An Act to improve infection control within long-term care facilities

This bill requires long-term care facilities in Massachusetts to establish and maintain a formal infection prevention and control program to reduce the spread of communicable diseases among residents, staff, and visitors. The legislation mandates that these programs include specific protocols for surveillance, isolation, hand hygiene, and antibiotic use, while also requiring facilities to designate a full-time, specially trained infection preventionist. Additionally, the bill ensures that all employees and volunteers receive regular training on these safety procedures, with the Department of Public Health tasked with creating detailed regulations within 180 days of the bill's passage.