(1) Health care facilities, as part of their infection control program, shall perform a local risk assessment for methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the facility. In those facilities where current interventions have not resulted in reduction in MRSA infections, implementation of a comprehensive program to reduce such infections should occur.
(2) A health care facility's comprehensive infection control program may include, but is not limited to: Implementation of a hand hygiene education and monitoring program;
(3) The use of contact precautions for patients colonized or infected with MRSA;
(4) The effective cleaning of patient care equipment and the patients' environment;
(5) Consideration of use of active surveillance testing for high risk groups identified through a facility's local risk assessment to identify persons colonized with MRSA;
(6) Feedback of surveillance data to key stakeholders, including senior facility leadership, physicians, nursing staff and other clinicians;
(7) Education of healthcare personnel about epidemiologically significant organisms; and
(8) Education of patients and families about prevention of healthcare-associated infections.
(9) Hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities should communicate MRSA status of patients transferred or admitted to other facilities; however, facilities should not delay the admission or transfer of patients colonized with MRSA.