Towson University Students Participate in Escape Room TrainingMD Project Firstline is delighted to share that we trained more than 50 Junior first-year nursing students at Towson
University’s College of Health Professions at the end of January. The students were highly engaged as
they learned essential infection prevention and control practices. We look
forward to partnering with other colleges and universities committed to
strengthening infection prevention education. February Escape Room Participants
MD Project Firstline enjoyed a visit to Autumn Lake Healthcare at Spa Creek in Annapolis in February. It was heartwarming to see how excited their staff were to participate in this interactive training exercise. We then traveled to Mansfield Kaseman in Rockville, to meet a wonderful group of professionals who displayed outstanding teamwork, which is one of the many reasons they are so successful in servicing the adult Hispanic community in their region.
We are thankful for the opportunity to support so many students and staff and welcome the chance to provide our Project Firstline Escape Room training for you and your team. Request your MD Project Firstline Training today! From left: Judy
Lichty-Hess and Lynne Layug, both of Health Quality Innovators, pause for a photo with
Miriam Anderson, CCHW, at the Howard County Health Department. MD Project Firstline Visits the Howard County Health DepartmentThe
Howard County Local Health Improvement Coalition (HCLHIC) hosted its second
Photovoice Exhibition at the Howard County Health Department on January 22, showcasing “the lived experiences, challenges and insights of community
health workers through powerful visual storytelling.” Judy
Lichty-Hess and Lynne Layug, both consultants with Health Quality Innovators,
attended the event and provided community health workers (CHWs) with
information about MD Project Firstline. The
evening included remarks from Dr. Maura Rossman, Health Officer at Howard
County Health Department. Dr. Rossman described how the concept for this
project came from the CHWs, who are the department’s
“boots on the ground” exploring and documenting the gaps and assets in the
communities they serve. The MD
Project Firstline team looks forward to learning more about the HCLHIC and the
valuable work being carried out by the community health workers in Howard
County. Clinician Letter from the Maryland Department of Health Infection Prevention and Control TeamThe Maryland Department of Health (MDH) has noted a recent
increase in mumps cases. Specifically, there have been 14 cases reported in
Maryland (10 confirmed and 4 probable) in 2026, compared to 4 cases (1
confirmed and 3 probable) in all of 2025. These recent cases have primarily
been occurring in adults in the Baltimore metropolitan area, although mumps
cases can occur in any age group and throughout the state.
MDH encourages awareness of this increase so you can take
appropriate steps to identify suspected cases in a timely manner, ensure
appropriate testing and public health reporting is completed, and continue to
offer vaccination for patients as per current clinical recommendations.
Please share the MDH
Clinician Letter with your clinical teams.
Email MDH at mdh.ipc@maryland.gov if you have any questions and immediately report suspect cases to your local health department.Remember that mumps PCR testing
at the state laboratory requires prior approval.
March 4 from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. ET
Infection Prevention Quick Tips: How to Properly Put On and Take Off Personal Protective Equipment
MD Project Firstline will review the correct sequence for
putting on (donning) and taking off (doffing), Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
guidelines.
March 19 from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. ET
Infection Control Challenge: Diarrhea Dilemma
Join MD Project Firstline for an interactive session focused
on effective ways to prevent the spread of infections when challenges arise.
Get ready for the March MD Project Firstline webinars by downloading the resources below.
Infection Prevention Quick Tips March 4 Download
the CDC job aid, above, to prepare for our review of the correct sequence for putting on and taking off personal protective equipment.
Infection Control: Diarrhea Dilemma March 19
Download the Germs Live in the "The Gut" job aid, above, to prepare for our upcoming webinar when we will discuss how to prevent the spread of infections when challenges arise. The CDC released
a new Project Firstline infographic to help educate healthcare workers about Candida
auris (C. auris) in healthcare settings, including how it spreads,
where it can live in the environment, and infection control actions that
can help stop transmission.
Preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant
organisms like C. auris is a critical part of protecting patients and
supporting antimicrobial resistant prevention efforts. Healthcare staff can use
this infographic for quick, just-in-time training, team huddles, or as a visual
reminder posted in staff areas across healthcare settings. |
