Paul L. Epner Joins Sepsis Alliance Board of Directors

Sepsis Alliance, the nation’s first and leading sepsis organization, is pleased to welcome Paul L. Epner, MBA, MEd, to the Board of Directors. Mr. Epner is the co-founder of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) and served 10 years as CEO and a member of its Board, stepping down in late 2021. His dedication to improved medical quality and care makes Mr. Epner an exceptional fit for Sepsis Alliance’s work and mission to save lives and reduce suffering by improving sepsis awareness and care.

“Paul has done incredible work in the healthcare quality arena and has a true understanding of the work that needs to be done for a more sepsis-safe world,” said Thomas Heymann, Sepsis Alliance President and CEO. “We are eager to have his knowledge and passion pushing Sepsis Alliance’s work forward.”

During his time as CEO of SIDM, Mr. Epner created and chaired the Coalition to Improve Diagnosis, a collaborative of more than 70 professional societies, health systems, patient organizations, and organizations focused on improving healthcare quality. He also served as a member of the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety, a joint initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and was a member of the National Quality Forum’s 2021 Leadership Consortium.

“It is an honor to serve on the Sepsis Alliance Board of Directors, and help the organization fulfill their mission to improve patient outcomes. I am a sepsis survivor and my father was a sepsis fatality, so I know firsthand how critical this work is,” said Mr. Epner. “I will leverage my 45 years in the field of diagnosis to support the organization’s efforts in advocacy, education, and catalyzing change.”

In the United States, sepsis affects 1.7 million people and takes 350,000 adult lives each year (270,000 in hospital and 80,000 released to hospice). Almost 60% of sepsis survivors experience worsened mental and/or physical function. Every year, more children in the United States die of sepsis (6,800) than of pediatric cancers. To learn more about sepsis and how you can help save lives, please visit www.sepsis.org

To learn more about Mr. Epner, please click here