Foundation’s Sepsis Strike Force hosted Second Annual Conference on Sept. 13

It was fun in the sun when the DFW Hospital Council (DFWHC) Foundation’s Sepsis Strike Force hosted their Second Annual Conference on September 13 at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas. More than 95 attendees participated.

Themed “Sun, Sand and Surf: How to Ride the Wave and Survive Sepsis,” the event provided 6.0 of CNE credits. Topics included antimicrobial stewardship, palliative care, health equity and CMS SEP-1 bundle compliance.

“It was a rewarding event. We heard a moving personal experience from Tatie Obenita, a nurse at Methodist Charlton, about her sister-in-law’s fatal battle with Sepsis,” said Patti Taylor, director of patient safety at the DFWHC Foundation and event coordinator. “A resident of the Philippines, she discussed the differences between medicine in the U.S. and the Philippines, including the difficulties of obtaining and paying for medicine. Sadly, after her sister died the hospital would not release her body until the healthcare bill was paid. It made us all appreciate our healthcare systems here in North Texas.”

Additional highlights included a keynote presentation by Dr. Michael Finch, CMO of Methodist Charlton; a discussion on antimicrobial stewardship by Dr. Nikhil Bhanyni, a board-certified infectious disease specialist; and a talk about health equity and Sepsis provided by Dr. Lauralyn Brown.

Coordinated by Taylor, the Sepsis Strike Force collaborative was formed in 2017 with the intention of providing evidence-based clinical guidelines, protocols, guidance and best practices. The group’s membership includes representatives from Baylor Scott & White Health, Children’s Health, Cook Children’s, JPS Health Network, Methodist Health System, Parkland Health, Texas Health Resources and UT Southwestern.

For questions, please contact Taylor at ptaylor@dfwhcfoundation.org.