FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2017 (ATLANTA) —  With a focus on the Safest Dental Visit™ and strategies central to the conference theme of “Make it Happen,” the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) Annual Infection Control Conference, held on June 22 – 25, in Atlanta, Georgia, brought together over 300 policy‐makers, government agency representatives, educators, consultants, scientific authorities and key opinion leaders involved in infection control.

“The OSAP Annual Infection Control Conference serves as an education and networking hub of energy, collaboration, and idea-sharing,” says Mike Smurr, immediate past OSAP Chairman of the Board. “From the interactive workshops, agency updates, late-breaking information, and spontaneous meetings and moments that happen in between sessions, the conference continues to combine world-class education and inspire those who attend.”

As the premier infection control and patient safety event in dentistry, conference highlights included:

• Plenary sessions and workshops covering emerging trends and late-breaking information on infection control requirements specific to today’s healthcare landscape. The Dr. John Zapp Memorial Lecture keynote address with Dr. Ruth Carrico featured insights on the future of infection control, a late-breaker session on pathogens, policies, and politics with an update on the Amalgam Separator Final Rule reinstated by the Environmental Protection Agency, and an agency update featuring the Food and Drug Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. The conference also featured several timely sessions on policies and procedures regarding dental waterlines, the new definition of oral health, and a global panel on infection control from international experts from Brazil.
• Over 30 infection control companies and sponsors participated in the event providing an opportunity for the OSAP community to network, engage and discuss the latest developments in products, services, and technology related to infection control and global health. OSAP super sponsors include Air Techniques, Coltene, Crosstex, Dentsply Sirona, Henry Schein, Hu-Friedy, KaVo Kerr, Midmark, Patterson, and SciCan.
• Standing strong in front of a packed house, Jenn Morrone from Jenn’s Vision shared her story and mission for patient advocacy during the session “I am the Patient, Don’t Forget About Me.” In 2013, a preventable accident at a dental visit caused the loss of her right eye. Morrone has now made it her goal to promote and deliver the message of best practices in dental safety and the use of protective eyewear.
• An emphasis was placed on actively sharing best practices and ideas with colleagues throughout the conference. The Pecha Kucha session allowed attendees to hear quick five-minute presentations from subject matter experts and then breakout into deep dive round tables for further discussions. Topics included safe injection practices, bar code instrument tracking to processing, infection control in nontraditional healthcare settings, infection control resources, and the CDC checklist implementation strategies.

This conference also marks the transition of OSAP leadership. Therese Long, former executive director, has retired into the position of emeritus executive director and Christina Thomas now serves as executive director.

The conference provides a venue to discuss current and emerging issues related to infection prevention and safety in oral healthcare settings, it provides access to new resources, tools, and networks to optimize compliance and identifies opportunities to develop and enhance global leadership for the delivery of infection prevention and safety. OSAP is an ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP) Provider and designated up to 19 continuing education credits for the conference.

“We could not deliver this education program without the support of our sponsors, exhibitors, members, volunteers, and committee members,” says Christina Thomas, OSAP’s executive director. “We plan to take the momentum, excitement, and success from this year’s conference and carry it through to Dental Infection Control Awareness Month in September, the upcoming OSAP Dental Infection Control Bootcamp™ and next year’s Annual Conference held on May 31 - June 3 in Dallas, Texas.”

For additional information on all the speakers, sessions, sponsors, and registration, please visit osapconference.org.

About OSAP

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) is the only dental membership association solely focused on infection prevention and patient safety education. Our members include individual clinicians, group practices, educators, researchers, consultants, trainers, compliance directors, policymakers, and industry representatives who advocate for safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare. OSAP focuses on strategies to improve compliance with safe practices and on building a strong network of recognized infection control experts. OSAP offers an extensive online collection of resources, publications, FAQs, checklists, and toolkits that help dental professionals deliver the Safest Dental Visit for their patients. Plus, online and live courses help advance the level of knowledge and skill for every member of the dental team. For additional information, visit osap.org.

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