Sepsis Alliance Honors Two Infusion Nurses for Dedication to Sepsis Awareness

SAN DIEGO, CA (NOVEMBER 11, 2016) – On Friday, November 4, Sepsis Alliance Board members Dr. Carl Flatley, Dr. Michael Taylor, and Laura Messineo, RN, MHA, as well as Advisory Board member Dr. Tom Ahrens and Faces of Sepsis contributor Chris Kuchnicki, spoke on a variety of sepsis topics at the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) National Academy in Cincinnati.

“The entire sepsis program was so well received and sepsis was the buzz word for the weekend,” said Ginny Strootman, Director of Nursing Education for INS. “I believe the program reached many of our attendees on both a personal and professional level. The awareness of sepsis has been elevated.”

Feeling inspired by the nurses at the Academy, Dr. Flatley offered to honor two attendees with cash awards on behalf of the Erin Kay Flatley Foundation. Attendees were asked to submit an essay answering two questions: What should infusion nurses look for to recognize sepsis early and what should they try to do after recognition? How do you suggest/encourage/show all other nurses in your facility to know sepsis?

Sepsis Alliance received a number of excellent submissions, and after careful review chose to honor nurses Nancy Corbitt and Nanette Merica for their well-written responses and understanding of the importance of the subject matter.

“I was honored to share Erin’s story with so many attentive and intelligent nurses,” said Sepsis Alliance Founder, Carl Flatley. “Erin would be proud to honor Nancy and Nanette. I know all of the nurses will save lives by applying what what they learned about sepsis at the Academy, and sharing the information in their communities.”

Thank you to all attendees who stopped by the Sepsis Alliance booth to learn more about the organization, to those who submitted their responses to the posed questions, and to INS for inviting Sepsis Alliance to participate.

About Sepsis Alliance

Sepsis Alliance is the nation’s leading sepsis advocacy organization, dedicated to saving lives by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. A 501(c)(3) organization, Sepsis Alliance was founded by Dr. Carl Flatley after the sudden, unnecessary death of his daughter Erin to a disease he had never even heard of. Sepsis Alliance produces and distributes educational materials for patients, families and health providers on sepsis prevention, early recognition and treatment. The organization also offers support to patients, sepsis survivors, and family members through its sepsis.org website which receives more than 1 million visits each year. The organization founded Sepsis Awareness Month in 2011, and works with partners to host community outreach events across North America. Since Sepsis Alliance began its mission, sepsis awareness has increased almost threefold, from 19% to 55%. For more information on Sepsis Alliance, a GuideStar Gold-rated charity, please visit https://www.sepsis.org.