2019 Sepsis Heroes
June 12, 2019
Sepsis Alliance Announces 2019 Sepsis Heroes Award Recipients
Sepsis Alliance to honor 2019 class of Sepsis Heroes at 8th Annual Sepsis Heroes on September 12, 2019, at Marquee in New York City
SAN DIEGO, Calif, June 12, 2019 – Sepsis Alliance, the nation’s leading sepsis organization, is pleased to announce the 2019 Sepsis Heroes, who will be recognized during Sepsis Awareness Month at the 8th Annual Sepsis Heroes gala on September 12, 2019. Ranging from a former four-term Governor to a children’s hospital in Texas, this year’s Sepsis Heroes have demonstrated their dedication to raising awareness and improving treatment for sepsis – the body’s life-threatening response to infection that affects 1.7 million Americans annually.
“Sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, taking about 270,000 lives each year, yet about 35% of adults in the U.S. have never heard of it and the majority cannot identify the most common symptoms,” said Thomas Heymann, Sepsis Alliance President and Executive Director. “The 2019 Sepsis Heroes, representing our nation from coast to coast, are leading sepsis awareness initiatives, improving sepsis treatment, and helping save lives at the local, state, and national level.”
The 2019 Sepsis Heroes are:
- Governor Tommy Thompson, the former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary and four-term Governor of Wisconsin, is one of the nation’s leading health and welfare advocates dedicated to improving sepsis treatment and saving lives. He leads Stop Sepsis, Save Lives Coalition, a coalition of stakeholders dedicated to championing sepsis awareness and the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate intervention in the halls of Congress and with the nation’s top lawmakers.
- Maile Le Boeuf, a Northern California resident, developed maternal sepsis after giving birth to her second child. Despite the physical and emotional challenges she still faces, Maile is a dedicated sepsis advocate. She shares her deeply personal story with media, during educational webinars, and at public events large and small to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of sepsis, and to provide healthcare professionals with a patient’s perspective.
- Texas Children’s Hospital, located in Houston, Texas, implemented an innovative approach to sepsis care that resulted in a drop in sepsis mortality over the past two years among both mothers and children. Key to this approach is a computerized algorithm they developed to help identify and diagnose sepsis early. This algorithm runs in the background, covering nearly all patients in the facility.
- Trevor O’Hern, an Indiana resident, had never heard of sepsis before it took the life of his 18-month-old niece Josslyn. In honor of his niece, Trevor and his family worked with legislators in Indiana to successfully pass House Bill 1275. This bill requires that all hospitals in Indiana have a sepsis protocol in place.
- Stop Sepsis at Home, an initiative of the Home Care Association of New York, created the nation’s first sepsis assessment tool, algorithm, and protocol designed for home health clinicians, with applicability to other community health settings and providers. The initiative has been adopted by home health providers serving 55 of New York’s 62 counties, with the remaining counties planning to adopt it.
The 8th Annual Sepsis Heroes gala will be held at Marquee, one of New York City’s premier event venues. To learn more about the 2019 Sepsis Heroes, purchase tickets to the 8th Annual Sepsis Heroes gala, or to become a sponsor, please visit www.SepsisHeroes.org.
Sepsis Alliance would like to thank its 2019 Sepsis Heroes sponsors, which include: Erin Kay Flatley Memorial Foundation, Accelerate Diagnostics, ThermoFisher Scientific, bioMérieux, Inc., CytoSorbents, 410 Medical, GenMark Diagnostics, Merck, Cheetah Medical, Pfizer, Inflammatix.
About Sepsis Alliance
Sepsis Alliance is the leading sepsis organization in the U.S., working in all 50 states to save lives and reduce suffering by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. In 2011, Sepsis Alliance designated September as Sepsis Awareness Month to bring healthcare professionals and community members together in the fight against sepsis. Sepsis Alliance gives a voice to the millions of people who have been touched by sepsis – to the survivors, and the friends and family members of those who have survived or who have died. Since 2007, sepsis awareness in the U.S. has risen from 19% to 65%. Sepsis Alliance is a GuideStar Platinum Rated charity. For more information, please visit www.sepsis.org. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter at @SepsisAlliance.
Media Contact:
Angelica Estrada
Sepsis Alliance
(619) 232-0300
