APIC Announces Recipients of Heroes Implementation Research Scholar Award Program

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) announces the 2015-2016 recipients of the Heroes Implementation Research Scholar Award program. Two awards of up to $50,000 each were granted for a project period from Jan. 1, 2015 to March 30, 2016.

The recipients are: Amanda Hessels, PhD, MPH, RN, CIC, CPHQ, post-doctoral research fellow at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research to Prevent Infections (CIRI) at Columbia University School of Nursing, and JaHyun Kang, PhD, MPH, RN, CIC, associate professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.

The Heroes Implementation Research Scholar Award program, introduced in 2011, is an extension of the Heroes of Infection Prevention Award program, which recognizes APIC members and groups who have successfully reduced infection, raised awareness, and improved the health and well-being of patients, healthcare personnel, and the public.

Hessels and Kang will receive up to $50,000 to support research in implementation science, improve patient outcomes by championing for systemic adoption of infection prevention and control programs in healthcare settings, and highlight best practices in instituting this approach. Hessels’ proposal is titled, “Development, Psychometric and Pilot Testing of Standard Precautions Safety Climate and Observation Tools,” and Kang’s proposal is titled, “Use of Personal Protective Equipment: Ensuring Safety (UPPEES) Study.”

“We are pleased to be able to support research that will promote greater adoption of evidence-based best practices,” says Mary Lou Manning, PhD, CRNP, CIC, FAAN, APIC's 2015 president. “We believe these programs have enormous potential to improve patient outcomes.”

Applications were evaluated based on the proposed project’s potential to advance implementation science, an APIC strategic priority. Additionally, the strength of the proposed methodology and the proposal’s ability to bridge infection prevention efforts across clinical disciplines toward helping to advance the infection preventionist role were taken into consideration.

Implementation science has been defined as research that creates new knowledge about how best to design, implement, and evaluate quality improvement initiatives.

The 2015-2016 Heroes Implementation Research Scholar awards were made possible with support from an unrestricted education grant from BD, a long-standing APIC Strategic Partner.

Source: APIC