Education campaign reduces health care-acquired infections

The Rocky Mountain Regional VA system in Aurora, Colo. implemented a nurse-led education campaign to reduce health care-acquired infections. The campaign used materials from Project Firstline, a national training collaborative developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Nurses Association, to expand infection prevention knowledge across the health care workforce. Three nurse residents distributed materials through the system’s education and communication channels from January to December 2023. The average 12-month catheter-associated urinary tract infection rate dropped 47% in 2023 to 0.996 per 1,000 device days. Central line-associated bloodstream infections fell 69% to 0.209 per 1,000 line days. Decreases also occurred for C. diff infections and ventilator-associated events. (Infectious Disease Special Edition article, 11/9/25)