From the President 

Colleagues,

Welcome to the October College newsletter. 

This will be my last newsletter as President of ACIPC as I will be handing over the mantle to my very capable colleague Associate Professor Phillip Russo at the AGM in November. I have very much enjoyed my time at the helm of the College both personally and professionally and it has been an absolute joy to work with the Board of Directors, College Committees and the Secretariat. I would like to thank Professor Ramon Shaban for his leadership and counsel as Past Present and I am looking forward to working with the incoming President Elect which will mark an exciting new chapter in the history of the College. 

The College has continued to advocate for and make submissions on behalf of the IPC profession – far too many over the past year to detail them all here, but our annual report, being distributed at the AGM and then on the website, will detail them all.

Voting in the 2019 ACIPC Board Director Elections have closed and the outcome will be put to ACIPC voting members at the AGM for ratification. 

The AGM will be on Tuesday 19th of November at 17:10 at the ACIPC Conference, Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre and I hope to see many of you there.

The Conference is just around the corner and presenters are polishing their speeches and the trade are packing their wares for the trip. The program looks fantastic and can be viewed here. The program content is unparalleled and the array of experts, topics and posters ensures that there is something for everyone. 

Registrations for the Conference are still open so if you haven’t registered yet there is still time. The Gala dinner is being sponsored by GAMA and promises to be a fantastic evening with some awards, lots of networking and plenty of time to dance the night away. You can purchase your Gala Dinner tickets when you register for the Conference.  

We have recently welcomed a number of new members who have joined the College via registering for the Conference or for our Foundations course. If you are a new member of the College who is attending the Conference in Perth, please come and say hello to our staff at the ACIPC stand. We can ensure you’re aware of the full benefits of ACIPC membership, upcoming events and find out how the College can best work for you.

International Infection Prevention Week was on October 13-19 and I noticed that along with the College, many of you engaged with IIPW via your social media networks. It is well worth your time to access resources online here. There are many posters that are relevant year-round including a range of Infection Prevention and You posters for you to download and print.

As I sign off from my last President’s Letter, I would like to thank all of you for your engagement with the College. I hope that you feel, as I do, that the College continues to support you in your important work in our field.
Yours in Infection Prevention and Control
Professor Marilyn Cruickshank
ACIPC President

______________________________________________________________

UPCOMING ACIPC EVENTS FOR 2019 

AS/NZ 4187:2014 Pre-Conference Workshop

ACIPC 2019 Conference | Perth, WA | 17-20th November 2019

The College is the peak body for Infection Prevention and Control professionals in the Australasian region. Our vision is the prevention and control of infection in our communities. We commenced in January 2012 bringing together the various State and Territory infection control associations formerly in AICA (The Australian Infection Control Association) to support and encourage collaboration across Australasia.

Tweets by @ACIPC

Do you have an IPC employment opportunity you
would like to promote to our members and partners?

Email officemanager@acipc.org.au and we will post your job on our website. 
IPC jobs can also be included in the monthly ACIPC e-Newsletter.

Complete and return this form to register your interest in working with the College on a committee, or by hosting or presenting at an IPC education event. 

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Contributing to ACIPC

ONLINE LEARNING FOR NURSES AVAILABLE: Nurses have a significant role to play in the elimination of stigma and discrimination experienced by people with blood borne viruses accessing health care. ACCESS the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine’s ‘Removing Barriers: Providing Care for People with BBVs’ online learning module which will provide nurses with a greater understanding of BBVs, the impact of stigma and discrimination, and help identify opportunities to change practice and policy to reduce stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with BBVs.

ENROL at http://removingbarriers.ashm.org.au/how/

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (The Commission) has recently revised the Specification for a Hospital Cumulative Antibiogram, and is available at here. The specification supports health service organisations in meeting the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standard requiring surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This specification provides a guide for health service organisations to develop local cumulative antibiograms, to aid antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs in the development of local antimicrobial prescribing guidelines and formulary management.