Ruth M. Carrico, PhD, will deliver the 2017 Dr. John S. Zapp Memorial Lecture at the annual Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP) Conference, scheduled for June 22 to June 25 at the Grand Hyatt in Atlanta. Carrico will speak on Friday, June 23 and address “The Safest Dental Visit: Preparing for the Future by Reimagining Infection Control.”
Specifically, Carrico will focus on the future and how dental care providers must change, collaborate, find new partners, and identify new ways to keep the promise of safe patient care while continuing to improve performance and the patient experience. Also, she will discuss how the changing ecology of human pathogens, the increasing diversity of the workforce, emerging infections that represent transmission risks in all healthcare settings, and pressure to provide quality care at a lower cost may affect this patient promise.
“The addition of Dr. Ruth Carrico as a keynote will take this conference to the next level. Her session addresses the concerns that so many in this field face,” said Therese Long, OSAP executive director. “It’s time to open the dialogue and actively communicate how these issues impact the future of dental care.”
Carrico is a nurse practitioner and an associate professor and clinical director at the Vaccine and International Travel Clinic, department of medicine, infectious diseases, at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She holds an MA from Webster University, an MSN from Northern Kentucky University, and a PhD from California Coast University. Her areas of focus include infection control, immunization, international health and travel, vaccine research, refugee health, and global health.
Other items on this year’s conference agenda include sessions on last year’s outbreak of Mycobacterium chelonae/abscessus in Orange County, Calif; new instrument technologies; teaching and compliance aids for infection control; and late-breaking issues chosen in accordance with current events as the conference commences.
Plus, the conference will feature a wine and cheese reception sponsored by OSAP exhibitors, a fundraising auction, and a tour of the David J. Sencer CDC Museum at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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