Brendan McGinty Joins Sepsis Alliance Board of Directors

Sepsis Alliance Welcomes Advocate and Two-Time Sepsis Survivor Brendan McGinty to the Sepsis Alliance Board of Directors

Sepsis Alliance, the nation’s first and leading sepsis organization, is pleased to announce that Brendan McGinty has joined the Board of Directors. Mr. McGinty is the Director of Industry and the Center for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and a two-time sepsis survivor working to spread awareness of the disease that almost took his life.

Mr. McGinty was on a drive with his wife listening to Sirius XM/Doctor Radio in Summer 2020 when he heard Alyssia Aguilar, the 2020 Erin Kay Flatley Spirit Award winner, and Sepsis Alliance Senior Medical Advisor Steven Simpson, MD sharing information on sepsis and the 2020 Sepsis Alliance Awareness Survey results. Moved to share his own experience, Mr. McGinty reached out to Sepsis Alliance and offered his voice and experience to the cause.

“Despite developing sepsis in 2009 and again two-and-a-half years later, I was astonished to learn how little I understood about sepsis and how common this condition actually is,” said Mr. McGinty. “When my wife, Susan, and I heard the segment on Doctor Radio, we learned so much and knew I had to use my fundraising and technology experience as well as my personal story to help Sepsis Alliance and its partners work towards a more sepsis-aware country.”

Mr. McGinty previously led education technology and systems for Carle Health System, founded corporate and political consulting companies, and led the successful technology transfer of NovaNET, originally PLATO, from the University of Illinois.

“Speaking with Brendan, hearing about his experience in medical technology, fundraising, and his passion to save other lives from sepsis, I knew he would make an excellent addition to the Sepsis Alliance Board of Directors,” said Thomas Heymann, Sepsis Alliance President and CEO. “Technology is a constantly changing and adapting field and technology’s role in sepsis treatment and care is no different. Brendan will help us stay current and connected, to provide the best, most timely information to our medical providers.”

In the survey review that Mr. McGinty heard on Sirius XM, Sepsis Alliance found that 71% of U.S. adults recognize the word sepsis, but only 15% can identify all four symptoms that would lead them to seek emergency care. Additionally, only one-third of adults are aware that sepsis is a potential complication of COVID-19. Though sepsis awareness has increased from 40% since 2012 when Sepsis Alliance conducted its first online survey, there is still work to be done towards the mission to save lives and reduce suffering by improving sepsis awareness and care. To learn more about sepsis and how you can help save lives, visit www.sepsis.org.

To learn more about Brendan McGinty, click here.

About Sepsis Alliance

Sepsis Alliance is the leading sepsis organization in the U.S., working to save lives and reduce suffering by improving sepsis awareness and care. 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 2003, sepsis awareness in the U.S. has risen from 19% to 71%. 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.