AHA partners with CDC to release COVID-19 training for health care workers

In partnership with the AHA’s Center for Health Innovation and other national health care organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today launched Project Firstline, a national training collaborative to help every health care worker understand and adhere to recommended infection control practices to respond to COVID-19 and protect their health.

“Healthcare workers play a crucial role in our nation’s response to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases,” said CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Disease Jay Butler, M.D. “It is critical that every healthcare worker in the United States has the training, information, and resources they need to protect themselves, their patients, colleagues, families, and communities from infections, and Project Firstline is designed to meet that need. Whether a healthcare worker’s role is in environmental services or in the operating room, infection control is a team effort, and Project Firstline was developed for them.”

AHA will complement the training videos released through this initiative with a series of thought leadership editorials, webinars, case studies and more.

“The more we can educate health care workers on not just what to do, but why, the more likely they will do the right thing every time,” said Marie Cleary-Fishman, vice president of clinical quality for the AHA Center for Health Innovation. “When we help staff understand the 'why' behind a process, we see better compliance with policies and procedures.”

In addition to AHA, partners in the CDC initiative include the American Nurses Association, National Association of County and City Health Officials, American Academy of Pediatrics and others.