SHEA Emphasizes Importance of Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee’s Recommendation on CDC Guidelines

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) stands by its support for the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and its members work to enact comprehensive evidence-based, inclusive, transparent recommendations as part of HAI prevention guideline development. Thomas R. Talbot, MD, MPH, FSHEA, President-elect of SHEA, released this statement:

“The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America believes the HICPAC process and guidelines are critically important to advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on best practices for the surveillance and prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the spread of multidrug-resistant infections.”

“We believe that healthcare epidemiologists are uniquely qualified to lead HICPAC efforts given our specialized training, knowledge and professional experience in the prevention of infectious disease transmission in healthcare settings. Patient and healthcare personnel safety is central to our day-to-day responsibilities of preventing and intervening in outbreaks, leading multidisciplinary patient safety and quality initiatives and collaborating with public health entities. We welcome efforts to improve the HICPAC guidelines process and diversify its representation while maintaining the valuable leadership and expertise of healthcare epidemiologists.”

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About SHEA

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America is a professional society representing more than 2,000 physicians and other health care professionals around the world who possess expertise and passion for health care epidemiology, infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship. The society’s work improves public health by establishing infection-prevention measures and supporting antibiotic stewardship among health care providers, hospitals and health systems. This is accomplished by leading research studies, translating research into clinical practice, developing evidence-based policies, optimizing antibiotic stewardship and advancing the field of health care epidemiology. Visit SHEA online at shea-online.org.