Failure to Designate a Qualified Infection Preventionist with Required Training
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to designate a qualified infection preventionist (IP) who had completed the required specialized training in infection prevention and control. Multiple interviews with facility leadership, including the interim director of nursing, director of staff development, former administrator, and the current designated infection preventionist, confirmed that the individual currently serving as the IP had not completed or obtained a certificate for infection prevention and control training. Documentation provided by the acting administrator further indicated that there had been no IP with the required training or certification since early February 2025. The facility's own policy and procedures, as well as state guidance, require that the designated IP complete initial infection prevention and control training within 30 days of designation. Despite this, the current IP, who began working in the role in February 2025, had not yet completed the necessary training as of the time of the survey. This lapse affected the facility's ability to ensure that its infection prevention and control program was properly implemented for the forty-eight residents residing in the facility.