CS Medical is very pleased to announce that we have renewed our strategic partnership with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the largest association for infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals in the world. CS Medical LLC has decided to continue as an APIC Strategic Partner in 2021 in order to keep fighting towards healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention.
After the trying year we all experienced in 2020, CS Medical recognizes now more than ever the importance of the work APIC does to bring awareness to the threat HAIs pose and what we can all do to stop them. It is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that 633,000 hospitalized patients get HAIs each year and 72,000 die during their hospital stay. Our partnership signifies a joint commitment to bring an end to the tragedy that HAIs present.
The APIC Strategic Partner program establishes long-term relationships with industry partners united in the common goal of reducing the risk of infection. Partners play an important role in supporting many of the educational initiatives and services that make the APIC membership valuable to IPs on the front lines in the fight against HAIs. CS Medical's relationship with APIC allows us to gain insight from IPs to innovate solutions that will help make our vision of healthcare without the risk of infection a reality.
"CS Medical is excited to renew our partnership with APIC this year to help prevent HAIs and expand education and resources for IPs," said Mark Leath, President of CS Medical. "We share APIC's patient safety mission and hope this partnership will help to strengthen APIC's efforts to create a safer world through the prevention of infection."
Because CS Medical cares about helping our communities thrive, through our partnership with APIC, we support the Competency Advancement Assistance (CAA) Program. The CAA Program was developed to help IPs manage the cost associated with obtaining the Certification in Infection Prevention and Control (CIC®) credential. This is important because scientific studies have shown that certified IPs are better prepared to interpret evidence and act as champions for key infection prevention practices. Hospitals with IPC programs led by certified IPs reported significantly lower rates of MRSA bloodstream infections. The CAA Program covers exam fees and study resources for up to 50 IPs annually to support this critical component of professional development for those who may not be able to afford it.
In this industry, there is nothing more important than keeping our frontline workers and patients safe from infection. By continuing our partnership with APIC, we at CS Medical hope to help make 2021 a better year for infection prevention and for our healthcare professionals.
