Details About the Infection Control Requirement
What You Need To Know To Protect Your Privileges
Each year, all providers* working at EHC are required to complete the Infection Control Training and Assessment and pass an Infection Control Test (Requires 100 percent to pass). Providers will lose clinical privileges if the module requirements are not met by midnight, December 31.
How much time will this training/testing require?
Approximately 25 minutes. The module is web-based and can be accessed from anywhere. The test can be taken an unlimited number of times within the specified time frame until you pass it.
Who is required to complete the mandatory Infection Control Module?
*All providers working at EMORY HEALTHCARE.
Includes:
- Faculty Physicians (e.g., TEC, ECC, EMCF), Emory-Employed Non-Faculty Physicians (e.g. ESA), Community Physicians, Allied Health Practitioners (podiatrists, optometrists, etc.) and Community Mid-Level Providers (advanced practice nurses and PAs).
What exactly are the requirements?
Annual Infection Control Training and Assessment Components:
- Infection Control Online Training Course
- Infection Control Test (must achieve 100%)
- Self-Reporting of:
-
Immunizations (MMR, HBV, etc.)
-
TB Test Results
-
Influenza Vaccination Status*
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*You must take a flu shot annually. You must receive the seasonal influenza vaccination (not novel H1N1 vaccination) by December 31, 2009. Exceptions will be made for those with a medical contraindication or religious objection. To ensure compliance with EMORY HEALTHCARE's seasonal influenza vaccination mandate, you are required to provide documentation if you have been vaccinated elsewhere or have a medical contraindication. If you are requesting a religious exemption, you must sign an attestation form. Documentation must be submitted to Cindy Hall in Employee Health 404-686-7947 or cynthia.hall@emoryhealthcare.org. Providers can get vaccinated for free at any Employee Health location or flu shot events coordinated throughout EMORY HEALTHCARE. To find a time convenient for you, log on to the home page of the intranet (www.eushc.org) and click the flu shot schedule. Or, contact Employee Health at 404-728-6437.
Tuberculin Test (Initial and annual). You must have a TB test annually and report it by completing the Infection Control module. A TB test can be obtained in Employee Health at no cost. A Community Physician or provider can go to any of the Employee Health offices to have the TB test placed and read. Appointments are recommended, but not required.
You must take an on-line Infection Control Training Course (initial and annual), covering Emory's Bloodborne Pathogen policies; prevention of bloodborne pathogen exposures; reporting of bloodborne pathogen exposures when they occur; controlling Antibiotic Resistance (hand hygiene, isolation precautions, antimicrobial stewardship); preventing the transmission of infectious pathogens in the health care setting, transmission of TB, immunizations required for patient safety or by state or federal law. No provider has to complete the course more than once during any 12-month period.
What immunization and history information will I need to have prior to logging in to the Infection Control Training and Assessment?
You will only have to complete the entire immunization section one time, when you do your initial Annual Infection Control Training and Assessment. In subsequent years, you will only need to open this module if your immunization status changes (e.g., you receive a new Tdap) or if Emory changes any of the requirements for immunization (e.g., the CDC revises recommended immunizations for health care workers) such as the EHC Board's recent decision to mandate seasonal influenza vaccination.
During the initial completion of this section, providers will be asked the following questions regarding the immunizations listed below:
MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella)
- If born before 1957, have you had 1 dose of MMR vaccine?
- If born after 1957, have you had 2 doses of MMR vaccine?
- Have you had Measles, Mumps and Rubella (must have had all three)?
- Do you have positive antibody titers to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (all three)?
Chickenpox (Varicella zoster)
- Have you had chicken pox or zoster (shingles)?
- Have you had 2 doses of Varicella vaccine?
- Do you have a positive titer to Varicella?
Hepatitis B Vaccine
- Have you had Hepatitis B infection?
- Have you received 3 doses of Hepatitis B vaccine?
- Have you ever had a positive titer for antibody to Hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-Hbs)?
- Have you had a second complete series of Hepatitis B vaccine?
- Do you want to receive a second series of the Hepatitis B vaccine?
- If you have not received the hepatitis B vaccine do you want to receive the vaccine?
What happens if I do not pass the Infection Control test?
The Infection Control Training and Assessment will be an initial and annual review and update requirement. All covered providers who do not complete the module will have current clinical privileges suspended. New medical staff applicants will not be granted clinical privileges until the requirements are met.
Questions?
- For general information, contact: Patricia Pogue, supervisor, System Credentialing, 404-778-4805.
- For content questions: Contact Bruce Ribner, MD, MPH, at 404-727-1580.
- Employee Health, contact: Cindy Hall at 404-686-7947 or cynthia.hall@emoryhealthcare.org
- For technical problems logging on to the module, call EMORY HEALTHCARE Information Services Call Center 8HELP (8-4357). You can reach 8HELP outside an Emory location by calling 404-778-4357.
- For general process/privileges questions, contact the Medical Staff Offices at each facility: Emory University Hospital Midtown: 404-686-7789; Emory University Hospital: 404-712-7371; and Wesley Woods Hospital: 404-686-7789.
PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRIVILEGES. TAKE THE TEST.
When you're ready to complete the test, click to Access the Annual Infection Control Training and Assessment module.
(https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/app/providerassessment/module/faces/signin.jsp)
