when you can get in Ohio.

"Our daylong pre-session ... in advance of our annual multidisciplinary conference will cover the multitude of issues and concerns facing ASC professionals on a wide range of infection prevention topics.

"Our two new national experts Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, and President of Infection Control Consulting Services, and Carol Jorgensen, RN, MSN, MBA, and Perioperative Technical Consultant from 3M Infection Prevention Division, will provide a fast-paced, informative, packed program with excellent, evidence-based information to help you build and enhance your current IP program or develop a new one.

"Attendance will meet CMS and ODH requirements for infection prevention continuing education. All participants will receive a certificate of participation, information for in-service training and continuing education."

The OAASC conference runs throughout September 16. It is an event exclusively for Ohio ASC professionals, including IP directors, administrators, nurses, business managers and coders.

Attendees of the conference that would like to arrange an on-site meeting with Phenelle can contact her by filling out the form here.

Phenelle is scheduled to speak at two other state ASC association meetings this year: