APIC Honors Members With Service Awards
At its 2019 annual conference in Philadelphia this week, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is presenting several awards to distinguished members.
Marc-Oliver Wright, MT(ASCP), MS, CIC, FAPIC, clinical infection control practitioner at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, will receive the 2019 President’s Distinguished Service Award.
The award is given to an individual who has made major contributions to the profession of infection prevention and control (IPC) through service within APIC.
“Marc is widely recognized by his colleagues as a leader and mentor within the field of infection prevention, sharing his expertise in surveillance technology and infection prevention to further APIC’s goals and improve patient safety at every level,” said 2019 APIC President Karen Hoffmann, RN, MS, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC. “He continues to provide distinguished service to APIC and the profession, and we are proud to honor him with this award.”
An active member of APIC since 2001, Wright has served at the local level including as president of the Chicago chapter. A technology expert, he served on APIC’s Surveillance Technology Task Force, APIC’s Research Committee and later served on the APIC Board of Directors as a member and as treasurer. In 2018, Wright was a member of the APIC Consensus Conference Steering Committee, leading a discussion on building the business case for an enhanced IP role.
Wright currently serves as the Section Editor of Surveillance Methods and Technology for APIC’s peer-reviewed journal, the American Journal of Infection Control, and develops, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network, an interactive case study series to help IPs improve HAI surveillance. Wright has also contributed significantly to APIC’s collaboration with key partners, most recently participating with the CDC on the Quick Observation Tools development team to assist healthcare facilities in identifying infection prevention deficiencies and take corrective action in real time.
Brian Harte, MD, MHM, president of Cleveland Clinic Akron General, is the recipient of the 2019 Healthcare Administrator Award. The award recognizes the pivotal role that healthcare leaders play in establishing an organizational culture that enables and supports infection prevention and control.
“Dr. Harte has made healthcare-associated infection prevention a major focus of the organization and offers his full support to improvement efforts,” said Hoffmann. “We are proud to recognize his engaged leadership in promoting the importance of infection prevention.”
Under Harte’s leadership, Cleveland Clinic Akron General has adopted purposeful, targeted infection prevention strategies that have reduced infection rates. In 2018, CLABSI decreased by 32%, and hospital-acquired C. diff decreased by 35% over the prior year. Harte has also been integral in improving hand hygiene compliance, using his voice as hospital president to increase awareness of its importance.
Harte is active in providing direct feedback to staff, promoting a culture of transparency and communication. His photo is placed on “I’ve got your back” posters located throughout the organization to encourage caregivers to speak up when they see something that might harm patients and to encourage others to appropriately receive such feedback. He also rounds with infection preventionists and attends meetings with environmental services personnel to reinforce the importance of their jobs in patient safety, challenging leaders and staff alike to explore additional ways to improve and continuously provide patient-centered and quality care.
Mary Lou Manning, PhD, CRNP, CIC, FAPIC, FSHEA, FAAN, professor at the Thomas Jefferson University and former APIC president, will receive the Carol DeMille Achievement Award for her visionary leadership and significant contributions to the field of infection prevention and control (IPC).
The award is given annually to an infection preventionist who best exemplifies the ideals of Carole DeMille, a pioneer in the field.
“We are honored to recognize Mary Lou with this award for her innovative leadership and exceptional infection prevention practice,” said Hoffmann. “Mary Lou has not only been a local Philadelphia hero in infection prevention but has also advanced the field on both the national and international levels.”
Over the past three decades, Manning has contributed extensively to clinical practice, research, and education in IPC. An active APIC member since 1991, she served as 2015 APIC president and as president of the Delaware Valley and Philadelphia chapters in Pennsylvania. Manning currently is a Professor at the Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing in Philadelphia. Prior to this role, she held numerous leadership positions at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, launching a number of key initiatives, including the Center for Process Innovation and Center for Quality and Patient Safety.
On the global front, Manning has provided consultation and education in numerous countries including Indonesia, where she was a member of a post-tsunami Indonesia Disaster Recovery Program team in 2007. During the 2014 Ebola crisis, she served as a faculty member of the CDC Safety Training for Healthcare Workers going to West Africa.
Sarah Krein, PhD, RN, research career scientist at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research, and professor at the University of Michigan, will receive the 2019 Distinguished Scientist Award.
The award recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to the science of infection prevention and control. Recipients are selected by the APIC Research Committee.
“We are honored to present Dr. Krein with this award,” Hoffmann said. “Her research to better understand and improve patient safety through the prevention of infection has had a dramatic impact on patients’ lives and informs the practice and the field of infection prevention on a broad scale.”
Krein is a research career scientist at the VA Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research, as well as a Research Professor of Internal Medicine, and the Rensis Likert Collegiate Research Professor at the University of Michigan. She also has an adjunct appointment in the School of Nursing at the University of Michigan. In addition, she is the co-director of the VA Ann Arbor Clinical Research Mentorship Program and serves as co-director of a VA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry.