Dr. Rupp elected president of health care epidemiology society

Mark Rupp, M.D.

Mark Rupp, M.D., professor of infectious diseases in the department of internal medicine at UNMC, has been elected president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). The one-year appointment was effective Jan. 1.

Dr. Rupp, who has been at UNMC since 1992, has previously served SHEA as an academic councilor (2002-2003), treasurer (2004-2006) and vice president/president-elect (2007-2008).

“I am very pleased and greatly honored to have been elected president of SHEA,” Dr. Rupp said. “Health care-associated infections are estimated to claim the lives of approximately 100,000 Americans per year. SHEA is uniquely positioned to positively impact efforts in U.S. hospitals and health care settings to combat health care-associated infections and antibiotic resistant pathogens.”

Dr. Rupp noted that SHEA will have a great opportunity this year in assisting the new administration in shaping health care policy in the area of health care-associated infections.

“Everyone is seeking the most cost beneficial means to limit the development of infections such as intravascular catheter-related bloodstream infections and surgical site infections,” he said. “We also want to stop the spread of pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile and develop contingency plans for things such as pandemic influenza.

“This is where SHEA really shines — applying the science of infection control to real problems.”

SHEA, which is headquartered in Washington, was founded in 1980 to foster the development and application of the science of health care epidemiology, particularly in the field of infection control and prevention.

SHEA works to maintain the highest quality of patient care and health care worker safety in all health care settings and strives to apply epidemiologic principles and prevention strategies to a wide range of quality-of-care issues.

“This is where SHEA really shines — applying the science of infection control to real problems.” Mark Rupp, M.D.

With nearly 1,500 members worldwide, SHEA is a growing organization, with an active membership in all branches of medicine, public health and health care epidemiology.

Dr. Rupp said SHEA is well-respected by health care regulatory and accrediting agencies and is valued for its voice on issues regarding health care associated infections and preventing the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

SHEA highlights include its Annual Scientific Meeting, its highly-ranked journal “Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology,” and its biannual training course in hospital epidemiology co-hosted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

SHEA’s Annual Meeting in San Diego on March 19-22 is expected to draw more than 2,000 scientists from around the world.

Dr. Rupp succeeds Patrick Brennan, M.D., from The University of Pennsylvania as president of SHEA.