Dear Colleagues,
Happy New Year! It is with great pleasure and excitement that I step into the role of SHEA President, and I am thrilled to be working with such an amazing group of volunteers and staff. Thank you for this opportunity to serve the mission and vision of SHEA.
For those of you who do not know me, I am currently the Associate Dean for Quality and Lifelong Learning and Director of the Center for Patient Safety and Health Policy at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. In the past 20 years, I have worked in, and promoted research and education in the field of healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention. I have worked in academic medical centers as well as the VA healthcare system.
As you know, it is an exciting time for our field as there are many public policy issues to address with our subject matter expertise. At the same time that there is increased demand for our voice and influence, we must look to new sources of support to wield these. This year, I will be working with the SHEA Board and staff to:
- Continue to expand our educational offerings,
- Foster and improve partnerships with key organizations also interested in health care quality, and
- Expand SHEA’s global reach through partnerships and collaboration.
I am eager to hear from you about your ideas on how we can continue to foster the mission of SHEA –to promote healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention. Please check out MySHEA, and connect with me so we can start an ongoing dialogue.
All the best,
Jan Patterson