Increased Focus on Infection Prevention Pays Off
Maureen Vowles: “I think that the relationship between infection preventionists and public health is key to the success of preventing CRAB and other multi-drug resistant organisms.”
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is not much seen in the United States now, but it has begun to emerge as a deadly pathogen where it does strike, with a 55% mortality rate and an ability to resist most antibiotics thrown its way. Whenever and wherever it strikes in the US, healthcare officials take notice and take no chances. CRAB invaded a skilled nursing facility in February 2018 and both the Utah Department of Health and the CDC were all over it. One of those involved was Maureen Vowles, an epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health. Vowles and co-authors wrote a study explaining how they handled the outbreak that was published in the American Journal of Infection Control earlier this year. Recently, Vowles sat down with Infection Control Today® to discuss her experience and the challenges of preventing infections from Superbugs in general. “Our whole team [at the Utah Department of Health] looks very different to how it did in March or April of this year,” says Vowles. “I think we probably added about 10 people in various roles to help with the COVID response. That includes infection preventionists, epidemiologists, and health educators. I am hoping that this will stick around after COVID and that we’ll be able to have that increased infection control focus with [long-term care] facilities. I think it’s a win-win situation to have that focus.”
“A Coup Against Science”: Health Groups Decry Kennedy’s Firing of National Vaccine Advisory Panel
June 12th 2025Health leaders are outraged after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly fired all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, calling it a political purge that threatens public trust and vaccine safety.
AHE Exchange Summit 2025 Brings EVS and Infection Prevention Experts Together in Columbus, Ohio
June 9th 2025The Association for the Health Care Environment (AHE) is set to host its largest event of the year—Exchange Summit 2025—from June 8 to 11 in Columbus, Ohio. With over 600 environmental services (EVS) professionals expected to attend, this year’s conference focuses heavily on infection prevention, interdepartmental collaboration, and education that empowers frontline health care support leaders to improve patient safety and operational efficiency.
