Sepsis Alliance Launches Array of Resources and Events for Sepsis Awareness Month 2016

SAN DIEGO, CALIF (July 20, 2016) –To mark the fifth annual Sepsis Awareness Month this September, Sepsis Alliance, the nation’s leading nonprofit advocacy group focused on raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency, today announced an array of new ways for individuals, medical professionals, healthcare industry partners, and other organizations to help shine the spotlight on sepsis, the body’s toxic reaction to infection, which kills over 258,000 people in the U.S. every year.

New materials launching today include a Sepsis Awareness Month Starter Kit, 30 new Sepsis Information Guides, and new items such as banners, ribbons and wristbands in the online store. Sepsis Alliance started Sepsis Awareness Month in 2011 to help spark conversations among patients, family members, and healthcare providers about sepsis, a disease that is the number one cost to U.S. hospitals, yet fewer than half of all Americans have even heard of.

Sepsis Alliance is encouraging hospitals, members of industry, and healthcare providers to participate in this year’s Sepsis Awareness Month by distributing educational materials, hosting sepsis-related programs, and participating in events designed to raise sepsis awareness. To support these efforts, Sepsis Alliance is making available:

• 30 New Sepsis Information Guides: Sepsis Alliance has introduced 30 new Sepsis Information Guides on a variety of topics, which can be downloaded at no charge. Printed versions of Sepsis Information Guides, brochures, and other materials are available at sepsis.org.
• New Items in the Online Store: New Sepsis Awareness Month items include symptoms cards, clothing, banners, wristbands, awareness ribbons, and more, and are available in the Sepsis Awareness Month section of the Sepsis Alliance Store.
• Sepsis Awareness Month Starter Kit: A Sepsis Awareness Month Starter Kit is also available for companies, hospitals and healthcare networks to show their participation in Sepsis Awareness Month, and to help educate patients and staff about the dangers of sepsis.

“People first need to know about sepsis so they can seek treatment immediately upon recognition of symptoms,” Thomas Heymann, Executive Director of Sepsis Alliance, said. “The original goal of Sepsis Awareness Month was to educate the public about sepsis, its symptoms, and its causes. Awareness of this illness is paramount, and we are so incredibly thrilled with the amount of support and attention planned for this year.”

2016 Sepsis Awareness Month events and programs scheduled include:

• Sepsis Heroes NYC: The fifth annual Sepsis Heroes on September 15, 2016 in New York City, hosted by Sepsis Alliance. The event honors individuals and organizations that have made an impact on sepsis awareness. Five recipients will be recognized as Sepsis Heroes this year, as well as a recipient of the new Erin Kay Flatley Spirit Award.
• Partnership with CDC: The Centers for Disease Control will again be partnering with Sepsis Alliance to mark Sepsis Awareness Month with special publications, webinars, Twitter chats, and blog posts focused on detecting and treating sepsis, as well as the real impact sepsis has on both individuals and our communities.
• St. Louis Cardinals Game in Partnership with bioMerieux: Sepsis Alliance will be partnering with bioMerieux to host a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game on September 9 and a Durham Bulls game on September 4. Both games will create a tremendous opportunity to raise sepsis awareness with fans of America’s pastime.
• World Sepsis Congress Online Forum: Sepsis Alliance will be participating in the World Sepsis Congress taking place September 8 and 9. The World Sepsis Congress is an online forum will bring together representatives of international and national healthcare authorities, NGOs, policy makers, patients, patient advocate groups, clinical scientists, researchers, and pioneers in healthcare improvement, and focus their energies on one subject: sepsis.
• Partnering with MHA Keystone Center on Michigan Events: MHA Keystone Center will be partnering with Sepsis Alliance to host 5k walk/runs and other awareness events throughout the state of Michigan. Additional community awareness events are scheduled for Rochester, New York and Atlanta, Georgia (scheduled for October, 2016).
• Online Events Calendar: To keep pace with all the events taking place during September, hospitals, organizations, and individuals hosting an event during Sepsis Awareness Month are encouraged to submit information about their event for our online central calendar here.
• Social Media Photo Challenge: Sepsis Alliance is also issuing a new Sepsis Photo Challenge for Sepsis Awareness Month. During September, social media users are asked to post photos of themselves or others raising awareness of sepsis, and using the #SAM2016 hashtag. Photos can be posted on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Use the #SAM2016 tag and users may just see their photo end up on the new Sepsis Alliance website.

Additional events and celebrations during September are being added on a daily basis. To find how you can participate, as well as tips and ideas for raising awareness in your community, hospital or place of work, please visit:

SepsisAwarenessMonth.org

About Sepsis Alliance