UNC Offers Course in Environmental Infection Prevention

The course, "The Infection Control Professional as an Environmentalist" will be offered Oct. 25-29, 2010 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education.

Intended for infection preventionists in hospitals, this week-long course will give participants the opportunity to:

-- broaden their knowledge of the interface between specific hospital areas and infection control

-- improve their understanding of sterilization, disinfection, antibiotic utilization, infections in high-risk groups, and epidemic situations.

Successful completion of both "Infection Control Part I: Clinical Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Infections" and "Infection Control Part II: The Infection Control Professional as an Environmentalist" offered by the Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology will meet the requirements of the North Carolina Infection Control law 10A NCAC 41A.0206 for attending an approved course. Part I is not a prerequisite for this course, Part II.

Faculty members include:

-- Tina Adams, RN, Infection Preventionist, UNC Health Care System

-- Becky Brooks, RN, CIC, Infection Preventionist and Education Coordinator, UNC Health Care System

-- Brenda Featherstone, RN, Infection Preventionist, UNC Health Care System

-- Ben Gilbert, JD, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, UNC Health Care System

-- Karen Hoffmann, RN, MS, CIC, Clinical Instructor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Associate Director, Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology, UNC School of Medicine

-- Kirk Huslage, BSN, MSPH, Infection Control/Safety Compliance Officer, UNC Health Care System

-- William A. Rutala, PhD, MPH, CIC, Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UNC School of Medicine, Director, Epidemiology, Occupational Health and Safety Program, UNC Health Care System

-- David J. Weber, MD, MPH, Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UNC School of Medicine, Medical Director, Epidemiology, Occupational Health and Safety Program, UNC Health Care System

The course is limited to 40 participants and will be filled on a first-to-register basis. The fee for the course is $500 in-state; $550 out-of-state. Monday and Tuesday lunches are included. To register, call (800) 845-8640. For more information, contact: Jill Conrad, program facilitator, at (800) 845-8640 or (919) 962-2643.