Invisible Risks Associated with Contaminated Air in Health Care Settings

Description:

This webinar delves into the critical role of air quality in infection transmission within health care facilities, focusing on strategies to minimize airborne risks. We will begin by examining the risks associated with contaminated air in spreading infections and explore evidence-based recommendations for disinfecting complex health care environments, with a special focus on high-risk patient care areas. Finally, participants will learn how to objectively assess and implement novel disinfection technologies, aiming to mitigate enterprise risk and enhance both clinical and operational outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the risks associated with contaminated air in the transmission of infection
• Review the current evidence-based clinical recommendations for disinfection of the complex health care environment, including high-risk patient care environments 
• Discuss how to objectively evaluate novel disinfection technologies to mitigate enterprise risk and improve clinical and operational outcomes 

Speaker

J. Hudson Garrett Jr., Ph.D., MSN, MPH, MBA, FNP-BC, IP-BC, PLNC, CFER, AS-BC, VA-BC, BC-MSLcert™, CMRP, HACP, HACP-IC, HACP-PE, LTC-CIP, CIC, NCEE, NRAEMT, MSL-BC, DICO-C, TR-C, CPPS, CCHR-S, CPHQ, CVAHP, CPXP, CDIPC, CPHRM, CHIPP-B, FACDONA, FAAPM, eFACHDM, FAPIC, FAOM, FRSPH, FNAP, FAHVAP, FACHE, FSHEA, FIDSA

Dr. Hudson Garrett is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Infection Prevention and Infection Control from the University of South Florida. He has completed the Johns Hopkins Fellows Program in Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control. He is a Fellow, the American Academy of Project Management, and a Senior Fellow and Ambassador of the Management and Strategy Institute. In 2019, he was inducted as a Distinguished Fellow and Practitioner in the National Academies of Practices. Dr. Garrett was recently selected in 2020 as 1 of 20 healthcare leaders globally to participate in the 2021 13-month Global Patient Safety Fellowship with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and is a graduate of the IHI Patient Safety Executive Development Program. Dr. Garrett has been awarded the Fellowship Designation by both the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He holds graduate certificates in healthcare leadership from both Cornell and the University of Notre Dame. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Royal Society of Public Health, the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and the American College of the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals. He serves as the lead faculty member for the Medical Device Safety, Infection Control Specialist, and Advanced Medical Device Safety and Risk Management Certificate Programs for the AHVAP Certification Center. He is a frequent international lecturer in the areas of infectious diseases, healthcare-associated infections, outbreak response and prevention, medical device-related infections and outbreaks, endoscopes, and infection prevention and control. He holds Board Certifications in Patient Safety, Healthcare Quality, Healthcare Risk Management, Legal Nurse Consulting, Medical and Clinical Affairs, Patient Experience, Vascular Access, Antibiotic Stewardship, Infection Control, Long-Term Care Infection Control, Dental Infection Control, Designated Infection Control Officer, Flexible Endoscope Reprocessing, Critical Care Fundamentals, Healthcare Value Analysis, and in Healthcare Management. 

He has served on international and national organizational boards in the areas of environmental services, dental infection control, infection control, acute care infection control, post-acute care infection control, and vascular access. He has served on expert panels related to disinfection and sterilization with the United States Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency, most notably serving on the FDA’s Panel and Working Group for Flexible Endoscope Reprocessing. Dr. Garrett led and completed the first FDA 522 Study on Duodenoscopes evaluating human factors elements of instructions for use and microbiological contamination of flexible duodenoscopes. He presented these results to the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other clinical partner organizations globally. He is a member of the Network of Experts for the US Food and Drug Administration. He currently is the Chairperson for the new Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses Infection Prevention National Task Force. Dr. Garrett has lectured around the world and provided testimony to government and regulatory agencies on a variety of topics related to infectious diseases.