ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: State health departments' (SHD) role in infection prevention and control (IPC) includes robust educational and consultative services for various healthcare settings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington-SHD (W-SHD) IPC staff conducted remote and onsite infection control assessment and response (ICAR) consultations for long-term care and non-LTC healthcare facilities. METHODS: ICAR consultations were classified as "reactive" in response to a COVID-19 outbreak or "proactive" to help facilities improve IPC protocols. Facility addresses were geocoded to census tracks, classifying urban/rural areas. Facility types and characteristics were analyzed, assessing impacts of repeat visits. All descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-square tests and odds ratios were calculated. RESULTS: Between 3/2020 and 12/2022, W-SHD conducted 3,093 ICARs at 1,703 healthcare facilities in 94.9% (37/39) of WA counties. Of the total visits, most were in LTC (90.5%) and 48.9% were reactive. Facilities with initial onsite ICARs had 1.5 times the odds of having a repeat visit than facilities with initial remote visit (95%CI: 1.21, 1.87). DISCUSSION: Maintaining strong connections with healthcare facilities can help bolster infection prevention practices and minimize loss of information at the facility level. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based findings on the sustainability of the W-SHD's ICAR services during the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the value of public health IPC programs.
