Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene is the single most important measure to prevent the development and spread of infections. At Naval Medical Center Portsmouth we have a strong hand hygiene program and monitor hand hygiene compliance. You may see reminders to perform hand hygiene posted throughout our command. You should expect staff to follow our “WIWO” mission which means we want staff to “wash in” (before going into a patient’s room or interacting with a patient) and “wash out” (after leaving a patient’s room or interacting with a patient). If you don’t observe staff performing hand hygiene before and after patient care, we encourage you to remind them to do so. Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of NMCP’s Infection Prevention & Control Program for patient, family, visitor, and staff well being and safety.