Is Your Infection Preventionist Qualified? DOH Issues Reminder to Nursing Homes

(Oct. 21, 2025) On Oct. 16, 2025, the NYS Department of Health (DOH) issued a regulatory reminder to nursing homes through Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) NH 25-15, emphasizing the critical importance of compliance with federal requirements for Infection Preventionists (IPs). This follows a 2024 Office of Inspector General (OIG) report that identified numerous facilities lacking qualified IPs, a direct violation of federal regulation 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 483.80(b).

According to the DAL, facilities must designate one or more qualified individuals to manage their infection prevention and control programs. These individuals must possess primary professional training in nursing, medical technology, microbiology, epidemiology, or a related field, and be qualified through education, training, experience, or certification. Additionally, they must work at least part-time at the facility and have completed specialized training in infection prevention and control beyond their initial professional education.

To support facilities in meeting these requirements, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offer a free online training course tailored for nursing home IPs. This comprehensive course includes 23 modules covering surveillance, outbreak management, standard precautions, and more, and is available in a self-paced format with continuing education credits. Facilities are strongly encouraged to utilize this resource to ensure that their IPs are properly trained and compliant.

Contact: Carrie Mosley, cmosley@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383 ext. 147