Heroes of Infection Prevention 2012
- About APIC
- Vision and mission
- History
- Leadership
- Tania Bubb
- Patricia Jackson
- Lisa Sturm
- Devin Jopp
- Deborah Patterson Burdsall
- Lisa Caffery
- Jill Holdsworth
- Monika Pogorzelska-Maziarz
- Sarah Smathers
- Elizabeth R. Wallace
- Harold “Pat” Patton
- Joseph Scaletta
- Carol M. McLay
- Justin Smyer
- Mary Jo Morrison
- Paula Ann Pintar
- Stephanie Carraway
- Leadership Development
- Chapters
- Panels
- Bylaws
- Contact us
- Committees
- Awards
- Research Awards
- 2020 Research Awards
- Research Awards
- Heroes Implementation Research Scholar Award
- Heroes of Infection Prevention Award
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2022
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2020
- APIC 2022 Heroes Elizabeth (Beth) Richardson, MPH, MSN, RN, CIC
- APIC 2021 Heroes Khaled Alnafee
- APIC 2022 Heroes Erin Minnerath, Tiffany Martens, and Angie Silva
- APIC 2021 Heroes Lisa Sturm
- APIC 2022 Heroes Patrick Gordon, DNP, RN, CIC
- APIC 2021 Heroes Tampa General Hospital
- APIC 2022 Heroes Kelley Knapek, BSN, RN, CIC, CWON
- APIC 2021 Heroes Jeremy Gibson-Roark, Leslie Lloyd
- APIC 2022 Heroes Jodie Leonard, BS, RN, CIC
- APIC 2022 Heroes Jeffrey Miller, MD, MPH, CIC
- APIC 2020 Heroes Northside Hospital – Gwinnett Medical Center
- APIC 2020 Heroes Regions Hospital
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2019
- APIC 2020 Heroes Kelly West and Craig Gilliam
- APIC 2020 Heroes Westchester Medical Center IPC Team
- APIC 2020 Heroes Brenda Ehlert
- APIC 2020 Heroes Emory University Hospital Midtown
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2018
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2017
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2016
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2015
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2014
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2013
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2012
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2011
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2010
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2009
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2008
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2007
- Heroes of Infection Prevention 2006
- APIC/AJIC Publication Excellence Award
- Distinguished Awards
- Chapter Awards
- Presidents’ Distinguished Service Award
- Scholarships
- Award Recipients 2019
- Awards Overview
- Membership Sections
- Corporate/System Level Director IP Section
- Oncology Section
- IP Informatics Section
- Critical Access Hospitals (CAH)
- Ambulatory Care section
- Behavioral Health section
- EMS/Public Safety section
- Home Care section
- International section
- Long-Term Acute Care (LTAC) section
- Long-Term Care (LTC) section
- Minority Health and Safety section
- Pediatrics section
- Public Health section
- Veterans’ Affairs (VA) section
- For Media
- Staff Directory
Igniting change through innovative training
Don Guimera, BSN, RN, CIC and Miguela Caniza, MD
St. Jude Children’s Hospital
Memphis, TN
Infection preventionists (IPs) aspiring to be agents of change can find no better role models than Miguela Caniza, MD, and Don Guimera.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, where Caniza and Guimera work, treats patients who are among the most vulnerable to infection – children with cancer. In 2005, Caniza created an infection prevention training program designed to improve quality of care at St. Jude partner institutions in developing countries, where up to one-third of pediatric oncology patients die of infection.
“We’d seen dramatic infection rate reductions as our practices improved, and I wanted to share this with our partners,” said Caniza. “Reducing infection is the most cost-effective way to improve standard of care.”
Working at facilities in Latin America, Caniza quickly realized the immensity of her task. “Most professionals in these facilities don’t have even basic training to build on,” she said. While structuring the course, she struggled to find high-quality Spanish training materials – eventually translating many documents herself – recruit Spanish-speaking teachers to dictate lectures (see www.cure4kids.org), and obtain sponsorships.
After running the training program on her own for four years, Caniza recruited Guimera to join her in the mission.
When increasing costs and budget constraints threatened the program, the pair developed a 10-week distance learning course, enabling professionals from several countries to simultaneously complete training without leaving their institutions. The best IPs received two weeks of additional, hands-on training in Mexico. “They went back to be infection prevention ambassadors within their facilities,” said Guimera. “This resulted in self-sustaining infection prevention capabilities.”
By the end of 2011, Caniza and Guimera’s program had trained 170 Latin American IPs. “We’ve seen incredible change at individual institutions and at the country level,” said Caniza. “Trained professionals have launched national preventionist organizations and conferences. They just needed that little start.”