APIC 2026: Two Presentations Highlight Personalized Prevention and the Power of Data

At APIC 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, 2 poster presentations demonstrated that effective infection prevention depends on more than following established protocols. It also requires adapting interventions to individual patient needs and using data to drive timely, collaborative decision-making.

Ekaete Usoh, MPH, MSc, CIC, VA-BC, an infection preventionist at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Sunset and member of the Greater Los Angeles APIC Chapter and the APIC Health Equity Committee, presented research exploring health care-associated infection (HAI) prevention bundles through a health equity lens. She presented with other members of the APIC Health Equity Committee, including Krystal Robinson, MPH, CIC, CHIPP(B); Caitlin Sharkey, MPH; Nicole Henry, DrPH, MPH, CIC; and Chrystia Johnson, MSHS, MT(AMT), CIC. The title was From Awareness to Action: A Dialogue About Health Equity in Practice. Her presentation challenged attendees to think beyond simply completing bundle elements and instead consider whether those interventions are equally effective for every patient.

"Our patients differ," Usoh said. "Every patient should have the same effect of the bundle."

The project does not advocate changing evidence-based bundles. Instead, it encourages infection preventionists and frontline clinicians to consider whether standard interventions are being applied in ways that meet individual patient needs.

Usoh shared the example of a patient with dementia who repeatedly pulled at a central line. Although staff documented daily rounds and line necessity assessments according to protocol, the patient's unique condition required additional attention beyond the standard once-per-shift evaluation.

"The bundle elements have been shown evidence-based. They do work, they do prevent HAIs," she said. "But are they equally effective for every patient?"

By encouraging clinicians to evaluate bundle adherence through the lens of health equity, the project aims to ensure every patient receives the same level of protection, even if achieving that outcome requires individualized approaches.

Also presenting at APIC 2026 was Risha Patel, MPH, CIC, senior data analyst at Keck Medicine of USC. Patel's poster, Keep an Eye on the Goal: Weekly Logs as Your HAI Compass, was coauthored with Kymberly Lengyel, BSN, RN, PHN, CIC, AL-CIP, the associate administrator for hospital epidemiology and infection prevention at Keck Medicine of USC.

Patel described how her organization uses a centralized weekly HAI tracking log to monitor infection events across the health system. Updated daily by infection preventionists and reviewed during weekly huddles, the shared dashboard serves as a single source of truth, supporting communication among multidisciplinary stakeholders.

"The key takeaway is that consistent weekly reflection on detailed HAI data enables rapid pattern recognition and process gap tracking," Patel said.

The spreadsheet aggregates information into weekly, monthly, annual, fiscal-year, and calendar-year views while maintaining more than a decade of historical data. Interactive graphs and standardized reporting allow teams to identify trends quickly, evaluate interventions, and communicate findings efficiently.

"Centralized data also builds transparency, trust, accountability, and alignment among multidisciplinary stakeholders for timely collaboration and proactive HAI reduction efforts," Patel explained.

Beyond sharing their research, both presenters emphasized the professional value of attending the APIC annual conference.

Usoh described APIC as an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues who understand the unique challenges of infection prevention.

"I think it's beautiful, and I think everyone should want to be part of it because it reinvigorates you," she said. "It just makes you feel like you know what you're doing, you're not alone, and there are other people who share the same struggles and the same joys with you."

Patel echoed those sentiments, encouraging infection preventionists at every stage of their careers to experience the conference.

"It is a great opportunity to collaborate and connect," Patel said. "The speakers are always phenomenal. They really embody that reinvigoration and awakening. If you have an opportunity to attend APIC, please grab it with both hands."

Usoh added one final piece of advice with a smile: "Don't forget this, there's after parties that happen, and those ones are great too."

Together, the 2 presentations highlighted complementary approaches to improving infection prevention. One focused on ensuring evidence-based practices are applied equitably for every patient, while the other demonstrated how structured, transparent data sharing can strengthen collaboration and accelerate HAI reduction efforts. Both underscored another message that resonated throughout APIC 2026: the conference is not only a place to learn, but also an opportunity to reconnect with the larger infection prevention community and return home inspired to improve patient care.