FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 15, 2016 — The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), the advocate for The Safest Dental Visit™, is seeking nominations for three leadership awards, which will be presented during the OSAP Annual Infection Control Conference in San Diego, CA, June 2-4, 2016. The awards are the Crawford Award for lifetime achievement in the field of dental infection control, the Schaefer Award for superior service and contributions to OSAP, and the Emerging Leaders Award for new infection control ambassadors. Individuals can nominate themselves or another person. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, April 13. Additional information is available at http://www.osap.org/page/CallforAwards2016.

The Dr. James J. Crawford Award is named in honor of one of the founding fathers of dental infection control. The annual award recognizes lifetime achievement in the field. Awardees have made major contributions in science, education, or public policy related to OSAP’s core competencies of infection prevention and control and patient and provider safety.

The Milton E. Schaefer Superior Service Award is given annually to OSAP members who have rendered superior service and contributions to the organization. The nominee should have an active and effective commitment to the growth and empowerment of OSAP in its ability to provide information and education for the dental community. This award recognizes either contributions over a period of time or singular accomplishments that have advanced OSAP’s mission to be the world’s leading advocate for the safe and infection-free delivery of oral health care.

The Emerging Leaders Award is designed to help develop and promote the next generation of stars in the field of dental infection prevention and safety by identifying outstanding new infection control advocates. Candidates can be clinicians, educators, consultants, students or members of the dental trade.

After the April 13 deadline for nominations has passed, the winners will be selected by the OSAP Awards Committee and the OSAP Board of Directors. This year’s committee consists of Jessica Wilson, Hu-Friedy (Committee Chair); William Neumann, MDSI/First Impressions; Timothy Dowd, DDS, Ralph Johnson VAMC; and Tracy Glenn, Kerr/Kavo Group.

All three awards will be presented at the annual OSAP Annual Conference, 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. Call 800- 298-OSAP (6727) or 410-571-0003 or visit www.osap.org for annual conference registration information.

Celebrating over 30 years of service to the worldwide dental community, OSAP is a growing community of clinicians, educators, students, policy-makers, 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 to help dental professionals ensure that every visit is The Safest Dental Visit™ for patients and the dental team.

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