Infection Control

Candida auris, a deadly, drug-resistant fungus, has been detected in three Salem (Ore.) Health patients, marking the state's first cases of the infection. 

New York City Health and Hospitals, which operates the city's 11 public hospitals, put visitation limitation policies in place Dec. 22 after visitors were linked to a COVID-19 outbreak at one facility, The New York Times reported.

In an effort to prevent further strain on the healthcare system, U.S. health officials may soon trim the 10-day isolation period recommended by the CDC for asymptomatic healthcare workers with COVID-19. 

The Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality has granted $2.5 million to Cleveland Clinic to lead a clinical trial that studies ways to cut the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics among patients with community-acquired pneumonia, the health system said Dec. 9. 

Eleven employees at Kaiser Permanente Oakland (Calif.) Medical Center tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a wedding Nov. 27 in Wisconsin, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens hasn't reported any central line-associated bloodstream infections among intensive care unit patients for three consecutive years, the New York City-based hospital said Dec. 7. 

The CDC has given $22 million to 28 organizations to fight antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases, according to a Dec. 7 news release.

The use of daily COVID-19 attestation forms in hospitals are effective at identifying healthcare workers who may have COVID-19 and help prevent the virus's spread, new findings from researchers at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital suggest. 

At least 18 patients at Chicago-based Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center have tested positive for COVID-19 after a sick staff member worked for several days, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Nov. 30. 

Cornerstone Specialty Hospitals Little Rock (Ark.) faced a crisis. In 2019, the rate of hospital-acquired infections significantly exceeded the hospital’s own targets and national benchmarks. Dissatisfied with these results, Cornerstone focused on the causes of these HAIs, formed a team…