3M announces series of educational events to combat healthcare-associated infections

As a company on a mission to help hospitals fight healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), 3M Infection Prevention today announced a series of educational events taking place the week of September 27. The week will kick off with a company-hosted Infection Prevention Leadership Summit and culminate in World MRSA Day, a MRSA Survivor's Network event, during which 3M will sponsor the live Webcast of the day's activities.

“At 3M, we are committed to helping our partners in the industry provide the educational resources healthcare providers and patients need to combat all healthcare-associated infections.”

"3M is focused on helping hospitals reduce HAIs and our commitment to serving patients and the institutions that care for them is unparalleled," said Debra Rectenwald, president and general manager of 3M's Infection Prevention Division. "Over the last year, we have made a number of strategic investments that provide hospitals with total solutions to their infection prevention needs. We are arming them with the latest information, resources and support to continue their efforts to make hospitals even safer for patients."

September 27-28: 3M Infection Prevention Leadership Summit - Live and Webcast

3M is hosting leaders from the operating room, sterile processing and infection prevention from around the country to learn about trends in infection prevention and new ways to eliminate HAIs through knowledge, collaboration and leadership. The summit will feature some of the industry's preeminent thought leaders in infection prevention practices, such as Dr. David Warren and Dr. Jon Lloyd. Any healthcare professional can view the following sessions through live or archived Webcast and receive one hour of Sterile Processing or RN CE credit per each session they attend:

• September 27, 8:15-9:30 a.m. CST: The Changing Environment of Infection Prevention Speaker: David Warren, MD, MPH
• September 27, 3:00-4:30 p.m. CST: Positive Deviance: Unleashing Healthcare's Secret Change to Eliminate HAIs. Speaker: Jon C. Lloyd, MD, FACS
• September 28, 8:15-9:30 a.m. CST: Overcoming Resistance to Change. Speaker: Julie Kliger, MPA, BSN, RN

For links to these programs, please visit: www.3m.com/LeadershipSummit/ConnectWithUS

September 30, 11:00 a.m. CST - Webinar: H1N1 Pandemic: Critical Lessons Learned For Now And The Future

3M will host Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, a nationally renowned expert on infectious diseases, in a Webcast focusing on the health impact of the H1N1 influenza pandemic. Dr. Osterholm will discuss the success and failures of public health interventions to reduce influenza morbidity and mortality during the pandemic as well as the impact on business supply chains within the healthcare industry. To attend, please visit: www.3m.com/LeadershipSummit/ConnectWithUS. One RN CE credit will also be offered for this Webcast.

October 1, 10:20 a.m. CST - World MRSA Day Live Broadcast

Finally, to bring attention to the global economic, health and emotional impact of MRSA, 3M will collaborate with the MRSA Survivor's Network to help sponsor its 2^nd annual World MRSA Day. The day will feature MRSA screening and an awards program, honoring healthcare providers and public figures for their efforts in bringing attention to the issue. To make the events accessible to professionals and patients across the country, 3M will sponsor the live Web cast of the ceremony, which can be found at www.3m.com/LeadershipSummit/ConnectWithUS. For more information on World MRSA Day, please visit: www.worldmrsaday.org.

"Through our partnership with the MRSA Survivor's Network, we are bringing critical awareness to a problem that hospitals are fighting every day, and which takes an incredible toll on patients," said Cheryl Pederson, BS, RN, 3M Infection Prevention Education Manager. "At 3M, we are committed to helping our partners in the industry provide the educational resources healthcare providers and patients need to combat all healthcare-associated infections."