Mark Rupp, M.D., professor of infectious diseases in the department of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, 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. “Healthcare-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 healthcare-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 healthcare policy in the area of healthcare-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, D.C., was founded in 1980 to foster the development and application of the science of healthcare epidemiology, particularly in the field of infection control and prevention. SHEA works to maintain the highest quality of patient care and healthcare worker safety in all healthcare settings and strives to apply epidemiologic principles and prevention strategies to a wide range of quality-of-care issues.
With nearly 1,500 members worldwide, SHEA is a growing organization, with an active membership in all branches of medicine, public health and healthcare epidemiology. SHEA’s Annual Meeting in San Diego on March 19-22 is expected to draw more than 2,000 scientists from around the world.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.