NEW YORK — Sepsis Alliance, the nation’s leading patient advocacy group raising sepsis awareness, recently announced the 2015 Sepsis Heroes - and the list includes a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.
This year’s Sepsis Heroes are:
- Kevin Tracey, MD - President and CEO of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, and President and Professor of the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine;
- Sam Bass - The first officially licensed artist of NASCAR, and sepsis survivor;
- Rom Duckworth – Emergency responder and award-winning educator;
- Leo Araujo - Sepsis awareness advocate and founder of Fantastic Fun Day fundraising and awareness event;
- Susan Irick – Sepsis survivor, nurse, and sepsis and pneumonia disease manager at Northeast Georgia Medical Center;
- Carolinas HealthCare System - developed a Sepsis Collaborative to improve recognition of sepsis and reduce mortality.
These individuals and organizations will be recognized at the Sepsis Heroes gala on September 17 in New York City. The annual event, now in its fourth year, is the centerpiece of Sepsis Awareness Month, bringing together sepsis survivors, family members, patient advocates, healthcare professionals, policy makers, and members of industry who have been instrumental in raising sepsis awareness. According to the Mayo Clinic's Website, Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection.
"Our public call for Sepsis Heroes nominations introduced us to so many people and the work they perform, which we would not have known about otherwise," said Thomas Heymann, Executive Director of Sepsis Alliance. "From healthcare professionals to survivors and family members of those who have had sepsis, their dedication to raising sepsis awareness is unparalleled. We wish we could give an award to everyone, but are truly excited to welcome these honorees as our newest Sepsis Heroes."
Previous Sepsis Heroes include Every Mother Counts, North Shore-LIJ Health System, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, Intermountain Healthcare, author David Goldhill, and GE Healthcare.
The evening will also feature special keynote speaker Leah Binder, CEO of The Leapfrog Group, an employer-based coalition based in Washington, D.C. that pushes for better hospital transparency, quality and safety. Leapfrog is best known for its Hospital Safety Score system, assigning letter grades A through F to participating hospitals based on patient safety. As a result of her efforts, Becker’s Hospital Review named Ms. Binder one of the 50 most powerful people in healthcare in 2014.
“We are incredibly honored to have Leah as our keynote speaker,” added Heymann. “Over 2,500 hospitals participated in the Hospital Safety Score last year, and her tireless work improving patient outcomes in hospitals is having a tremendous impact.”
Tickets for Sepsis Heroes are now on sale. Early bird pricing, starting at $125.00, is available until July 17. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening. VIP packages are also available, and include a pre-event social hour, where attendees can meet past Sepsis Heroes, Sepsis Alliance board members and staff. Doors open to all at 6:30 pm. Students and children under 10 are eligible for special discounts.
Sepsis Heroes is sponsored by Leading BioSciences, Cytosorbents, Wolters Kluwer Health, MSC, Intermountain Healthcare, Arena NYC, Presence Health, Checklist Boards and Spike Out Sepsis.
For tickets and sponsorship information, please call (619) 232-0300 or visit the Sepsis Heroes website at www.sepsisheroes.org.
About Sepsis Alliance
Sepsis Alliance is the leading nonprofit patient advocacy organization in North America promoting awareness of sepsis. Sepsis Alliance's mission is to save lives by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. The organization hosts national and community events, distributes educational information, and promotes training and education of sepsis and its devastating effects. Sepsis Alliance also provides support by giving patients and family members information about sepsis and Post Sepsis Syndrome, as well as a community forum to share their experiences. Sepsis Alliance, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is a GuideStar Gold Rated Charity and a founding member of the Global Sepsis Alliance. For more information, please visit www.sepsisalliance.org.
