Jeanette Harris

Jeanette Harris, MS, MSM has over 48 years of hands-on experience in providing high-quality patient care, both as a clinical microbiologist and as an infection prevention professional. She is currently working as an Infection Preventionist at Evergreen Healthcare with emphasis in Peri-operative, Central Supply and Procedural areas. Her areas of expertise include implementation and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to prevent surgical site and procedural infections and ensuring the peri-procedural areas are in compliance with all regulations and requirements, including those set by CMS and TJC.

Jeanette has a BS in Microbiology/Biology, MS in Infection Prevention, MSM in Healthcare Management. She has worked for over 22 years in Infection Prevention with over 16 years specializing in Infection Prevention in the Peri-Operative and Procedural areas. She is certified in Infection Prevention, named Fellow by Association for Infection Prevention and Control (FAPIC) in 2016.

Keri Lestage

Linda Lybert

Linda Lybert is the Founder and Executive Director of the Healthcare Surfaces Institute. Her focus over the last 20 years has been on surfaces and their role in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). She introduced the Seven Aspects of Surface Selection© to bring insight into the surface issue’s complexity and how they are active in spreading pathogens that cause deadly infections.

Over the years, Linda has worked with many thought leaders and high-level professionals from diverse areas of expertise, all of whom have provided powerful insight into one or more aspects of the problem. Realizing everyone was working on the same issue, separately, she and a board of world-renowned experts founded the Healthcare Surfaces Institute. HSI was the first collaborative of multidisciplinary experts to focus on surfaces, and they have the most comprehensive vision of the path forward for addressing all aspects of the problem.

Mary Millard

Mary Millard, M.Ed is a past LPN and a 2-time sepsis survivor who contracted Pseudomonas Aeruginosa during ECMO after coding prior to open heart surgery to repair a large aneurism. After spending two months in the ICU and a long recovery she learned that this would require lifetime antibiotics.

Mary became a public speaker to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance and the danger of the prevalence of bacterial infections in the healthcare setting. She joined the board to help solve the problem of pathogens on surfaces and the danger old infrastructure and worn surfaces in healthcare facilities. She learned her infection came from a sink trap in a Cath lab as the lifesaving equipment was applied. Mary shares her story and makes sure researchers, doctors, nurses, and others learn the impact on patients. Since the infection she has studied microbiology, epidemiology, and worldwide statistics on infections as well as costs to patients and health centers.

Joanna Mills

Joanna Mills, RN, MSN, CNS, CIC is the Director of Infection Prevention for John Muir Health, East Bay Area SF. She is a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Infectious/Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Practitioner with extensive experience in Epidemiology, Program Management, Education, Performance Improvement, Risk Management, Public Health, Case Management, Employee Health, and Emergency/Critical Care.

Joanna is a seasoned professional with over thirty years of nursing and clinical infection prevention knowledge and practice in a variety of health care environments ranging from Ambulatory Care, Home Health, Long Term Care/Rehabilitation to Acute Care, Teaching, and professional organizations. She is also an active community and nursing leader and educator. She is an active APIC member and past chapter board president.

Nancy Schlossberg

Nancy Schlossberg, BA, BSN, RN, CGRN, CER is a Program Director of Digestive Health Services at John Muir Health. She has a broad background in clinical, programmatic, and business development of GI and Endoscopy service lines, with a special interest in endoscopy reprocessing and ensuring a safe, patient-ready scope for every procedure, every time. Mrs. Schlossberg served as the 2000-2001 president of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA) and the 2019- 2020 president of the American Board Certification in Gastroenterology Nursing (ABCGN). In 2003 she received the SGNA Distinguished Service award, and in 2015 she received the SGNA Gabriel Schindler award for clinical excellence.

Glenda Schuh

Glenda Schuh, RN, BSN, CIC graduated from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA in 1960 and began her nursing career at PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview, WA. During her 37 years at St. John’s, she worked in the following areas: Operating Room; House Supervisor, all three shifts; Director of Volunteers and Community Relations; Community and Staff Education; Employee Health; Infection Control Practitioner (Infection Preventionist). Since 1997, Glenda works as a consultant in Infection Prevention and Occupational Health. Glenda is an active member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC), APIC Puget Sound Chapter, Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC-Canada) and the International Federation of Infection Control (IFIC). Glenda has been certified by the Certification Board of Infection Control & Epidemiology, Inc. since 1987 and served as a Director on the CBIC Board for six years.

Barbara Strain

Barbara Strain, MA, SM(ASCP), CVAHP is an independent healthcare value consultant specializing in new, emerging, and disruptive technology and established medical modalities. She spent more than 20 years as the Director of Value Management at the University of Virginia Health System. Earlier in her 40-year career, she focused on clinical laboratory operations, microbiology, disinfection, sterilization, and infection control in provider hospital organizations. She is a founding member and past president of the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP) and serves as its Board Strategic Liaison. Barbara is an inductee of the 2021 Bellwether League Foundation’s Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership.

Ellen Turner

As the Global Segment Market Manager for Hygiene & Consumables at Synthomer, Ellen Turner has a proven track record of identifying collaborations to drive behavioral change with enablers across the value chain. She has led marketing strategies and application development for consumer and B2B product launches, design interface, field technical service, and process optimization in adhesives, medical plastics, building and construction, furniture, and chemicals (specialty chemicals, plasticizers, sealants, adhesives, modified wood). Ellen is committed to delivering solutions with practical outcomes to address health and safety, economic, and sustainability challenges.

Sarah Wilkerson

Sarah Wilkerson, MN, RN, CIC, CNOR(E), FAPIC is the System Executive Director for Infectious Disease Management and Prevention at Providence Saint Joseph Health. She has been a nurse for over 16 years, starting her healthcare career in the operating room and working as a Perioperative Clinical Nurse Educator. She then transitioned into Infection Prevention, where she has worked for the last 11 years. She is Certified as a Perioperative Nurse and in Infection Control as well as a Fellow of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). She has experience in acute care, critical access, inpatient rehabilitation, surgical and long-term hospitals, and ambulatory care.

Sarah enjoys the challenges of the profession as well as teaching and mentoring new Infection Preventionists. She has a passion for special pathogen preparedness, standardization, and finding ways for teams to collaborate across different disciplines to care for their patients safely. She has been published in the American Journal of Infection Control, New England Journal of Medicine and Anesthesia and Analgesia. She is a Past-President in her local APIC chapter and remains active on its board.

Scientific Advisory Committee

Focus on Innovation and Solutions

These specialists are focused on scientific research, supporting the creation of measures, metrics, and guidelines to reduce preventable infections. Together, this group combines their collective understanding of patient care processes, insight into human behavior, microbiology, cleaning and disinfection, and infection prevention. This board aims to provide scientific-based evidence to support innovation and solutions to mitigate the spread of microbes via surfaces within the healthcare setting.

Amber Hogan Mitchell

Dr. Amber Hogan Mitchell’s career has been focused on public health and occupational safety and health related to preventing infectious disease. She is currently President and Executive Director of the International Safety Center and is the Immediate Past Chair of the Occupational Health and Safety section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). She is also a Senior Science Adviser for the NIEHS Worker Training Program for COVID-19 response. Dr. Mitchell holds an adjunct faculty position at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine.

Dr. Mitchell began her career as the first OSHA National Bloodborne Pathogens Coordinator and has received several Secretary of Labor Excellence awards for her work on bioterrorism and public preparedness. She holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health and a Master’s in Public Health from The George Washington University. She is certified in Public Health as a member of the very first CPH cohort offered by the National Board of Public Health Examiners

She also published her first book “Preventing Occupational Exposures to Infectious Disease in Health Care” for professionals with responsibility for infection prevention and control and occupational health and safety programs. Amber was an original member of the Healthcare Surfaces Institute from its inception.

Rodney E. Rohde

Dr. Rodney E. Rohde, PhD is a University Distinguished Professor and Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) Program in the College of Health Professions at Texas State University. He also serves as Associate Director for the Translational Health Research Center. Dr. Rohde is a Global Fellow, Fellow of the Association of Clinical Scientists, and Honorary Professor of International studies. He is an ASCP board certified Specialist in Virology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology. He spent a decade as a public health microbiologist and molecular epidemiologist with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Bureau of Laboratories and Zoonosis Control Division prior to his academic career, including two terms as a CDC Visiting Scientist. Dr. Rohde served as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Health Professions for nine years. His research interests include Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), antimicrobial resistance, and clinical / public health microbiology especially zoonotic diseases (Rabies, Hantavirus, and others).

William Rutala

Dr. Bill Rutala is the Director and co-founder of the Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology and a Professor for the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine. He was the Director of Hospital Epidemiology, Occupational Health and Safety Program at the University of North Carolina Hospitals for 38 years before retiring in May 2017. He is a retired Colonel with the U.S. Army Reserve and is certified in infection control. He has been an advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (a former member of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee [HICPAC], 1999-2003), the Food and Drug Administration (a former member of the General Hospital and Personal Use Devices Panel), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (a member of the Scientific Advisory Panel on Antimicrobial Research Strategies for Disinfectants) and the Federal Trade Commission.

His contributions to infection prevention have been acknowledged by professional organizations with the following awards: Carole M. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award (APIC, 1999), Lowbury Lecture (Healthcare Infection Society, Scotland, 2002), Hygiene Medal (Rudolf Schulke Foundation, Germany, 2013), Larson Lectureship Award (APIC, 2012), SHEA Lectureship (SHEA, 2012), Barr Distinguished Alumni Award (UNC School of Public Health, 2012), Kelsey Lecture (United Kingdom, 2001 and 2012), Crawford Award (lifetime achievement, OSAP, 2008), and Favero Lectureship (APIC, 2009).

Syed A. Sattar

Dr. Syed A. Sattar, BSc, MSc, Dip Bact, MS, Ph.D., RM (CCM), FAAM, FRSPH is Professor Emeritus of Microbiology. He has been studying the environmental fate of microbes harmful to humans for over five decades now. Another focus of his work is evaluating and promoting safer and better means of preventing the environmental spread of such microbes. Microbicide test methods developed by him now form the basis for several national and international standards. He has published well over 200 peer-reviewed papers and chapters in conference proceedings and books and has delivered some 375invited lectures worldwide. He is a Registered Microbiologist of the Can. College of Microbiologists, a Fellow of the Amer. Acad. of Microbiol. and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.

He has been an adviser to the Canadian and U.S. governments as well as the World Health Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on various aspects of biosafety and infection prevention. He is an invited member of the Global Virus Network. He is a member of the Advisory Boards of the Healthcare Surfaces Institute, The Infection Prevention Strategy, International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium and Virox Technologies. Noteworthy among the numerous awards and fellowships he has received are the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Ottawa Centre for Research & Innovation, Hygeia Gold Medal of the Rudolf Schülke Foundation (Hamburg, Germany), Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal, Distinguished Microbiologist Award of the Canadian College of Microbiologists, and an Award of Merit of ASTM International. In addition to being Professor Emeritus, he is the Chief Scientific Advisor to CREM Co Labs, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.