Sepsis Alliance Connect

Sepsis Alliance Connect is a virtual support community designed for the millions of people affected by sepsis. Each year, an estimated 1.4 million people survive sepsis and over 350,000 adults die from sepsis in the United States alone. Sepsis Alliance Connect is a place for these survivors, caregivers, loved ones, and those left behind after a sepsis death to come together and share resources, insight, and encouragement about their sepsis experience and life after sepsis.

The main goal of Sepsis Alliance Connect is to connect those who have been impacted by this often isolating and frequently misunderstood condition. Members can take part in live and pre-recorded programs exploring topics such as:

• Coping with life after sepsis
• Managing mental health
• Adjusting to life after amputations

Sepsis Alliance Connect was launched by Sepsis Alliance in 2022 with the support of volunteer community leaders passionate about positively impacting the lives of those affected by sepsis.

• Peer Support Conversations
  These conversations, scheduled at various times throughout each month, are facilitated by volunteers who are sepsis survivors, caregivers of sepsis survivors, and people who have lost a loved one to sepsis.
• Infection Prevention for Immunocompromised People, October 12, 2023
  Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN, Senior Clinical Content Advisor, Sepsis Alliance
  Close to 7 million people in the United States have immune systems that don’t work well or at all. These people can get infections more easily than they should, and they can get sicker with more severe infections. In this presentation, learn how you can minimize your risk of developing infections if you are one of these immunocompromised people, and what to do if you suspect you have one. These tips can be helpful for anyone who wants to minimize the chance of developing an infection which could lead to sepsis.
  
• Balanced Sepsis Amputee Community, October 23. 2023
  Leslie Green, Founder: Balance Amputee Education and Wellness
  Leslie Green is a sepsis survivor and bilateral, below-the-knee amputee who has many years of experience working alongside people with limb loss and limb difference. Balance Amputee Education and Wellness’s communities provide education, to various groups of people who have experienced amputations due to sepsis and other factors. This monthly Sepsis Alliance Connect and Balance Amputee Education and Wellness collaborative session will connect members of these communities to share resources and discuss topics related to the intersection of amputation and sepsis, and often features guest speakers.
• Storytelling with a Purpose, October 24, 2023
  Rosie Bartel, Sepsis Advocate, Board Member, PFAnetwork
  A personal experience with sepsis can be a life-altering experience for both survivors and loved ones. Many of these people develop a desire to use their sepsis story to make an impact beyond their own life. Every day, guest presenter Rosie Bartel uses the story of her sepsis journey to advise or advocate for others. Rosie believes in helping patients and caregivers find their voices. As an educator, she used stories to teach children and adults. Today, she uses her story to collaborate with medical professionals and researchers, and to advise and advocate for patients and their caregivers. In this presentation, hear from Rosie about how you can use your story for a purpose.
• Young Adult Affinity Group, October 25, 2023
  Whether you’ve survived sepsis or lost someone you love while you’re young, the experience can impact your life in ways you might not have expected. Meet other young adults (loosely defined as 45 or younger) who have had their lives changed by sepsis.

Browse a library of recorded programs you can watch any time, which will grow as new programs are added. As soon as you log in, you’ll find a program library which includes:

• Fitness Beyond Sepsis, Caitlin Massey, Personal Trainer
• Sepsis Patient Experience Survey- What Did We Learn, Abigail Paras, MPH, Senior Director, Programs, Sepsis Alliance
• Behind the Curtain: Preparing For Your Visit To Optimize Your Care, Karin Molander, MD, Emergency Medicine Physician Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN, Senior Clinical Content Advisor, Sepsis Alliance
• Requesting a Sepsis Awareness Month Proclamation for your State, Amanda Feinman, Advocacy Communications & Operations Manager, Sepsis Alliance, and Carly Roberts, Sepsis Advocate, Lost a Loved One 
• EMDR Therapy- How Do We Treat Trauma? Lee Oesterle, Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Hilary Bridges, Licensed Professional Counselor; and Don Smith, Sepsis Survivor
• Common Treatments for Sepsis, Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN, Senior Clinical Content Advisor, Sepsis Alliance
• Where to Begin? Finding a Counselor and Beginning Therapy After Sepsis, Kristan Seaford, Licensed Professional Counselor and Sepsis Survivor; and Hailey Bain, Sepsis Survivor
• Diagnostic Solutions for Sepsis, Mark Miller, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, bioMérieux
• Holidays and Anniversaries: Marks on the Calendar Left by Sepsis, Rosalie Carter, grandmother of Amir Carter-Williams, who died of sepsis; Sandra Kleier, sepsis survivor; and Kaitlin Walden, mother of a sepsis survivor
• Unmet Expectations: Grief When Sepsis Changes Your Life, Kristan Seaford, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counsellor and Sepsis Survivor; Darrell Raikes, Sepsis Survivor; Kaitlin Walden, Mother of Pediatric Sepsis Survivor
• Pain After Sepsis, Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN: Senior Clinical Content Advisor, Sepsis Alliance;Mike St. Onge, Sepsis Survivor;
  Toya Russell, Sepsis Survivor
• Caregivers’ Mental Health, Dr. Stephen M. Scheinthal: Department of Psychiatry, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Amputee Panel, Katy Grainger, Kim Gilliam Steele & Mike St. Onge: Sepsis Survivors and Amputees
• Sepsis and Older Adults, Al Cardillo, LMSW: President & CEO, Home Care Association of New York State
  & Wayne Shepard, RN: Director, Delaware County Office of the Aging
• Advocacy Basics, Kristin DeVries: Director of Advocacy, Sepsis Alliance
• Grief 101, Kristan Seaford, LPC
• Disparities in Sepsis Cases, Sandy N. Cayo, DNP, and Cindy Hou, DO
• Sepsis awareness resources
• Adaptive fitness and meditation classes
• and more