CDC’s $26 million will support applied research at academic medical centers in a patient safety effort known as “Prevention Epicenters Program www.cdc.gov/HAI/epiCenters/index.html. Together with CDC, the Epicenters will develop and test innovative approaches to prevent infections and improve patient safety in healthcare. The new funding more than doubles previous awards and expands the program to 2020.
The CDC www.cdc.gov Prevention Epicenters funded from 2016 to 2020 include:
- Chicago Prevention and Intervention Epicenter at Rush University and the Cook County Health and Hospitals System
- Duke University and the University of North Carolina
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and University of California Irvine
- University of Pennsylvania
- Washington University School of Medicine and BJC Healthcare Prevention Epicenter
In addition, Rush University and the Cook County Health and Hospitals System Epicenter received $4.45 million from CDC’s Safety and Healthcare Evaluation and Research Development (SHEPeRD) contract to develop and test regional approaches to prevent transmission of antibiotic-resistant germs between healthcare facilities.
“For nearly two decades, the epicenters have advanced the fight against healthcare-associated infections with practical clinical innovations that have saved lives,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden M.D., “Antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise, making this research even more critical today.”