AHCA/NCAL’s Infection Preventionist Specialized Training (IPCO) is recommended for individuals responsible for infection prevention and control in all long term care settings and is specifically tailored to train Infection Preventionists (IPs) in nursing facilities.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) mandates that nursing facilities have a designated and specially trained IP who is responsible for implementing a comprehensive infection prevention and control program. AHCA recommends that nursing facilities train at least two clinical staff members to serve as IPs should one IP leave the facility or be unavailable.
CMS Requirements of Participation (ROP) include robust requirements related to skilled nursing facility (SNF) infection prevention and control programs. F880—Infection Control remains the 3rd most frequent CMS citation.
RNs and LPNs/LVNs have the professional training necessary to serve as a SNF IP and must provide evidence of additional specialized training per CMS regulation. These individuals must be employed at least part-time and on-site by SNFs and must actively participate in each SNF’s Quality Assessment and Assurance (QAA) committee.
IPCO is provided for 24.5 ANCC contact hours and 24.5 NAB CEs for administrators. AHCA recognizes that many administrators will not have the clinical credentials needed to serve as a designated IP but recommends that administrators consider taking the course to gain a deeper understanding of infection prevention and control in the overall operation of a nursing facility as this remains a high target area for survey and liability.
The IPCO registration fee is $450 for AHCA/NCAL members and $650 for non-members. Please note that there are no refunds and no registrant transfers. Payment and registration are made online at
ahcancalED. Discounted group purchase rates are available for groups of five or more by contacting
educate@ahca.org.
Members will need to login with their AHCA/NCAL usernames and passwords to
register for IPCO. For assistance obtaining usernames and passwords, members should e-mail
educate@ahca.org with their name and facility contact information.