The medical schools at Huntington, W.Va.-based Marshall University and West Virginia University in Morgantown are collaborating on a $1 million initiative to establish a statewide infection prevention network, the state's health and human resources department announced March 25.
As part of the effort, academic medical centers and public health schools will create regional centers and support services focused on infection prevention and control.
Free training programs for epidemiologists and other healthcare professionals will also be created.
"We envision this will support and guide practices in organizations, especially long-term care facilities, that are not affiliated with an academic center," said Shipra Gupta, MD, a principal investigator for the project and pediatric infectious disease specialist at WVU's medical school. "In coordination with local health departments and epidemiologists, the network will strengthen and support infrastructure for surveillance of emerging pathogens as well as continue education and training, so we are prepared to tackle infection outbreaks."