Cleveland Clinic Akron General President Receives APIC’s Healthcare Administrator Award

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) announces that Brian Harte, MD, MHM, president of Cleveland Clinic Akron General, will be the recipient of the 2019 Healthcare Administrator Award.

The award, which will be presented at APIC’s 46th Annual Conference, June 12-14 in Philadelphia, recognizes the pivotal role that healthcare leaders play in establishing an organizational culture that enables and supports infection prevention and control.

“Dr. Harte has made healthcare-associated infection prevention a major focus of the organization and offers his full support to improvement efforts,” said 2019 APIC president Karen Hoffmann, RN, MS, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC. “We are proud to recognize his engaged leadership in promoting the importance of infection prevention.”

Under Harte’s leadership, Cleveland Clinic Akron General has adopted purposeful, targeted infection prevention strategies that have reduced infection rates. In 2018, CLABSI decreased by 32%, and hospital-acquired C. diff decreased by 35% over the prior year. Harte has also been integral in improving hand hygiene compliance, using his voice as hospital president to increase awareness of its importance.

Harte is active in providing direct feedback to staff, promoting a culture of transparency and communication. His photo is placed on “I’ve got your back” posters located throughout the organization to encourage caregivers to speak up when they see something that might harm patients and to encourage others to appropriately receive such feedback. He also rounds with infection preventionists and attends meetings with environmental services personnel to reinforce the importance of their jobs in patient safety, challenging leaders and staff alike to explore additional ways to improve and continuously provide patient-centered and quality care.

APIC 2019 Annual Conference, June 12-14 in Philadelphia, is one of the most comprehensive infection prevention conferences in the world, with more than 100 educational sessions and programs led by experts from across the globe and attended by nearly 5,000 professionals. The conference aims to provide infection preventionists, physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, educators, administrators, and medical technologists with strategies that can be implemented immediately to improve prevention programs and make healthcare safer. Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #APIC2019.

Source: APIC