APIC’s Virtual Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization Conference Promises Learning and Fun

It is not too late to register for Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology’s (APIC’s) Cleaning, Disinfection, Sterilization Conference (CDS). This year, the conference will be held virtually on November 10 and 11, 2022. The interactive conference was previously planned to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, but due to ongoing travel restrictions, public health concerns, and rising air travel costs, the conference is now 100% virtual.

The 2-day format features multiple live sessions, keynote sessions, and workshops on a very organized and easy to navigate virtual platform. There is even a live networking event scheduled for the first day of the conference. All participants have a conference profile that displays virtual badges and information regarding themselves. It is very interesting the digital transformation that has occurred after the pandemic! Participants will also have access to exhibitors and sponsors and product showcases. All eligible participants will earn continuing education credits for participating in the conference; this is very helpful, especially if you require continuing education credits for renewing a health care license. You can earn up to 13.5 CNE credits and 10 IPUs for attending the conference.

The conference includes innovative sessions on IFUs (instructions for use), environmental cleaning, survey readiness, high-level disinfection and sterilization, and more. From an infection preventionist’s (IP’s) point-of-view, I believe this conference would be very beneficial to all IPs, especially those individuals desiring to expand their knowledge regarding the sterile processing department (SPD), environmental services (EVS), and the operating room (OR). These 3 departments are critical to all hospitals, and there are always new concepts and products to learn as these areas continually evolve. This learning opportunity would also be useful and constructive for preparing facilities for upcoming The Joint Commission surveys. Some of the sessions that I plan to attend include, “Fluorescing the Hawthorne effect: Highlighting the importance of the use of fluorescent marking technique in operating room terminal clean audits,” “How Laundries Disinfect Healthcare Textiles,” and “High Level Disinfection Analysts in a Central Sterile Processing World: A ‘Tell’ of a Quality Assurance Program.” These sessions sound very informative and innovational.

The list of exhibitors for this conference includes CBIC (Certification Board of Infection Control), Diversey, UVDI, Rubbermaid, GOJO Purell Healthcare, and more—all are recognized brands in health care settings. Attendees of the Cleaning, Disinfection, Sterilization Conference will have access to resources and contact information for each exhibitor. For something fun, there is also a scavenger hunt in which participants are encouraged to answer questions regarding the CDS Exhibitor Booth to play and win prizes.

If you are unable to attend the CDS Conference live on November 10-11, 2022, the platform and session recordings will remain available to attendees until February 28, 2023. This will also allow participants to return to their favorite sessions and review them once more. Attendees who join the conference live will be able to interact with session speakers and ask questions in real-time during live sessions.

This conference will help IPs to expand their knowledge, gain insight into the latest technologies and recommendations, and network with other professionals in the field. Attending a conference fosters new creative thoughts, enables individuals and teams, and further advances fields, including the field of infection prevention and control. If you are unable to attend this conference, I encourage you to attend one in the future for professional and personal development!

For more information regarding the conference visit: https://cds.apic.org/