Project Firstline Launch Event for Healthcare Workers - New Infection Control Resources

Introduction to Project Firstline

• Liz McClune leads Project Firstline for CDC.

• Grateful for the participants' time and attendance.

• Purpose of the event is to express gratitude and showcase new infection control resources.

• Goal is to engage and encourage participants to explore the resources.

"Thank you for being here today, which is no small thing, but for everything you've done throughout the past few years, and each and every day as you show up to work to care for patients... let me start by thanking you."

Introduction of Dr. Rochelle Walensky

• Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, expresses her gratitude to healthcare workers.

• Acknowledges the challenging circumstances faced by healthcare workers during the pandemic.

• Emphasizes the importance of infection control and the responsibility it holds for all healthcare workers.

"It's my pleasure to join you in celebrating Project Firstline, a program that celebrates the diversity of our healthcare workforce, and recognizes the important role each of you plays in making healthcare safer for everyone... Indeed, COVID-19 made it even clearer that infection control is the responsibility of every healthcare worker."

Introduction of Dr. Denise Cardo

• Dr. Denise Cardo, director of the division of healthcare quality promotion, expresses gratitude to healthcare workers for their commitment to infection control and patient safety.

• Recognizes the unique challenges faced by healthcare workers and their contribution to preventing infections.

• Highlights the importance of every healthcare worker's role in infection control, regardless of their specific responsibilities.

"As Dr. Walensky said, the COVID pandemic has had an impact on all of us... Regardless of your title or what your role, your activity in healthcare, all of you play a very, very important role in infection control... It doesn't matter where you work and what you do. You have a critical role."

Overview of Project Firstline's resources

• Project Firstline provides educational materials, including videos, interactive modules, infographics, mobile content, and screensavers.

• Designed to cater to diverse learning preferences and support healthcare workers in protecting patients and saving lives.

• Aims to integrate infection control practices into all aspects of healthcare, going beyond traditional training and education.

"We want Project Firstline to be integrated in everything we do in healthcare, a way to facilitate that all."

Conclusion and commitment from CDC

• Appreciation for the healthcare workers' ongoing strength, perseverance, and commitment to patients.

• Assurance of CDC's support for the healthcare workforce's infection control training needs.

• Emphasizes the collective power of healthcare workers and CDC to stop infections in healthcare settings.

"Thank you for your ongoing strength, perseverance, and commitment to your patients... We at CDC are here to support your infection control training needs. Together, we have the power to stop infections in healthcare."

Importance of Infection Control Practices

• Following infection control practices promotes patient safety and protects healthcare workers.

• Tailored materials are being created with input from healthcare workers to improve infection control practices.

• Preventing infections in patients and healthcare workers is crucial.

"It's really working together and creating tailored materials with your input, and always improving, so it can really be helpful for you to do everything you can to prevent infections to patients and to yourselves."

Gratitude for Healthcare Workers

• The speaker expresses gratitude for healthcare workers and their commitment.

• The speaker acknowledges the dedication and interest of healthcare workers in improving patient safety and infection control practices.

"Thank you again very, very much for everything you do, and for joining us today. It's amazing. When I look at the number of people, it's amazing, not only that you're taking your time, but that you are interested in really doing better."

Introduction of Dr. Michael Bell

• Dr. Michael Bell is a deputy director at the division for healthcare quality promotion for CDC.

• He has a background in investigating and preventing healthcare-associated illnesses and providing infection control guidelines.

• Dr. Bell emphasizes the importance of information and knowledge in maintaining patient and occupational safety.

"I think that the fact that you've joined at all is incredibly exciting to us, especially in the midst of so much work. So, thank you for prioritizing this... Now, more than ever, having the right information to know what to do and how to do it is going to be key."

Project Firstline Overview

• Project Firstline is a program designed for all healthcare personnel.

• It aims to deliver infection control information conveniently to healthcare workers.

• The program focuses on understanding the "why" behind infection control rules and helping healthcare workers recognize potential problems.

"Traditionally, a lot of healthcare information has been delivered to nurses and doctors... But most of us don't have the time to spend an hour looking at slides... making sure that we're able to bring the information that you need to where you are when you need it is really the thrust of Project Firstline... there's a great deal of attention on why we recommend something, why you're supposed to do something... we have focused a lot on understanding why those rules exist... I think when we understand why something is done, it becomes much easier to know when to do it."

Convenient and Quick Learning

• Project Firstline aims to provide easily accessible information for quick learning.

• The program understands the time constraints faced by healthcare workers and prioritizes convenience.

• The focus is on delivering information in a way that is easy to grasp and suitable for busy schedules.

"Lots of information, a lot of it dedicated towards quick learning and convenience... for all of us who want to see something, want to know something, but may not have an hour to spend doing it."

Emphasis on Feedback and Collaboration

• Project Firstline values feedback from healthcare workers and seeks to improve based on their needs.

• Collaboration among healthcare professionals is crucial in preventing the spread of infections.

• The program aims to work together with healthcare workers to create better resources and enhance patient safety.

"If there's stuff that you need that we're not providing yet, if there are ways that you think it would be more helpful to deliver, please let us know... We're here to make things better for all of us in healthcare, and the more we hear from you, the better."

Acknowledgment of Healthcare Workers' Efforts

• The speaker expresses gratitude for healthcare workers' time and dedication.

• The hard work of healthcare workers over the past two years is acknowledged and greatly appreciated.

• The speaker recognizes the tremendous impact of healthcare workers' efforts.

"One more thank-you to all of you for taking time today, not to mention the work that you’ve done for the past two years, truly tremendous, and much appreciated by everyone."

Introduction

• CDC has been working with various partners to understand the needs and preferences of healthcare workers.

• They have focused on listening to feedback and providing just-in-time information related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

• CDC recognizes the challenges faced by healthcare workers, including limited bandwidth, burnout, and trauma.

"You didn't have time to explore websites and try to find it."

Tailored and bite-sized content

• Healthcare workers requested bite-sized content that is tailored and applicable to their practice.

• CDC has created a whole section on their website with quick videos and bite-sized information related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

• The goal is to provide emergency communication that is easily accessible and can be used on the go throughout the workday.

"And so, you'll see, if you check out our website, that there's a whole section about quick videos, and bite-size information related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19."

Reframing infection control education

• Infection control education has often been framed as a list of rules, regulations, and policies, which may seem antithetical to the empathetic work that healthcare workers do.

• CDC aims to reframe the conversation around infection control to emphasize its importance in helping someone heal and caring for patients.

• The goal is to tap into the motivation of healthcare workers and provide a meaningful context for infection control education.

"But what we know is that infection control is how you help someone heal, how you care for someone, and so, we needed to reframe how we talked about infection control, to make sure that we were really bringing that to the fore, and tapping into your motivation for why you get up every morning and come to work, or every evening and come to work."

Building on existing strengths

• Healthcare workers have existing strengths and knowledge in infection control.

• CDC aims to build on these strengths, celebrate them, and apply them to infection control practices.

• The goal is to empower healthcare workers and provide content that aligns with their existing knowledge and expertise.

"We have existing strengths. We know things, and we couldn't agree more."

Understanding the why

• Healthcare workers expressed the need to understand the why behind infection control practices.

• CDC wants to provide a deeper understanding of why certain practices are important, enabling healthcare workers to feel more empowered in their work.

• The goal is to ensure safe care for healthcare workers, patients, and colleagues, even in challenging situations.

"But we really want to understand why we're doing it, so that we feel more empowered that when our workday takes a turn, we know how to respond and still provide safe care for ourselves, our patients, and our colleagues."

Thanking Project Firstline partners

• CDC extends gratitude to its Project Firstline partners, who have played a crucial role in the collaborative effort.

• The partners cover a diverse range of healthcare settings and include public health and tribal healthcare colleagues.

• CDC acknowledges the contributions and support received from these partners.

"We're here because of you, and we thank you."

Importance of infection control in healthcare

• Healthcare settings have a higher risk of germs spreading compared to the general community due to the presence of sick and vulnerable patients.

• Healthcare workers have unique opportunities for germs to spread through their interactions, touch, and use of equipment.

• Infection control in healthcare requires a different approach than in other settings, and understanding these differences is crucial.

"The risk for germs to spread is different than it is at home and in the community. There's a higher chance for germs to spread in healthcare settings."

Spotting opportunities for germs to spread

• Healthcare workers are encouraged to recognize opportunities for germs to spread, just as they would recognize other risks in their work environment.

• By identifying these opportunities, healthcare workers can intervene and take action to prevent the spread of germs.

• This recognition and action contribute to effective infection control practices.

"If you learn to spot the opportunities for germs to spread, then you can step in and take action to stop the spread of germs."

Healthcare workers' impact on infection control

• Healthcare workers themselves can become opportunities for germs to spread due to their frequent interactions and exposure to many people and objects.

• It is important for healthcare workers to be aware of their impact on infection control and take necessary precautions.

• By understanding their role, healthcare workers can actively prevent the spread of germs and protect patients.

"Sometimes we are the opportunities for germs to spread. We interact with a lot of people throughout the day. We touch a lot of things, and we use many different kinds of equipment."

Conclusion

• The overview video from Project Firstline aims to assist healthcare workers in recognizing infection risks and applying infection control practices.

• CDC emphasizes the uniqueness of healthcare and the need to approach infection control differently in healthcare settings.

• The resources and educational materials provided by Project Firstline are designed to support and engage healthcare workers in their infection control efforts.

"So, again, that's a sampling of our overview video."

Project Firstline's Educational Resources

• Project Firstline aims to identify infection risk using reservoirs, such as where germs live in the body and the environment.

"With our new material, we decided to use every piece of real estate to teach and educate, rather than just present material and information."

Interactive and Gamified Opportunities

• Project Firstline offers interactive and gamified opportunities to explore the order of things in healthcare and understand how it impacts the spread of germs.

"We wanted to create interactive, gamified opportunities where you can not just think through the order of things that you often do in healthcare, but why and how it impacts whether you're able to spread germs or potentially prevent the spread of germs."

Training Tool Kits for Educators

• Project Firstline provides training tool kits for healthcare workers who find themselves in the role of educator or trainer. These tool kits include scripts, PowerPoints, activities, and fact sheets that can be used right out of the box.

"We've created a suite of training tool kits that provide scripts, PowerPoints, activities, fact sheets that you can help to teach this to others, and it's ready right out of the box."

Engaging Posters for Education

• Project Firstline utilizes engaging and fun posters that can be posted in various locations, such as by the PTO check area or in restrooms, to provide educational material on infection control in a visually appealing way.

"We wanted to utilize posters that are engaging, fun to look at, but also can be posted by where you check to see if your PTO got approved, while you wait for your seventh cup of coffee, or, heck, while you're in a bathroom stall, and you have a few minutes to think, and use that not just to promote ourselves, but to provide educational material as well that's fun to look at and engaging to look at."

Clear Explanations of Reservoirs

• Project Firstline offers clear explanations and fact sheets for each reservoir where germs can live, including the body and the healthcare environment. These fact sheets focus on the potential risks, common germs, daily tasks, and infection control actions associated with each reservoir.

"For us here at Project Firstline, we see the primary places for germs to live as being on the body, in the skin, respiratory system, the gut, and the blood, and in the environment. And we wanted to provide a one-stop shop where, for each reservoir where you can find germs, we described certainly where's the risk, the germs that are often there that, of course, you can't see, the tasks that you do every day that engage that reservoir, but most importantly, the infection control actions that stop spread."

Animated GIFs for Visual Reminders

• Project Firstline has created a suite of animated GIFs to visually remind healthcare workers that germs are present on various reservoirs, such as the skin, and that their actions can impact the spread of germs.

"We've created a whole suite of beautiful animated GIFs for us to bring to the top of mind that germs are on these reservoirs like your skin, that they're engaged in the actions that you take every day, and that you can do something to stop your spread."

Social Media Teaching Platforms

• Project Firstline recognizes the presence of healthcare workers on social media and highlights platforms for teaching and sharing information. They provide topic teasers that can be used on social media to engage with a wider audience.

"We're highlighting those platforms for teaching and so, I'm going to pause while you see a topic teaser that you can use and post on social media."

New Approach with Setting-Agnostic Materials

• The goal of the new approach is to create materials that are relevant to any healthcare setting.

• Identifying infection risks and knowing how to prevent the spread of germs can be applied in long-term care, acute care, outpatient, and dental settings.

• The materials can be adapted to specific settings, workflows, and workforces.

"Our goal is for these materials at the beginning to be somewhat setting-agnostic... what you can do to stop them, is something that can be applied to any healthcare setting."

Importance of Partner Collaboration

• The audience is acknowledged as experts in their own settings and workflows.

• The materials are designed to be adaptable to different settings.

• Partners are recognized for their role in the adaptation process.

"But we also know that you are often the experts of your own setting... these are ripe for adaptation to your setting, and to your workflow, and to your workforce as well... And we thank our partners as well for being integral in that adaptation process."

Acknowledgment of Partners

• Project Firstline partners are given the opportunity to speak for themselves.

• Partners discuss their positive experiences and the impact of Project Firstline on their organizations.

"The experience with Project Firstline has been a wonderful opportunity for NNPHI. It's allowed us to build the capacity of our membership and our network... and it's given us an opportunity to be innovative..."

Excitement about New Materials

• The new materials continue the approach of Project Firstline and spread it to a wider audience.

• The materials are designed to meet the needs of busy healthcare professionals.

• The materials aim to provide a deeper understanding of infection control principles.

"What excites me most about the new materials is that I think it's really responsive to the needs of the audience... designed to meet them where they are with the limited time that they have... supporting the full healthcare workforce with understanding the 'why'."

Variety and Accessibility of New Content

• The new content offers a variety of products and delivery methods.

• Augmented reality, extended reality, and artificial intelligence are used to enhance accessibility.

• The content aims to promote active and passive learning, allowing healthcare workers to choose their preferred method of learning.

• The content is available in a range of formats to meet the diverse needs of the audience.

"What is exciting is the variety of products available to promote the new content... creating access to platforms for facilities that otherwise can't afford it, don't know how to use it, and would never be able to develop it... Infection control practices are the core for quality and safe nursing care... and it also improves patient outcomes."

Importance of Infection Control Education and Training

• Training on infection control practices is essential for healthcare workers' safety.

• Training helps make infection prevention and control practices become instinctual, protecting the well-being of healthcare workers.

• Infection control has a powerful impact on patient outcomes, lowering the risk of hospital-associated infections.

"Training is extremely important because healthcare workers are really dedicated individuals... can sometimes neglect their own safety when they're in the moment... infection control education helps to safeguard both nurses and patients... improves patient outcomes."

"Infection control is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal to protect patients and healthcare personnel... improving infection prevention and control education for healthcare personnel can improve the care of our patients and the safety of our facilities."

Introduction

• This section highlights the fact that content is being adapted and produced by the whole collaborative all the time.

"To highlight the fact that content is being adapted and produced by the whole collaborative all the time."

Invitation to Check out New Materials

• Viewers are invited to check out the new materials that were launched just yesterday at CDC.gov/projectfirstline.

• They are also encouraged to engage with the partners who have been introduced during the event.

"I invite you certainly to check out our new materials that were launched just yesterday at CDC.gov/projectfirstline, but to also engage with the partners that you've heard from today."

Collaboration with Partners

• Project Firstline continues to work with various partners to create accurate and engaging infection control content for different settings like pediatrics, long-term care, and more.

• The program aims to increase the partner base and expand its reach.

• The goal is to ensure that people from all professions and roles can see themselves in the materials.

"They're always working with us to make accurate and engaging infection control content for pediatrics, for long-term care, for a variety of other settings, and we continue to work on increasing that partner base, and increasing our reach so that people can see themselves in our materials, from our fantastic EMS providers, to dental, and beyond."

Importance of Self-Representation

• Project Firstline recognizes the importance of individuals being able to see themselves and hear their voices in the materials.

• Efforts are being made to meet this goal and ensure that everyone feels represented and included.

"Again, our materials that we released just yesterday are meant to apply to all professions and all roles, but we know the importance of being able to see yourself and hear your voice."

Recording and Dissemination of the Presentation

• The presentation is being recorded and will be disseminated as quickly as possible.

• The goal is to ensure that the presentation is accessible to all audience members who were unable to join the event.

"I also want to note -- I think we have gotten some questions about whether this presentation will be recorded. It is, and we'll work to disseminate it as quickly as we can. We want to make sure that it's accessible for all of our audience, and so, we'll work on getting that out to folks who weren't able to join us today."

Appreciation for the Audience and Call for Feedback

• The speaker expresses gratitude for the audience's time and attention during the presentation.

• Viewers are encouraged to visit the website, explore the content, and provide feedback via social media.

• Project Firstline is dedicated to supporting healthcare workers and their infection control training and education needs.

"But I can't reiterate, again, how grateful I am that you spent over 40 minutes of your day, and I want to give the extra bolus of the time for the hour back, for you to go onto our website, click around, explore, and then, you know, shoot us a line on social media so that we can see how you feel about these pieces of content, this stuff, and ways that we can continue to support you in the future."

Final Words of Appreciation and Encouragement

• The speaker extends thanks to the partners involved in the event, as well as to the healthcare workers for their dedication in caring for patients, colleagues, and themselves.

"Thank you to our partners, but all in all, thank you to you for the things you do every day to take care of your patients, your colleagues, and yourself. I hope everyone has a great day."