The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) announced the recipients of the Heroes of Infection Prevention Award, which honors infection preventionists who have successfully helped to reduce infection, raise awareness and improve the health and well-being of patients, healthcare workers and the public.
Recipients will be recognized during APIC’s Virtual Annual Conference, June 28 to 30. The following individuals and teams are being recognized:
· Khaled Alnafee, MHA, FAPIC, PMP, CPHIMS, CPHQ; King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Category: IPC Informatics
· Lisa Sturm, MPH, CIC, FAPIC; Ascension, St. Louis, MO; Category: Leadership
· Leslie Lloyd, MBA, BSN, RN, CIC & Jeremy Gibson-Roark, RN, BSN, MBA, CIC, CNOR, CSSM; Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Lancaster, South Carolina; Category: Quality Improvement
· Tampa General Hospital ; Infection Prevention Team, Tampa, Florida; Category: IPC Operations
APIC established the Heroes of Infection Prevention Award in 2006 to recognize infection preventionists who have developed and implemented innovative infection prevention programs. More than 100 individuals and groups have been recognized to date for their exceptional work in reducing healthcare-associated infections.
In addition, Benjamin Galvan, MLS (ASCP)CM, CIC, an infection preventionist at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida, is the recipient of the inaugural Emerging Leader in Infection Prevention Award. The award recognizes new infection preventionists (IPs) who have demonstrated a commitment to the field and their professional growth. IPs are health professionals who prevent infections from spreading in healthcare facilities. During the coronavirus pandemic, IPs played a pivotal role in protecting patients and healthcare workers.
Galvan began his career in infection prevention in 2018 at Advocate Aurora Health’s Illinois Masonic Medical Center (AIMMC) in Chicago, Illinois and has been at Tampa General since 2021. The work done to achieve the award was completed at AIMMC.
Over the course of his career, he has managed performance improvement projects that have reduced the risk of patient harm and resulted in impressive outcomes such as a significant reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections, a reinvigorated hand hygiene compliance program, and a culture shift toward shared accountability with hospital cleanliness. Having entered the infection prevention field with a lab background, Galvan is passionate about advocating for medical technologists as equally suited candidates for new IP positions and is determined to further his knowledge and ability to drive collaborative process change while improving patient outcomes.
