The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and The Leapfrog Group, renowned entities in the realm of healthcare safety and quality, categorically state that currently, any potential reduction in the emphasis of infection prevention and control (IPC) and patient safety is grossly ill-timed.
The contemporary healthcare scene, characterized by unnecessary patient harm, rising infectious diseases, an acute shortage of healthcare workforce, and heightened care complexity, necessitates the primacy of patient safety to all health system CEOs and boards. However, alarmingly, there are increasing incidents of cutbacks in IPC resources and staffing, threatening the very bedrock of safe patient care.
Representing employers and healthcare procurers, The Leapfrog Group dictates the safety and quality norms for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) and hospitals, with significant importance placed on infection prevention. The recent analysis of Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grade Data from Spring 2025 underlines a continuous decline in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) since they reached their zenith during the COVID-19 pandemic. To maintain this positive momentum, enforce these standards, and continue the downward trend of HAIs; we must not compromise the strength of our IPC programs, pivotal in improving patient outcomes, preventing HAIs, and reducing healthcare costs.
A clarion call is issued jointly by APIC and The Leapfrog Group, urging health system CEOs, policymakers, and boards to perceive infection prevention as a strategic priority. Rather than viewing it as a mere fodder for regulatory adherence or a cost center, it should be recognized as a primary enabler of quality care and operational resilience. Infection preventionists, who often work unsung in the backdrop of patient safety, are akin to firefighters amidst an ongoing wildfire, and dismantling infection prevention now could have dire consequences. Our plea to healthcare leaders is to bolster their allegiance to prioritizing infection prevention, transcending the goal of merely meeting standards, and actively striving to outshine in the noble pursuit of saving lives.