Tag: infection prevention control

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.

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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.

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Update on Childhood Vaccines: Getting Ready for the School Year (July 13, 2023, 12pm CST/ 1PM EST)

Vaccines are among the most significant medical advances in the history of the world. Hundreds of millions of lives have been saved or kept whole through vaccination programs. In our global world, though, all vaccine-preventable diseases except smallpox are a mere 18 hours away by plane. Diseases that were common only 30 years ago now are exceedingly rare, but without continued vigilance in the use of the vaccines that led to this success, we risk the reemergence of these pathogens. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the risks of new viruses spilling over to the human population, and as bad as that was, it would have been that much worse if safe and effective vaccines had not been developed in record time. That said, the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine program also illustrated the importance of all of us understanding why we need to be vaccinated – they only work if they are used.

Dr. David Kimberlin
Dr. David Kimberlin

Dr. David Kimberlin is the Sergio Stagno, M.D., Endowed Chair in Infectious Diseases, Professor and Co-Division Director in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UAB, Vice Chair for Clinical and Translational Research with UAB Pediatrics, and Editor of the AAP Red Book Report of Committee on Infectious Disease. His special interests include antiviral therapies, viral diseases, clinical research and trials design.

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.

*CEU Pending

Evaluation

For Some, It’s Far From Over: The Long-Term Symptoms of COVID-19 (May 3, 2023, 12pm CST/ 1PM EST)

Dr. Stella Aslibekyan, PhD

Senior Scientist, Genetic Epidemiology, 23andMe and Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham

On May 11, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services plans to officially end the COVID-19 public health emergency. Yet by some estimates, at least 10% of the acute COVID-19 cases result in symptoms persisting over months or even years — a condition often referred to as ‘long COVID’ that limits daily lives of millions of people worldwide. According to the CDC (www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/long-covid.htm), 16.7% of all adults in Alabama have experienced long COVID, with additional vulnerability conferred by pre-existing conditions. In this program, we will explore the history and epidemiology of ‘long COVID’ and begin to understand its etiology and manifestations.  In this webinar, Dr. Stella Aslibekyan, Senior Scientist, Genetic Epidemiology, 23andMe and Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Kentucky, will summarize the current scientific debate about long COVID, discuss lived experiences of those with long COVID and more.

This webinar 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.

*CEU credits for this program will be provided by the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety There is no fee to receive CEU credit. Additional information about applying for credit will be provided during the program.

Evaluation Link

                                        

Extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa causing infection outbreak.

Infections from a rare extensively drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been identified in 12 states (CA, CO, CT, FL, NJ, NY, NV, TX, UT, WA, WI). Most of the infections were from patients who reported using artificial tears. Patients reported more than 10 brands of artificial tears, but most patients reported using Ezricare Artificial Tears, an over-the-counter product. Patients who were infected have experienced permanent vision loss resulting from a cornea infection, hospitalization, and one death has been reported due to a systematic infection (CDC, 2023). The University of California at San Diego’s Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics have identified a bacteriophage with activity against the outbreak strain. A minimum inhibitory concentration for aztreonam-avibactam has been identified, however, clinical breakpoints have not been established for antimicrobial combination.

Resources

  • For recommendations from the CDC for Healthcare Providers, Clinical Laboratories, and the Public, visit the link here.
  • Clinicians interested in phage as a potential treatment option should contact IPATH at ipath@health.ucsd.edu.
  • Susceptibility testing for this combination to inform clinical decision making is available through
  • CDC – refer to CDC Test Directory.

Cited Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, February 1). Health Alert Network (HAN) – 00485. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00485.asp

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

Candida Auris: What is it? Can we stop it? (March 10, 2023, 12pm CST/ 1PM EST)

Rachael Lee, MD, MSPH

Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases, UAB

The Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance presents Candida auris: What is it? Can we stop it? Candida auris is an emerging, serious, drug-resistant fungal infection that is spreading worldwide. In this webinar, Ms. Mary Duncan (pictured right), Senior Director of Infection Prevention at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Health System, and Dr. Rachael Lee (pictured left), Associate Professor in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases and UAB Health Epidemiologist, will discuss how Candida auris was identified, how it is spread, and why we should be concerned. Dr. Lee and Ms. Duncan will also identify what healthcare facilities can do to identify patients who may be infected/colonized with this fungus and prevent it from spreading within their facility.

This webinar 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.

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 CEUs.

Mary Duncan, MSN, RN, CIC

Senior Director of Infection Prevention, University of Alabama-Birmingham Health System

Evaluation Link

                                         

 

 

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.

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.

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

The Changing Landscape of Antimicrobial Resistance Following the COVID-19 Pandemic (February 8, 2023, 11am CST)

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the largest health threats to healthcare systems and the COVID-19 pandemic has identified weaknesses that have allowed for transmission within hospitals. In this talk, Dr. Rachael Lee, assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and healthcare epidemiologist for the UAB Health System will provide a summary of the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in a pandemic era. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control, 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 1.0 CEUs.

tRAINING eVALUATION

                                         

Using Behavioral Theory to Understand the Red/Blue Divide in COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions (January 23, 2023 1pm CST)

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Political partisanship is an important predictor of COVID-19 vaccination status. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Republicans were less likely to report being vaccinated than Democrats. This webinar will discuss the results from research testing the hypothesis that partisan differences in intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine can be explained by a commonly used theory of behavioral health intentions, Protection Motivation Theory. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Greg Pavela, PhD
Associate Professor @UAB School of Public Health
Tamika Smith, PhD
Assistant Professor @UAB School of Public Health
Victoria McDonald, MPH
Third-year doctoral student in Health Behavior @UAB School of Public Health


Webinar Evaluation