Tom Talbot, M.D., Medical Director of Infectious Diseases, presents Lauran Allen with the Vanderbilt Infection Prevention Award for her work on VUMC’s hand hygiene campaign.
Photo by Susan Urmy
Awards honor efforts in campaign against hospital infections
The Department of Infection Control and Prevention recently honored the efforts of five individuals or groups, bestowing on them this year's Vanderbilt Infection Prevention (V.I.P.) Awards.
The awards acknowledge innovation and dedication among faculty and staff who went above and beyond their assigned responsibilities.
"We wanted to recognize the efforts of those who have made the extra effort to prevent hospital-acquired infections in our patients,” said Tom Talbot III, M.D., M.P.H., VUMC's associate chief hospital epidemiologist.
“Infection prevention is truly a team effort, and the frontline caregivers really can, and do, make a huge impact.”
This year's winners, who developed and sustained superior infection control practices within their clinical areas include:
• Hendrik Weitkamp, M.D., clinical fellow in the Division of Neonatology, recipient of the M.D. Award for work to prevent neonatal fungal infections;
• Vernon Cash, care partner on VUH 10 North, is recipient of a Ancillary Staff Service Personnel Award for standardization of care on the Trauma Unit;
• Lauran Allen, general manager in Performance Management and Improvement, is recipient of an Service Personnel Ancillary Staff Award for her work on the institutional Hand Hygiene campaign;
• Devin Carr, interim administrative director of Trauma, Burn and the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, received the Nursing Award for work as the SICU's director;
• The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit's Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Prevention Team received a special award for their efforts.
“The selection process was quite difficult, as we had several qualified nominees in each category,” said Talbot.
“It's very exciting to see the increasing awareness of and focus upon infection control throughout VUMC.”