Our basic covenant with every patient is that the care we provide them will be safe.  That commitment is the foundation for everything we do from care of the dental environment, to disinfection and sterilization of equipment and instruments, to assuring that the dental care providers have received immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases. But what does our future state look like? How will the changing ecology of human pathogens, the increasing diversity of our workforce, emerging infections that represent transmission risks in all healthcare settings, and the economic pressures to provide quality care with less impact our promise to our patients? This session will focus on the future and how we must change, collaborate, find new partners, and identify new ways of doing old things to keep that promise while continuing our devotion to improving performance and the patient experience.

 Ruth Carrico MSN, PhD, FSHEA

After attending this program, participants should be able to:

• Review the current state of infection control in the dental care setting
  

• Identify emerging challenges that will stress our current systems and processes and require us to rethink what we do and how we do it
  

• Explore new opportunities in dental care that can impact systemic health positively and safely
  

• Identify elements necessary to include in a forward thinking and futuristic strategic plan for the dental care industry

DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION MATERIALS HERE

Dr. Ruth Carrico Presentation