The Bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Infection Prevention & Control in Long-Term Care (IPC-LTC) was specifically created to address much needed reforms to effectively handle the current Covid-19 pandemic and to establish meaningful Federal policies to control all infections in LTC going forward.  We must protect our seniors.

 

Starting in 2016, CMS phased in new infection prevention & control regulations (F880, 881, 882 and 883) with the last phase in place 11/19.  Per the CMS, pre Covid-19, over 70% of LTC communities were cited for infection control concerns and a senior residing in these communities contracted an average of 4.2 infections per year with 70% of antibiotics being over-prescribed by their doctors.  Controlling infections for our seniors is the goal of this bipartisan caucus.

 

The IPC Long-Term Care Caucus will work closely with Regulatory Agencies, LTC Associations, Universities and Industry to identify and target legislative opportunities to protect the nation’s most vulnerable age demographic.    

 

The following caucus priorities will serve as a guide for top policymakers in Congress to better position itself from a regulatory and a budgetary standpoint:

 

• Identify and provide access to top infection prevention & control expertise

 

• Provide coordination efforts between Congress and agencies in support of making informed decisions affecting the Long-Term Care senior community 

 

• Assist in the protection of our seniors residing in our Long-Term Care communities especially as it relates to infection prevention and control

 

• Provide informed and coordinated infection prevention and control decision making to benefit all parties from LTC owners, operators, providers, and residents

 

• Examine and address the needs of the LTC owners and operators as it relates to infection prevention and control

 

• Identify less punitive infection prevention and control oversite that has clearly not been successful and replace with incentive-based programs

 

• Create alliance organization (like CMS) but no punitive on supportive in setting and meeting the expected goals of reducing unnecessary antibiotic usage, infection control, prevention and reduce antibiotic resistance.

 

• Promote and incentivize innovative technology and analytics to identify infection risks faster

 

• Promote comprehensive infection surveillance programs that includes all LTC resident/all staff PCR-based testing to identify and contain all infections

 

• Promote interoperability among disparate health organization’s resident care databases as well as improve access to this data with the intent to contain and control infection outbreaks sooner

 

• Make policy recommendations related to the role of the Medical Director which may include additional regulatory oversight from an infection and prevention control perspective and improving proper antibiotics prescribing

 

• Address LTC’s cost concerns of providing a regulated and mandated onsite IP (Infection Preventionist)

 

• Address the central oversight and assistance needed due to facilities inadequate staffing and training

 

• Educate the Congressional decision makers to allow for informed understanding of the LTC environment.

 

• Betterment of the aging senior population 

 

• Provide infection prevention and control education and guidance to Congress in order to help them make infection prevention and control policy decisions

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