Let 2022 be the year of the Infection Control Coordinator
Infection control (IC) is vital to protect the health and well-being of both patients and staff in any successful dental practice. It should be a priority to appoint at least one infection control coordinator (ICC) responsible for the safe delivery of care.
What is an Infection Control Coordinator?
The CDC states that an ICC must be well-versed in infection prevention protocols and must be willing to update their knowledge continuously, becoming experts on the subject. Additional education and training is required to perform this role’s duties properly, an excellent qualification to add to a resume.
Since 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that every dental office have an ICC. However, almost 20 years later, many Dental Healthcare offices still do not have an appointed ICC. Cough, cough, TWENTY YEARS!
Depending on the size of the office, this could be a person whose entire job is wholly dedicated to infection control or a person who devotes a portion of their time to the duty. The latter is more likely in small dental practices where the ICC would wear a few hats.