HHS Solicits Comments on Phase Three of National Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is soliciting comments on a new long-term care facilities module for the National Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections: Roadmap to Elimination. Developed by the HHS Steering Committee for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections, the phase three module is a draft of a comprehensive strategy for preventing and reducing healthcare-associated infections in long-term care facilities that builds on and is to be included in the existing plan. Phases one and two focused on reducing healthcare-associated infections in acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and end-stage renal disease facilities and presented strategies for increasing healthcare personnel influenza vaccination coverage. The long-term care strategy proposes to expand the activities of multiple federal and nonfederal partners to combat healthcare-associated infections prevalent in long-term care settings, including urinary tract infection; lower respiratory tract infections; influenza and influenza-like illness; Clostridium difficile infection; and skin, soft-tissue, and wound infections.