Hand hygiene is one of the simplest and most effective safeguards against infection, says Chelsey Barnes, RN, CAIP, infection prevention coordinator at BoozmanHof Eye Surgery and Laser Center in Rogers, Arkansas. Compared to other healthcare facilities, ASCs have to work doubly hard to implement handwashing protocols given their setup. For example, high patient volumes keep staff constantly moving, and curtain-divided bays instead of walled rooms limit placement of alcohol-based hand rubs or signage reminding staff to perform hand hygiene. Multiple entry and exit points within patient bays also can make consistent reminders harder to maintain, Barnes notes.