Required Training Urged for Nursing Home Infection Specialists

A government watchdog agency is recommending that the Biden administration establish minimum training standards for infection prevention control specialists in nursing homes.

In a report, the Government Accountability Office also calls for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to determine whether current facility staffing requirements are sufficient for infection control specialists, known as “infection preventionists.”

In June, the CMS issued guidance requiring nursing homes to have at least a part-time, on-site infection preventionist with specialized training to oversee the facility’s program to control and prevent infections.

In consultation with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CMS developed ...