White Rock Medical Center’s own infection prevention expert, Pat Jackson, RN, has been making national headlines.
Jackson, who is director of infection prevention in Dallas, also currently serves as the 2023 president of the board of directors for the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. The 15,000-member national organization represents infection preventionists across the world.
On April 4, Jackson was quoted in a story in The New York Times called “What to Know About Bacteria in Eye Drops.” She shared advice on ways to safely use and prevent contamination of eye drops. The story reports on a recall of certain eye drops manufactured in India after antibiotic-resistant bacteria was discovered in some containers. Jackson offers tips that include washing hands before using eye drops, never using expired products, and avoiding touching the bottle tip, eye or eyelashes during application.
On March 21, she also was consulted for a story in The Washington Post called “Rise of Deadly Fungus Spotlights Hospital Infection-Control Challenges.” The article is about a dangerous fungus that is challenging long-term care facilities. Jackson explained that while hospitals have dedicated infection prevention experts on site, many long-term care facilities do not have robust infection prevention programs, and regulatory mandates could help.
Jackson’s role with the national organization offers an opportunity to share information about infection prevention and bring greater awareness to the role of infection preventionists in the healthcare setting, she explained.
“Infection preventionists are specially trained to promote a culture of safety for patients, staff, visitors and the communities in which they serve,” she said.
4.19.23