Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Appoints Linda Ohler as Director of Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) announced today the appointment of Linda Ohler, RN, MSN, CCTC, FAAN, as director of education. She will responsible for all education programs and products developed for APIC members and other health professionals who seek to advance their knowledge of infection control.

Ohler has been a healthcare professional for more than 25 years and is a Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator (CCTC), a Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN) and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).

Prior to joining APIC, she was program officer at the Transplant Immunobiology Branch of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health. She has been a nurse specialist and manager of transplant units in several health organizations. Ohler is the editor-in-chief of Progress in Transplantation, the official journal of the North American Transplant Coordinators Organization, and co-chair of Communication Guidelines for Non-Directed Living Donors, National Kidney Foundation.

Ohler has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Alumni Achievement Award from Marymount University and the Lifetime Achievement Award from NATCO/Novartis. She also has held scores of leadership positions, most recently chairing the Advances in Transplantation Conference (2003) and the Protection of Human Subjects in Research at the NATCO Annual Meeting (July 2002). Ohler was a keynote speaker on Ethics in Transplant Research and Publications at the Cleveland Clinic (May 2003) and on Bridges Leading to Success in Transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh (May 2000).

Ohler is the author and co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, abstracts and newsletters, and has contributed chapters to 11 books. In 2002, she served as co-editor of two books on transplantation. Additionally, she has consulted to a wide range of professional organizations and has served on the Medical Advisory Board of the Washington Regional Transplant Consortium.

According to Barbara Soule, APIC president, "Linda's healthcare expertise and her extensive experience as a communicator and knowledge leader will prove to be very valuable to APIC, its members, and the healthcare community at large. Education is a major cornerstone of APIC's mission, and Linda is well qualified to raise the profile of infection control and epidemiology in the U.S. and across the globe."

Ohler holds an MSN from The Catholic University of America School of Nursing and a BSN from Marymount University. She also earned certificates from Georgetown University in oncology nursing and in bioethics.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC) is a non-profit, international organization that seeks to influence, support and improve the quality of healthcare through the practice of infection prevention and control. Based in Washington, D.C., APIC (www.apic.org) has more than 112 regional chapters in the U.S. and over 10,000 members worldwide.

Source: APIC