You can’t see them with the naked eye, but germs are everywhere. Some are helpful, like the Lactobacillus acidophilus, which lives in the intestines and helps digest food.

The IU Health South Central Region Infection Prevention team—William Snyderman, Teresa Mathis, Robin Koch, Caroline Tann and Felicia Stipp—work with teams from Martinsville to Paoli to protect patients from harmful germs that can lead to infection and even death.

“Healthcare facilities serve all community members, and they can serve as a location where pathogens are spread,” says Snyderman, the team’s regional manager.

He explains that those pathogens, also known as germs, can take root in schools, places of worship, stores and more. So, being safe in healthcare facilities can protect the community as well.

“Health and safety are so key to our lives and those we serve,” says Mathis, infection preventionist at IU Health Bedford Hospital and IU Health Paoli Hospital. “Simple things like hand hygiene are so important and easy to practice.”

Good hand hygiene is one of the principles of infection prevention. Other essential tools are cleaning and disinfecting, vaccinations, injection safety, respiratory etiquette and proper personal protective equipment.

“By practicing infection prevention principles, we protect ourselves, our patients and our team from infectious disease,” says Snyderman. “Infection prevention is everyone’s responsibility.”

“The infection prevention specialists are here to help teams in our facilities understand the standards and process for keeping our patients safe from harm,” says IU Health Morgan infection preventionist Koch. “It takes all of us working together to keep our patients safe.”