Building Infection Prevention Skill Sets: The "Secret Sauce" For Becoming a Successful Infection Preventionist

This session will explain the skills that all infection preventionist must develop, as well as explore the teaching and learning styles that help them create meaningful in-service programs.

Speakers: Linda Greene and Ann Marie Pettis

Linda R. Greene, RN, MPS, CIC, is the director of infection prevention for Rochester General Health System in Rochester, N.Y., and has 20 years of experience in infection prevention and quality improvement. Linda served as 2008 co-chairperson of National APIC'S Nominating and Awards committee. She is also a member of APIC’S Public Policy Committee and was lead author for APIC’S 2008 position paper on influenza immunization of healthcare workers and the 2009 position paper on surveillance technologies. She sits on several advisory panels including the New York State technical advisory panel for public reporting of hospital-acquired infections and the Hospital Association of New York state's technical advisory panel for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Linda was an author for APIC’S Guide to Elimination of Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections and is lead author for APIC’S Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Elimination Guidelines. She has been a frequent spokesperson for APIC in media inquiries and has presented extensively at local, regional and national level. She received her master’s degree in administration from Alfred University, and her bachelor’s degree from State University of New York.

Ann Marie Pettis, RN, BSN, has been an Infection Preventionist for almost 30 years. Presently she is the Director of Infection Prevention for the University of Rochester Medical Center. She has published in the American Journal of Infection Control and Infection Control Today and Outpatient Surgery. She has lectured both locally and nationally, most recently as a guest speaker in Tokyo, Japan. She served as past president of Western New York Infection Control Organization and Finger Lakes Chapter of APIC. She is also on the New York State Advisory Committee in Infection Control. In 2006 she received a national Chapter Leadership Award. Presently she is the Legislative Representative for her local APIC chapter, co-chair of the National Communication Committee, a member of the National APIC Nominating and Awards Committee and a an editor for Infection Control Today and Outpatient Surgery. Professionally she is most proud of assisting with the SARS outbreak at the “ground zero” hospital, Scarborough Grace in Toronto. Her proudest personal accomplishment has been raising four children aged 10-23.