COVID-19 – Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention & Control, Training and Technical Assistance (ARCIPC)

Rising Infectious Diseases: Understanding the Post-COVID Surge (February 25, 2025 at 12:00pm CT)

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reshaped the global health landscape, leading to a surge in new and re-emerging infectious diseases. This webinar will delve into the complex world of infectious diseases that have emerged or re-emerged in the wake of the pandemic. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the underlying factors driving the spread and evolution of these diseases, including environmental changes, social behaviors, and global interconnectedness.

Learning objectives:

Identify and analyze the factors contributing to the rise and spread of new and re-emerging infectious diseases post-COVID-19.
Understand the impact of environmental changes, social behaviors, and global interconnectedness on the evolution and transmission of infectious diseases.
Explore strategies and best practices for mitigating the impact of these diseases on public health and preparing for future infectious disease outbreaks.

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and cosponsored by the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health part of the Region IV Public Health Training Center, the Deep South Center for Occupational Health, and Safety, and the Alabama Statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC).

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 7/10/2025) and has awarded this program 1.2 ABN CEUs. All other professionals awarded .1 CEUs..

Molly Fleece, M.D

Dr. Molly Fleece is an Associate Professor in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases and an Associate Healthcare Epidemiologist for the UAB Health System. Dr. Fleece completed her medical degree at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. She then completed her Internal Medicine Residency & Infectious Diseases Fellowship training at the University of Virginia. She is a clinician educator with interests in general infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, hospital-acquired infections, and infection
prevention.

COVID Vaccine for the 2024 – 2025 Season (October 1, 2024 at 12:00pm CT)

In this webinar, Dr. Suzanne Judd, Director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Health Behavior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, will cover the new COVID vaccine for 2024. We will discuss the mechanism of action for this vaccine, current recommendations for who should receive the vaccine, and the role of vaccination in protecting those who may be more susceptible to severe infection. This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control.

Learning objectives:

Describe the purpose of vaccines
Compare the current COVID vaccine to previous vaccines
Describe different vaccine schedules by age and comorbid conditions

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and cosponsored by the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health part of the Region IV Public Health Training Center, and the Alabama Statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC).

Dr. Suzanne Judd, Ph.D

Dr. Suzanne Judd is an investigator with the ARC IPC. She is also the Director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and a Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Health Behavior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. She received her PhD in Nutrition Sciences from Emory University where she led two vitamin D clinical trials. Dr. Judd is multiple principal investigator on both the REGARDS and RURAL cohort studies which are large NIH funded epidemiological cohort studies seeking to understand disparities in chronic disease in the United States. Her experience in the U.S. provided a platform to collaborate with European cohort studies in France through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Her unique combination of training in engineering, epidemiology and nutrition as well as industrial experience have provided a solid foundation to guide her research, mentorship, collaboration and public health communication.

Evaluation

Assessing Adherence to Infection Control Procedures with Fluorescent Markers (December 14, 2023, 12pm CT)

This 50-minute session can serve as an educational tool to improve Infection Control strategies that help to prevent and reduce the spread of environmental healthcare associated infections. This session includes strategies to assist in assessing effective hand hygiene, environmental hygiene, and PPE use when used with standard and transmission-based precautions, including potential exposures to blood and body fluids. This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control, UAB Long-Term Care Strike Team and cosponsored by the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

Recognize risk factors for healthcare associated infections.
Identify the role of assessing training, audits, and competency in preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections.
Describe strategies for assessing the adherence to infection control procedures during hand hygiene, PPE use, and environmental hygiene during training and auditing.
Discuss the Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement process when providing feedback.

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.0 ABN CEs.

Environmental headshot of Richard Wade Menefee III (Infection Preventionist, Environmental Health Sciences), July 2022.

R. Wade Menefee, III, MSN, RN, LNHA Master of Science in Nursing Walden University, August 2023

R. Wade Menefee, III, MSN, RN, LNHA received his MSN from Walden University in 2023. He has been a licensed nursing home administrator since 2017. He has a concentration in Infection Prevention in Long-Term Care settings. His previous background includes Staff Development Coordinator, Clinical IT Nursing, Human Resources, Nursing Leadership, Regulatory Compliance, and Nursing Home Administration. He has been married for 13 years and has 2 small children.

Environmental headshot of Shoshannah Anderson (Infection Preventionist, Environmental Health Sciences), July 2022.

Shoshannah J. Anderson BSN, RN, CIC
Bachelor of Science in Nursing University of Alabama in Huntsville, May 2004

Shoshannah J. Anderson, BSN, RN, CIC received her BSN from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2004. She received her Certification in Infection Prevention and Control through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology in 2018. She has a concentration in Infection Prevention in Long-Term Care settings. Her previous background includes Perioperative/Endoscopy Practices, Surgical Inpatient Nursing, High Level Disinfection & Sterilization, and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Prior to becoming an Infection Preventionist, she had an extensive background in the Operating Room for 10 years and has worked as a Circulating nurse and in Operating Room Leadership in which she has gleaned a wealth of knowledge and hands on experience. She is committed to sharing the “why” behind the practices of infection prevention. The mantra she embraces is, “People will be more inclined to do the right thing, if they know and understand its importance.” She has been married for 20 years and is the mother of 2 wonderful young men.

Evaluation

Pandemics, Infodemics and Information Overload: How consistent, clear communication can help in future outbreaks (November 7, 2023, 12pm CT)

In this webinar, Dr. Wallace, Epidemiologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, will discuss about infodemics and how they occur, talk through misinformation vs correct information and how they both can contribute to infodemics, and will review the problem of infodemics, and how we can reduce information overload and confusion by prioritizing consistent and clear scientific communication to mitigate public confusion and information fatigue. This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and cosponsored by the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Dr. Katrine Wallace, Ph.D.

Dr. Wallace holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and has 15+ years of professional research experience in epidemiology, research design, pharmacoepidemiology, health economics, outcomes research, and biostatistics. She is currently an epidemiologist and adjunct assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health. She is also known as “Dr Kat” on her popular social media channels where she educates on epidemiology, vaccines, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been an invited speaker in the US and internationally, and has presented research at over 20 scientific congresses. A vaccine advocate, she serves as a member of “Team Halo” (United Nations Verified Initiative), Project FIDES (World Health Organization) and was chosen as a “vaccine luminary” for the 2021 G7 Vaccine Confidence Summit. Dr. Wallace has also been featured as an opinion contributor for The Hill, and has been interviewed or profiled in several mainstream media outlets such as; BBC World News, The Washington Post, Good Morning America, Bloomberg, CBS News, and National Public Radio.

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance and cosponsored by the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Evalulation LINK

COVID, RSV, and Flu, Oh My! Preparing for the Upcoming Respiratory Virus Season(October 25, 2023, 2PMCT/3PMET)

It’s that time of the year again – respiratory virus season! In this webinar presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and the UAB Nursing Home and Long-Term Care Strike Team, Dr. Molly Fleece, Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UAB, will review current data and projections on COVID, RSV, and influenza circulation for this upcoming fall and winter, discuss recommendations to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses, including PPE and vaccinations, and describe management strategies for containing outbreaks of respiratory viruses within nursing homes, long-term care, and healthcare facilities. This webinar is also cosponsored by the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety and the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Dr. Molly Fleece, MD

Dr. Molly Fleece is an Assistant Professor in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases and an Associate Healthcare Epidemiologist for the UAB HealthSystem. Dr. Fleece completed her medical degree at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. She then completed her Internal Medicine Residency & Infectious Diseases Fellowship training at the University of Virginia. She is a clinician educator with interests in general infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, hospital-acquired infections and infection prevention.

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance and cosponsored by the Region IV Public Health Training Center and Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

*The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.2 CEUs.

Evaluation LINK

Mpox and the Monkey Pox Virus: Viral Naming and Genetic Influences

Dr. Elliot Lefkowitz joins us for a podcast to talk about Mpox, the Monkey Pox Virus, and how genetic mutations affects not only the effectiveness of viruses but how they are named and how scientists reach these conclusions.

This podcast is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Elliot Lefkowitz, PhD
Professor, Microbiology, UAB, Executive Committee Member, International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses

The Future of COVID-19 Vaccinations

The FDA’s expert panel on vaccines met last week (Thursday, January 26, 2023) to discuss the future use of the bivalent COVID shot, signaling the start of the FDA’s pivot to a longer-term immunization strategy. This is an important first step in a process that could result in millions of Americans receiving an annual Covid booster, similar to the flu vaccine. Any such changes will require more discussion and decisions, but the FDA appears to be shifting from responding to the pandemic’s acute phase to a longer-term norm. Dr. Suzanne Judd, Director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, joined the podcast to discuss these topics and the future of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Suzanne Judd, PhD
Director, Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, Professor, UAB School of Public Health

A Tridemic of Flu, COVID, and RSV this Winter Season (Winter 2022)

With three different respiratory illnesses circulating across communities in the U.S., are things out of the frying pan and into the fire? While COVID is still a concern and we should anticipate COVID to continue to circulate this winter, other respiratory viruses are making headlines. Hospitals throughout the country are dealing with an unprecedented, early spike in both flu and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV. The collision of these three viruses have raised concerns about a potential “tridemic” this winter. Dr. Molly Fleece, assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, joined the podcast to discuss concerns about the upcoming cold, flu, RSV and COVID season..

New COVID Variants and Boosting Your Immunity (Fall 2022)

Although it’s pumpkin spice season, another pandemic winter is about to arrive. Though no completely new variants of the COVID virus have emerged yet, there are several new Omicron sub-variants. The Omicron variant first surfaced in the fall of 2021, and during the past year, various Omicron variants have primarily been responsible for COVID cases. Now there are some new variants, including BA.4.6, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1, as well as XBB. To answer some of our questions about these new variants we have invited Dr. Suzanne Judd, Director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, to join our podcast.

This podcast is presented by the Alabama Reginal Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

The ABC’s of Viral Hepatitis: Update for Public Health Professionals (October 18 @ 12pm CT)

Presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance (ARC IPC), this virtual webinar will provide a snapshot of viral hepatitis epidemiology and an overview of the 2021-2025 US National Strategic Plan/Roadmap for Elimination which is highly relevant to the public health community. We will include a discussion about current surveillance data that reveals trends, challenges and opportunities, prevention through vaccination and approaches to treatment. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance (ARC IPC), Region IV Public Health Training Center, and the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

Describe key approaches to stopping the spread of viral hepatitis, eliminate it as a public health threat, and save lives
Discuss key strategies to increase vaccination and improve care and treatment of viral hepatitis
Describe the social determinants of health that contribute to the viral hepatitis epidemic and unequal burden of viral hepatitis in the United States

Speaker: Barbara DeBaun, MSN, RN, CIC, Improvement Advisor at Cynosure Health

EVALUATION

This webinar is co-sponsored by Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance, Region IV Public Health Training Center, and Deep South Center for OH&S .