UVA Health Granted $1.2M to Prevent Infection in Long-Term Care Facilities

The health system’s goal is to create a ‘one-stop shop’ for facilities to access resources to protect their patients and workforce.

UVA Health is increasing its COVID-19 infection prevention efforts through the help of state and federal grants, and has received $1.2 million to reduce infections in long-term care (LTC) facilities in Virginia.

With assistance from the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center, UVA providers will develop a website—the Virginia Infection Control Center of Excellence—for infection control and prevention best practices where long-term care facilities can access resources.  

"Our goal is to establish a trusted one-stop shop for long-term care facilities to help them protect their patients and staff," Laurie R. Archbald-Pannone, MD, UVA Health geriatrician, said in a statement.

Nursing homes were heavily impacted during the pandemic, resulting in many resident deaths and ongoing health challenges in others. Because of that, UVA Health created a program where long-term care facilities can consult with UVA system experts on infection control, called the Geriatric Engagement and Resource Integration for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Facilities (GERI-PaL) program.

The GERI-PaL program  provided COVID-19 guidance via telehealth, as well as regular discussions with nurse liaisons to ensure facilities had what they needed.

According to a UVA press release, a study of "the first two facilities with COVID-10 outbreaks assisted by GERI-PaL showed lower mortality rates—12% and 19%—compared with a 28% mortality rate reported at a long-term care facility in Washington state."

"One of the major takeaways from our GERI-PaL work was that providing educational resources in response to community needs can have a significant effect on enhancing care for some of our most vulnerable patients," Archbald-Pannone said. "We hope to build on that experience to provide a broader array of best practices to assist our colleagues in long-term care facilities across Virginia."