CA APIC Mission: Participate, Advocate, Collaborate, Educate (P.A.C.E)
Purpose (2024)
Participation:
To promote chapter participation, member communication and networking among Infection Preventionists in California, and to represent the collective input of the state's Infection Preventionists to National APIC.
Advocate:
To advocate for helpful and sensible legislation that affects the practice and purview of the Infection Preventionist by providing knowledge and expertise.
Collaboration:
To provide state-wide coordination among all 10 APIC chapters in California, public health entities and the epidemiology and infectious disease communities, advancing infection prevention's best practices across the state.
Education:
To support and provide educational opportunities that enhance the abilities of prospective to seasoned Infection Preventionist with skillsets ranging from novice to expert levels, in subjects including infection control risk assessments, surveillance, prevention and control; epidemiology and statistics; and quality assessment and improvement as applied to all types of health care settings.
Historical Facts
Originally known as the California APIC Coordinating Council, or CACC, the group was initially formed as a statewide steering committee for California’s local APIC chapters. The first formal meeting was held on February 24, 1978 in Fresno at St. Agnes Hospital. In 1998 CACC was recognized by APIC National as a statewide chapter. Inaugural membership included two representatives from each APIC chapter within the state and representation from the Infection Control Division of the Department of Health Services, State of California. The group’s original goals were:
- to establish regional workshops and conferences
- to influence state legislation; and
- to provide better communication between APIC Chapters.
As stated in the goals, providing education to both beginning and advanced professionals in infection prevention and control has remained a major focus of representatives’ time through the 34 years of CACC’s existence. The first statewide conference, “Developing an Efficient Infection Control Program,” was held at Asilomar on October 1974. Local APIC Chapters and CACC, through a “Joint Venture Agreement”, referred to as the “JVA”, continue to develop and sponsor annual statewide in-depth education programs to assist Infection Preventionists to gain and expand competencies.
Legislative action on health related issues has also been a primary goal of CACC since its inception. From 1978 to 1985, CACC provided legislative input on multiple infection control related issues. Of particular note were revisions to section s of Title XXII, specifically; removal of the rule for culturing ice machine and other environmental surfaces, and the deletion of the requirement to clip or destroy contaminated needles before disposal.
During the latter half of the 1980s, CACC provided science based infection control consultation to amend State legislative issues regarding infectious waste such as the “Doolittle Bill” which, if enacted, would have required waste sterilization before it entered the sewer system. Through collaboration with the legislative community and health professionals, a workable definition of waste was developed.
CACC continues to serve the local APIC chapters and the public good through ongoing involvement with legislative actions such as bills related to public reporting of healthcare-associated infections and revisions to Title XXII that align with current science and practice.
Today’s Challenges
- To provide a forum which promotes active participation and networking between chapters.
- To foster a rapport with the CDPH HAI Program in order to become an integrated team, including all concerned parties (CDPH, CHA, Infection Preventionists), and to strive to reach consensus on regulations that affect the health of patients, and healthcare facilities work flow.
- To keep abreast of the ever-increasing legislative and regulatory initiatives and voice concerns or provide support as needed using best practices and sound science as guiding principles.
- To promote the value of Infection prevention in the ever changing environment of healthcare.