Lafayette Hill Resident & JSN Professor Hosted by International Organizations

PHILADELPHIA, PA (06/28/2013)(readMedia)-- Mary Lou Manning, PhD, CRNP, CIC, of Lafayette Hill and Associate Professor at Thomas Jefferson University's Jefferson School of Nursing, is an expert in healthcare infection prevention and control. This spring she took her expertise around the world.

Manning was invited by the Chilean Society of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology to speak at the XVI Congress in Santiago, Chile. Manning's presentation topics included "Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI): Is Targeting Zero a Global Reality" and the "Role of Leadership in Keeping Patients Safe." Manning was the only person from the U.S. invited to speak at the event, which took place April 3-6.

"My goal was to describe the impact of HAI worldwide and explore the rationale behind Targeting Zero," said Manning of the initiative to eliminate health care associated infections down to zero through a combination of clinical practices including hand hygiene and organizational leadership. "It's important to describe successful regional, national and international targeting zero strategies and how the strategies could be applied in Chile. It was a remarkable experience, and all my conversations validated that clinicians, no matter where they work or reside, want to do what is best for the patients."

In addition, Manning serves as the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) representative on the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Infection Prevention and Control Network Curriculum (GIPCN) subgroup. After a year of online meetings via Skype, the group had their first face to face meeting in Tallinn, Estonia from May 28 - June 1. The subgroup continued their work on curriculum development and conducted a two day national workshop to provide advanced training for hospital infection control professionals and specialists from the Health Board. GIPCN members also participated in a policy roundtable on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe and in Estonia with the aim to develop a road map of priority activities needed to further strengthen Estonia's response to AMR.

Manning has been involved in healthcare infection prevention and control for more than 25 years. "The prevention and control of infectious diseases has been the bedrock of my nursing career, and creating a safer world through infection prevention practice is my personal mission," said Manning. "I try to use every opportunity to educate others to be infection prevention advocates and leaders, whether it is at the local, regional, national or international level."

In recognition of Manning's significant contributions to nursing and the field of infection prevention and control she was recently selected as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

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About Thomas Jefferson University

Jefferson School of Nursing is part of Thomas Jefferson University (TJU), the largest free standing academic medical center in Philadelphia and nationally renowned for medical and health sciences education and innovative research. Founded in 1824, TJU also includes Jefferson Medical College (JMC), the Jefferson Schools of Pharmacy, Health Professions and Population Health and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Jefferson University Physicians is TJU's multi-specialty physician practice consisting of the full-time faculty of JMC. Thomas Jefferson University partners with its clinical affiliate, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals.