FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 29, 2017 (ATLANTA) —  The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), a community of clinicians, educators, consultants, researchers and industry representatives who advocate for the Safest Dental Visit™, has announced that Ruth M. Carrico, PhD, Nurse Practitioner, FSHEA, CIC, will deliver the 2017 Dr. John S. Zapp Memorial Lecture, the keynote address at the annual OSAP Conference to be held June 22-25, in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Carrico will speak on Friday, June 23, and will address “The Safest Dental Visit: Preparing for the Future by Reimaging Infection Control.”

The OSAP conference is the premier infection control education and networking event in the dental industry. Nationally and internationally known experts discuss current and emerging issues relating to infection prevention and safety in oral healthcare settings and provide attendees with essential resources, valuable tools, and new approaches for better protecting patients and staff.

In her keynote address, Dr. Carrico will focus on the future and how dental care providers must change, collaborate, find new partners, and identify new ways of doing things in order to keep the promise of safe patient care while continuing to improve performance and the patient experience. The commitment to a safe dental visit is the foundation for everything dental professionals do, from the care of the dental environment to disinfection and sterilization of equipment and instruments, to assure that all members of the dental care team have received immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases. Dr. Carrico will discuss how the changing ecology of human pathogens, the increasing diversity of our workforce, emerging infections that represent transmission risks in all healthcare settings, and pressure to provide quality care at a lower cost may affect this patient promise.

Ruth M. Carrico, PhD, Nurse Practitioner, FSHEA, CIC, is an associate professor and clinical director at the Vaccine and International Travel Center, Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She received her MA from Webster University (MO), MSN from Northern Kentucky University, and Ph.D. from California Coast University. Her areas of focus include infection control, immunization, international health and travel, vaccine research, refugee health, and global health.

“The addition of Dr. Ruth Carrico as a keynote will take this conference to the next level. Her session addresses the concerns that so many in this field face,” said Therese Long, OSAP executive director. “It’s time to open the dialogue and actively communicate how these issues impact the future of dental care.”

The OSAP conference is a must for anyone who wants to get the most current dental infection control information right from the experts. Other items on this year’s agenda include sessions on the Orange County California Dental Clinic outbreak of Mycobacterium chelonae/abscessus (M. chelonae/abscessus), new instrument processing technologies, teaching and compliance aids for infection control, and late-breaking issues—topics so up-to-the-minute that they aren’t even identified until shortly before the conference convenes.

Because the OSAP conference draws leading educators, policymakers, and researchers, it offers unparalleled networking opportunities. The conference also includes a wine & cheese reception sponsored by OSAP exhibitors, the legendary “Fun”d-raising Auction that gives participants an opportunity to bid on a dazzling array of items, an optional tour of the David J. Sencer CDC Museum at the headquarters of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and more.

For additional information and to register, go to www.osapconference.org.
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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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