Mrs Samantha Butenko1, Mrs Sarah King1, Dr Diana Lawrence2, Dr Santosh Daniel2,3, Ms Jasmine McCann2
1SA Health, Department for Health and Wellbeing, Australia, 2SA Health, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Australia, 3Flinders University, Australia
Biography:
Samantha Butenko is Nursing Director of the Infection Control Service, SA Health, with over 30 years' nursing experience and expertise in infection prevention, outbreak response, quality improvement and leadership. Sarah King is an Infection Prevention and Control Nurse Consultant specialising in healthcare-associated infection surveillance, outbreak management and quality improvement.
Abstract:
Problem/Issue
IPC have a major role healthcare outbreak response. This presents both opportunities and challenges relating to governance, resources, operational priorities and integration of IPC actions into the overall situation, considering IPC is often part of a multi-faceted response. During a multi-site carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) outbreak within a South Australian Local Health Network (LHN), the IPC response highlighted the benefits of strategically partnering with other agencies and empowering stakeholders to facilitate the desired outbreak control.
Intervention
During the outbreak which spanned approximately six months, a IMT was established by the affected LHN to coordinate and support the outbreak response. The SA Health Infection Control Service (ICS) provided both on the ground and advisory support as part of the response. Regular IMT meetings facilitated coordinated planning, action tracking, resource allocation and communication.
Results
The ICS experience of working within the IMT approach strengthened outbreak control through shared ownership and organisational accountability supported timely decision-making and coordination between clinical, operational and executive stakeholders. Other benefits included a high level of Executive engagement which facilitated timely access support of recommended outbreak control measures.
Conclusions and Lessons Learnt
As part of the lessons management process, lessons learnt are still being evaluated with the aim to have these formulate a lessons learnt knowledge bank. IPC may benefit from continued strategic partnering with agencies such as IMTs both at the central and local level in the event of outbreaks and other major IPC related incidents. expertise was amplified through integration within the IMT structure.