Project Firstline offers easy access to infection prevention resources and education
Two related webinars launching in January
Oregon physicians, physician assistants, and their teams now have access to the most up-to-date information on infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Project Firstline, developed in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides IPC education and resources for all types of frontline healthcare workers. All the resources are designed to meet the needs of busy healthcare professionals.
According to Judith Guzman-Cottrill, D.O., pediatric infectious disease specialist at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU), "The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the need to improve education among healthcare workers, who are at risk of exposure to infectious diseases in their everyday work." She says these gaps include staying up-to-date on infection control practices, maintaining consistent cleaning standards, and educating others on IPC topics.
When it comes to infection control, physicians and physician assistants play a unique role in reducing disease transmission - both as role models and educators in their practice settings. Through Project Firstline, clinicians and other frontline workers have access to short, useful educational resources. These include webinars with CME credit, links to additional resources and printable materials, and access to local infectious disease experts for training or area-specific information. (See profile on Celine Coleman, MPH, Linn County IP Champion)
Project Firstline was designed to ensure that every healthcare worker understands how each task they perform may create an infection exposure risk, and what practical steps they can follow to reduce this risk for themselves and their patients. These resources are designed to easily integrate into the daily workflow.
The American Medical Association (AMA) is a collaborator in the CDC effort. Locally, the OMA is working closely with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on this initiative.
Visit the OMA Project Firstline webpage for the full list of resources.