Our 2^nd annual ADVICE Collaborative II (called Turning the Tide on Infections) was held on May 17. Over 168 attendees representing the dialysis provider community, ADHS licensing, ADHS infectious disease services and Healthcare Associated Infections Advisory Committee End Stage Renal Disease Subcommittee continued their learning, sharing and networking to improve infection control performance in dialysis centers.

Tamara Hoxworth from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shared infection control initiatives implemented in Colorado outpatient dialysis facilities. Attendees of the collaborative received a copy of the Toolkit for Infection Prevention which was developed by the Colorado Collaborative. It’s designed to help dialysis patients understand the importance of infection prevention, take an active role in their own care, and speak up about their care.

The one-day collaborative included an update from the Arizona HAI –ESRD Subcommittee and three breakout sessions: Infection Prevention Best Practices, Use of Current HAI projects, and Role of State and Local Health Departments with dialysis providers. The point of all these trainings is to improve the level of infection prevention awareness facilities have so they can improve outcomes.