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cover story
APIC 2024
Society Presidents Detail Opportunities Within the IP & C Sector
By Kelly M . Pyrek
the presentation at the annual
In conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology ( APIC ) , “ Opportunities for the Future of Infection Prevention & Control : The APIC / SHEA Presidents ’ Perspective ,” APIC president Tania Bubb , PHD , RN , CIC , FAPIC , and SHEA president Thomas Talbot , MD , MPH , FIDSA , FSHEA , provided their perspectives on key issues within the infection prevention and control ( IP & C ) sector .
Talbot explained that moving out of the pandemic , there has been progression away from a singular focus on COVID-19 , with increased awareness of infection prevention and risks of infectious-pathogen transmission .
“ I think there is lemonade to be made from the lemons of the pandemic and that there ’ s an increased awareness of infection prevention by individuals who I don ’ t think had that awareness before 2020 in terms of transmission of pathogens to others , the risks associated with working while sick , etc . and that can be a double-edged sword ,” he said . “ But it ’ s an opportunity for us as IPs to highlight our expertise and demonstrate the impact of our IP & C programs through HAI reduction , clinical operations and regulatory compliance across multiple types of healthcare facilities . I think that we must ensure that our voice is heard , that it ’ s not just reducing those HAIs that are reported but other infectious harms and really impacting the operations of the healthcare facility in a positive way , such as introducing efficiencies and reducing waste , making sure that we ’ re meeting all the standards to make to have healthcare as safe as it can possibly be for everyone in the healthcare facility .”
Bubb alluded to some current threats to IP & C programs . “ We know that pandemic resources for IP & C were reduced and not scaled up to meet the additional burden of taking on the pandemic-related tasks that we know were a lot of extra work ,” she said . “ Public health partners were impacted post-pandemic monetarily and as well as staffing-wise . There have been increased voices against public health . We know the dichotomy of science and non-science practices that help uphold or hinder infection prevention and infection prevention practices . There ’ s an erosion of trust in general , with people questioning
I think there is lemonade to be made from the lemons of the pandemic and that there ’ s an increased awareness of infection prevention by individuals who I don ’ t think had that awareness before 2020 in terms of transmission of pathogens to others , the risks associated with working while sick , etc . and that can be a double-edged sword .” — Thomas Talbot , MD , MPH , FIDSA , FSHEA
12 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • july 2024