APIC and Research Foundation Announce Merger

WASHINGTON -- The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and the Research Foundation for Prevention of Complications Associated with Healthcare have announced the merging of their two organizations.

Although affiliated with APIC, the Research Foundation until now has been incorporated as a separate organization. Through a stronger formal collaboration, APIC will provide enhanced support for the research and related management activities of the Foundation.

"The Research Foundation Board of Trustees carefully considered this new structure that we believe will result in a more optimal approach to conducting and disseminating research to advance the profession," said William Jarvis, MD, chair the APIC Scientific Research Council that will oversee the Foundation's activities.

"Once merged with APIC, the Foundation will have considerably more resources with access to APIC staff for everything from management and operations to marketing and public relations," continued Dr. Jarvis. "As a priority for APIC staff and leadership, research would be fully integrated into the organization's educational conferences, products and services, publications, communications and fund development activities. Integration will enable APIC and the Foundation to improve the overall value to members in the development of projects combining research with education."

APIC president Sue Sebazco, RN, CIC, is highly optimistic about the future collaborations that will result from this merger. "The APIC Board of Directors has long supported the value of and need for stronger research in the area of infection prevention and is confident that APIC can assist the Foundation in achieving its goals. We view the Foundation as an equal and pivotal partner in our sustained and concerted effort to improve healthcare outcomes for our patients."

The research function will become part of a new department at APIC focused on advancing the profession primarily through a combination of education and research. The Foundation's funds will continue to be maintained separately from APIC funds, used only for the purposes of conducting and/or supporting research, and handled as a separate program for purposes of reporting income and expenses. All future contributions and grants received for research will be treated in this manner and will continue to be tax deductible under Section 501(c) 3 of the IRS tax code. Its official new name is The Research Foundation, a Division of APIC.

Source: APIC