IDSA : View All Letters on Infection Prevention and Control

06/25/2012

IDSA Submits Comments on Revised HHS Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (PDF)

IDSA commented on the revised HHS Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections, with a focus on Phase 2 of the Action Plan which includes chapters on Ambulatory Surgical Centers, End-stage Renal Disease Facilities, and Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel.

12/23/2011

IDSA Comments on CMS' Conditions of Participation for Medicare Program (PDF)

IDSA submitted comments to CMS on the proposed rule related to the Medicare & Medicaid Conditions of Participation (CoP). This letter advocated for inclusion of "Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs" as part of Infection Control requirements outlined in the CoP. As well, the letter also supported CMS' proposal to expand the use of hospital standing orders in a way that would promote immunization rates.

12/21/2011

Joint IDSA/HIVMA Comments on Proposed CDC Organ Transplant Guideline (PDF)

IDSA and HIVMA's comments on CDC's Guideline for Reducing Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Virus through Solid Organ Transplantation call for: an amendment to federal transplantation law, clarification and consistency on MSM donor risk, and greater balance in the informed consent requirements. The Societies also propose a central tracking system and express concerns with donor screening recommendations.

06/06/2011

IDSA Supports Removing Legal Barriers that Prohibit Incentive Payments for ID Physicians Systems-Level Activities (PDF)

IDSA urges Medicare and the Office of Inspector General to establish waivers, safe harbors, and/or exceptions to federal anti-trust laws that would allow gainsharing payments for systems-level activities, such as infection control and antimicrobial stewardship programs, that avoid healthcare-related complications and their associated costs.

06/06/2011

IDSA Submits Comments in Response to Medicare's Shared Savings Program Proposed Rule (PDF)

In a comment letter, IDSA urged Medicare to propose a more flexible approach to the Shared Savings Program that encourages the formation of innovative ACOs and demonstrates the Agency’s commitment to work with stakeholders to achieve meaningful reform.

11/29/2010

IDSA Urges Medicare to Incentivize Non-Patient Care Activities and Test Coverage of Home Infusions (PDF)

In response to a Request for Information, IDSA urged Medicare 1) to give shared savings programs the flexibility to incentivize infection control and other non-patient care activities which offer the potential to achieve significant systems-level savings and 2) and to conduct a Home Infusion Therapy Demonstration Project.

11/22/2010

IDSA Supports Incentive Payments for Achieving Infection Control Benchmarks (PDF)

IDSA urges the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to support incentive payments for infection control and other non-patient care activities within Accountable Care Organizations and other shared savings arrangements that are focused on improving the quality and efficiency of patient care.

10/15/2010

IDSA Comments on the National Health Care Quality Strategy and Plan (PDF)

In response to a request for feedback on the National Health Care Quality Strategy and Plan, IDSA urged the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to prioritize the development of performance measures for hospital-based physicians and home infusion therapies.

10/11/2010

IDSA Comments on HHS Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (PDF)

IDSA, SHEA, and PIDS commented on the HHS Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections Tier 2 modules, commending HHS for expanding the Action Plan to include Ambulatory Surgical Centers, End-stage Renal Disease Facilities, and Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel.

08/19/2010

IDSA Suggests Changes to NIAID Clinical Trials Infrastructure (PDF)

In a letter to NIAID Director Fauci, IDSA provided its input on the future structure and objectives of NIAID’s clinical trials infrastructure.

08/04/2010

IDSA Responds to OSHA Request for Information on Occupational Exposure to Infectious Agents (PDF)

IDSA cautions OSHA to first consider basic personnel and infection prevention and control policies before moving toward the creation of a regulatory standard focused solely on exposure. IDSA is concerned with patient and healthcare worker safety and implores OSHA to involve expert stakeholder groups, such as IDSA, in every phase of this potential rulemaking to ensure a transparent process and an evidence-based outcome.

08/04/2010

IDSA's Letter to OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor Michaels (PDF)

IDSA responds to OSHA Request for Information on occupational exposure to infectious agents.

07/15/2010

IDSA Letter to CDC Director Tom Frieden on Draft Guidance Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings (PDF)

IDSA supports CDC’s draft guidance concerning infection prevention and control measures that should be implemented in response to seasonal and H1N1 influenza, but notes the guidance should also support mandatory influenza immunization of health care workers.

11/05/2009

IDSA, Others, Seek Modification of Federal Guidance-OSHA Requirements on HCWs Use of Respirators to Protect Against 2009 H1N1 Influenza (PDF)

IDSA, SHEA and APIC tell President Obama that CDC’s guidance is not clear, practical, or evidence-based, and also seek an immediate moratorium on OSHA’s enforcement of requirement on healthcare facilities.

07/22/2009

IDSA, SHEA, APIC Urge Secretary Sebelius to Ensure Revision of Novel H1N1 Influenza Infection Control Guidance (PDF)

IDSA and others urge HHS Secretary to ensure that CDC guidance on infection prevention and control regarding novel H1N1 influenza infection is revised shortly in accordance with evolving science and experience with the virus.

07/16/2009

IDSA, SHEA, APIC, CSTE, TFAH Support National Public Reporting of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (PDF)

IDSA, others, support requiring hospitals/ambulatory surgical centers to report HAI rates to CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network as a condition of participation in the Medicare/Medicaid programs. IDSA views a national standard, where valid, comparable, and reliable data are captured, as far superior to a fractured state-by-state approach.

02/06/2009

IDSA Responds to CMS' Request for Comments on a Proposal that Would Allow Gainsharing Arrangements Between Physicians and Hospitals (PDF)

IDSA requests that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) create an exception to the physician self-referral ("Stark") law that would allow hospitals to incentivize ID physician who successfully implement and maintain infection control and prevention procedures.

07/02/2008

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