Using APIC's Infection Prevention and Control Acuity Scale for Crisis Situations

Originally presented on Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 1 pm ET

Presented by: Terri Rebmann, PhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in multiple patient surges and significantly higher workloads for infection preventionists (IPs), even as the profession has expanded and there is a shortage of qualified IPs. During IPC crises such as the pandemic, routine IP duties may need to be delegated to others or set aside temporarily until the patient wave has subsided. Decisions about which duties to prioritize, delegate, or set aside need to be made strategically and in conjunction with healthcare leaders. The APIC COVID-19 Task Force has developed a tool to aid in these discussions about strategically shifting IP workloads temporarily in a way that focuses IPs’ expertise to optimize safety. The purpose of this webinar is to describe the APIC IPC Acuity Scale and outline how to implement it across healthcare settings. Examples will be provided regarding how this tool should be used as part of a risk assessment in an IPC crisis situation.  

Terri Rebmann PhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC

Director, Institute for Biosecurity, Professor, Dept of Epidemiology & Biostatistics | St. Louis University, College for Public Health and Social Justice, St. Louis, MO

Dr. Terri Rebmann is the Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs, Director of the Institute for Biosecurity, and a Professor of Epidemiology in the Saint Louis University College for Public Health & Social Justice. She is a PhD Nurse researcher with an emphasis in infectious disease emergency preparedness. In addition, she is board certified in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology and an APIC Fellow. Her past work experience includes research and clinical practice with HIV/AIDS patients and hospital infection prevention and epidemiology. In her current role as Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs, she is responsible for providing administrative support to all academic programs in the College for Public Health and Social Justice. In her current position with the Institute for Biosecurity as the Director, she is responsible for managing all aspects of the Institute’s Certificate, MPH, and PhD academic programs, as well as teaching classes in the programs and conducting research. Her research areas of focus include healthcare and public health professional disaster preparedness, long-term use of respiratory protection, and addressing barriers to vaccine uptake. She publishes and lectures on bioterrorism, pandemic planning, emerging infectious diseases, and infection prevention practices on a national basis. Dr. Rebmann has served on several national and international task forces and committees aimed at minimizing morbidity and mortality related to emerging infectious diseases and bioterrorism threats. Examples include being a member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) COVID-19 Task Force, a member of the APIC Ebola Task Force, and being a former member and Chair of the APIC Emergency Preparedness Committee.