Project Firstline

What is Project Firstline?

Project Firstline is a nation-wide project supported by CDC and the Washington State Department of Health to provide frontline healthcare workers with infection prevention and control education.

Our goals are to reduce infections by:

• Ensuring Infection Control becomes part of our Healthcare Culture to prevent infectious diseases.
• Supporting Washington healthcare workers to be confident Infection Control practitioners.

Infection control prevents or stops the spread of infections in healthcare settings.

Training and Education

We offer several training and education opportunities for frontline healthcare workers and healthcare facilities to improve and further infection prevention and control in Washington. Some of these resources provide free continuing education credits and are in multiple languages. 

Needs Assessment Report

The Washington State Project Firstline Infection Control Needs Assessment Report is based on findings from a survey conducted by DOH in collaboration with CDC and the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP). The goal of the survey was to better understand the learning needs of Washington's health care workers, specifically in infection control topics, and their preferred training delivery methods. The survey was sent out to health care workers across the state of Washington.

• WA State Project Firstline Infection Control Needs Assessment Report (PDF)

Training Program Outreach Report

• The Washington State Project Firstline: Healthcare Training Program Outreach Summary describes how the DOH collaborated with Healthcare Provider Training Programs across the state to fill Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training gaps using WA State Project Firstline resources. The Report also outlines the results of an environmental scan of IPC topics covered in training program’s curriculum. The Environmental Scan was conducted in person with training program instructors.
  • WA State Project Firstline: Healthcare Training Program Outreach Summary (PDF)

Partners

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  CDC is the leading partner in Project Firstline, and they are providing the training content. To learn more about CDC and their partners, go to Project Firstline website or follow their Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts.

• National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH): In an effort to increase culturally relevant material, NCUIH’s Project Firstline Team has created infection prevention and control education and training materials tailored for Urban Indian Organizations. For infection prevention and control materials and more information please go to Infection Prevention Control - NCUIH

• Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP) - University of Washington's NWCPHP is assisting the Washington State Project Firstline team with the online Project Firstline Washington: Infection Control Training series

  News Articles:
  Adapting Training for Frontline Health Workers in Washington Project Firstline Expands Trainings to Address Ongoing Challenges in Infection Control | Northwest Center for Public Health Practice

• Oregon Nursing Association (ONA): The Oregon Nursing Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation, is providing continuing nursing education (CNEs) for the Project Firstline Washington: Infection Control Training as a nursing continuing professional development activity.

Resources

All-In-One Infection Prevention Resource (PDF)
An all-in-one resource document containing infection prevention resources from several infection prevention subject areas.

Ask a Mentor
Part of Project Firstline and the Infection Prevention (IP) Champions Program is to provide infection prevention assistance. Our staff are here to help you with questions and training. Submit a request

Certification
a-IPC and CIC Certification: Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC)

Connect and get involved

• Request a Facility Code and get involved in our Frontline Infection Prevention (IP) Champions opportunity.
• Subscribe to Washington Project Firstline for up-to-date Project Firstline opportunities and for our Washington Project Firstline and APIC Quarterly Newsletter with a hot topic and updates from our three Washington APIC Chapters.

Project Firstline Gov Delivery

Join APIC! - Get involved with infection prevention (IP) discussions and connect with the IP community. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is the leading professional association for infection preventionists (IPs).

• Learn more at About APIC - APIC
• Find your local Washington Chapter: Chapter Map - APIC

Questions?

For all Project Firstline questions, email ProjectFirstline@doh.wa.gov.