Leading Change from IPAC Gap to Sustained Improvement

Turn a meaningful IPAC gap into a structured improvement project. Learn to plan the work, engage the right people, test changes, and build ownership that continues after launch.

Included in the IPAC Lead Leadership Program for Long-Term Care.

Course Description

An improvement campaign can produce early progress and still lose momentum when attention shifts elsewhere. Lasting change requires a clear aim, realistic planning, stakeholder support, and a deliberate approach to sustainment.

This course develops the project leadership skills needed to move from identifying an IPAC gap to implementing and maintaining improvement. You will explore project selection, charters, measures, timelines, sponsors, and stakeholder engagement. Practical scenarios address pilot testing, competing priorities, delays, scaling successful changes, and embedding new practices into everyday work without creating unnecessary change fatigue.


Prerequisites / required prior knowledge

Current and emerging IPAC Leads and designated backups with program responsibilities in long-term care.

Recommended prior knowledge: No formal prerequisite is required. Familiarity with long-term care operations, Routine Practices, Additional Precautions, surveillance, outbreaks, audits, and program documentation is recommended. This course develops leadership skills and does not replace foundational IPAC education.


Delivery

Online
Self‑paced(Asynchronous)

Credit

2 IPU
2.0 continuing education hour (Self‑Instruction)

Certificate

Individual certificate of completion

Access

On demand for one year from program enrolment
Meet the instructor

Kamyab Ghatan

MD, AL-CIP™, CIC®, LTC-CIP®, DISIPC, CDICP
Dr. Kamyab Ghatan is a medical doctor and infection prevention leader who develops practical, standards-based training for diverse environments, including acute and long-term care, ambulatory and dental clinics, veterinary practices, and construction/renovation settings. His work spans infection prevention, surveillance, water management, sterile processing, and implementation science, with a focus on translating standards into workflows teams can actually use. Dr. Ghatan is the founder of the International College of Infection Control Professionals (ICICP).

Learning objectives:

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Evaluate improvement opportunities to decide when a structured IPAC project is appropriate.

  • Develop a project charter with a clear aim, scope, measures, timeline, and roles.

  • Analyze stakeholder influence and engagement needs to build support for implementation.

  • Design implementation and sustainment plans that anticipate barriers and limit change fatigue.

  • Apply change management strategies from project planning through long-term sustainability.

Completion requirements:

To earn your individual course certificate:
  • View all required course content.
  • Pass the course posttest with a score of 80% or higher.
  • Complete the course evaluation.
After meeting these requirements, download your certificate of completion for Visible IPAC Leadership and the First 90 Days. Your certificate will identify this course and its 2 IPUs and 2 continuing education hours.
Provider: International College of Infection Control Professionals (ICICP)
Learner Support: support@icicp.com

Course curriculum

1. Choosing the Right Improvement Project

Distinguish routine operational problems from project opportunities, identify measurable gaps, and write a SMART improvement aim.

 

2. Planning for Success

Develop a charter, define scope, select measures, clarify roles, and set a realistic timeline.

 

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Building Support

Map stakeholders, identify sponsors and champions, plan communication, and address competing priorities.

 

4. Implementing Change

Use milestones, quick wins, and pilot testing to monitor progress, respond to barriers, and expand successful changes.

 

5. Sustaining Improvement

Embed ownership, monitoring, education, and review into routine practice so gains continue after implementation.

  Apply the learning

Explore a project charter, SMART aims, stakeholder mapping, communication planning, pilot milestones, and sustainment planning. Case scenarios help you connect project design with implementation and ongoing ownership.

Frequently asked questions

How do I access this course?

Access is included through enrolment in the IPAC Lead Leadership Program for Long-Term Care. Sign in to your learner account to open the course.

Do I need to finish the whole program before receiving this certificate?

No. You receive this course’s certificate after meeting its own completion requirements. Full-program completion has separate requirements.

Can I complete the courses in any order?

Yes. Each course can be completed independently. Courses 1 through 8 provide a recommended sequence that builds from visible leadership to annual planning.

How long will I have access?

Course access follows your program access period of one year from program enrolment.

Refund & cancellation policy: Non-Vocational Refund & Cancellation Policy

Disclosures and content independence

The instructor and planners report no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies related to this educational activity. This activity received no commercial support. Educational content is non-promotional and independent of commercial influence; any trade names are used for identification only.