september is sepsis awareness month – sepsis heroes gala
Sepsis Alliance is hosting its 6th annual Sepsis Heroes, the organization’s annual fundraising gala, on September 14, 2017 in New York City. The event, timed to coincide with Sepsis Awareness Month, will honor the 2017 Sepsis Heroes who have made a significant contribution to sepsis awareness and education among both the general public and healthcare professionals. Please visit the event site to support the event by making a donation. MCN Healthcare is a proud partner of Sepsis Alliance. Amanda Valeur, President and Founder of MCN Healthcare/MCN Learning and Director of the MCN Foundation will be in attendance.
Sepsis Alliance is a charitable organization run by a team of dedicated laypeople and healthcare professionals who share a strong commitment to battling sepsis. The organization was founded in 2007, by Dr. Carl Flatley, whose daughter Erin died of sepsis when she was 23 years old.
Meet the 2017 Sepsis Heroes Honorees:
Children’s Hospital Association – The voice of more than 220 children’s hospitals around the country that leads an innovative pediatric sepsis campaign implementing diagnostic and treatment protocols.
Andre Vovan, Hoag Hospital Presbyterian, and Providence St Joseph Health – Dr. Vovan is a critical care specialist and the creator of the Hoag Hospital and St. Joseph Hospitals system-wide sepsis campaign, and a champion of sepsis identification and treatment. His advocacy for improved sepsis outcomes and his leadership has helped the health system not only decrease sepsis mortality, but shortened hospital stays, which is better for patients and reduces healthcare costs overall.
Sue Sirianni and Maria Palleschi – Sue and Maria are nurse practitioners who work at Tenet’s Detroit Medical Center but in addition to their clinical work, Sue and Maria are research partners and strong community activists who are dedicated to raising sepsis awareness. They organized a 5K event in Michigan, which raised over $13,000 its first year alone. They have hosted a variety of other events to bring sepsis awareness front and center in the community.
Sue and Jay Stull – Sue Stull is a sepsis survivor. To save Sue’s life, doctors had to amputate both arms and legs, leaving Sue to learn how to navigate life again in a very different manner. Jay, Sue’s husband, supports Sue as they work together to raise awareness of sepsis and its aftermath.
Jon Glaudemans – Former managing director of Manatt Health solutions, Jon has been quietly working behind the scenes to help Sepsis Alliance move with strategic partnerships. A sepsis survivor himself, Jon didn’t realize the impact of what happened to him until he got to know Sepsis Alliance and learned more about sepsis.
Erin Kay Flatley Pediatric Sepsis Nursing Award and the Erin Kay Flatley Spirit Award will also be presented at the Gala.
Erin Kay Flatley Pediatric Sepsis Nursing Award
Every year, Sepsis Alliance recognizes nurses working in pediatrics and sepsis who honor the spirit of Erin Kay Flatley, who died unnecessarily of sepsis following a routine surgery.
This year there are two award categories for the Erin Kay Flatley Pediatric Sepsis Nursing Award: U.S. and International. Recognition is given to two licensed nurses from the U.S. and one licensed nurse from anywhere on the globe who demonstrated excellence in their work and a commitment for improving outcomes among pediatric patients.
Congratulations to Beth Wathen, MSP PNP, from Children’s Hospital Colorado and Wendi Redfern, MSN, of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and to our international winner, Mahmuda Aktar, BScN, in Bangladesh. Each nurse will receive a certificate and a monetary award of $2,500 and will be recognized at the Sepsis Heroes Gala in New York City.
Nurses are front-line healthcare professionals who are often the first to recognize and sound the alarm on sepsis. They are also well-placed to provide education to their patients and members of the public as to how to spot sepsis and the importance of timely treatment.
Erin Kay Flatley Spirit Award
The Erin Kay Flatley Spirit Award recognizes outstanding dedication, sacrifice and contribution to improving the care and lives of sepsis patients. Erin’s desire to give back to society is the basis for this award recognition.
This award recognizes one organization or individual each year. This year’s Spirit Award recipients are Liz and Tony Galbo who tragically lost their five-year-old daughter, Gabby, to sepsis in 2012. The couple have since raised awareness in their home state of Illinois to such a level that Gabby’s Law was enacted, requiring hospitals to implement sepsis protocols to improve early detection and treatment of sepsis. Liz and Tony Galbo will be offered at the Sepsis Alliance Gala and will receive a $5,000 award to further their work.
Sara Follin McMannus, RN, BSN, MBA (Sepsis Alliance Advisory Board) and Amanda Valeur (President and Founder of MCN Healthcare/MCN Learning and Director of the MCN Foundation at the 2016 Sepsis Heroes Gala
