In 2021, the APIC Board of Directors launched its Champion Recognition program. This recognition is an expression of the board’s gratitude for the individual’s dedication and service to the infection prevention profession and to APIC.
February 2024
Rosa Lozano, MPH, CIC
Rosa Lozano served as the inaugural chair of APIC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Task Force since its inception in August of 2022. The EID Task Force was formed to create a “rapid response” process within APIC in order facilitate a faster response to novel pathogens. Under Rosa’s leadership, the Task Force, has worked to help drive APIC’s response efforts and ensure coordination and consistency among the varying committees within APIC and ensure that we are nimble and timely in supporting our membership as new pathogens emerge. Rosa was instrumental in the development of the “playbooks” created by the task force as manuals for our members who are dealing with emerging infectious diseases in the field. These have been highly successful among members. Rosa has also served as a member of APIC’s Communications Committee from 2020-2022 as well as an active member of the Public Policy Committee from 2015 – 2017, where she assisted with comments on blood lancet regulations. Rosa has served in several Chapter leadership roles in both the San Antonio and Mile High Colorado Chapters.
June 2023
Bethany Phillips MPH, CIC, MLS (ASCP)CM
Bethany Phillips has worked in infection prevention (IP) for over ten years in both the adult and pediatric settings. She is the Director of Infection Prevention & Control for Children’s Medical Center Dallas in Dallas, Texas. She has been an active member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) since 2016. She previously served at Dallas-Fort Worth APIC chapter for two years as co-chair of the Professional Advancement Committee and is currently the vice chair of national APIC Practice Guidance Committee (PGC). Through her role on PGC she has been a liaison to the Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) since 2019 where she serves on the workgroups developing and revising AAMI guidance documents.
June 2022
Luz Caicedo, MPH, CPH, CIC, CRCST, VA-BC
Luz has developed a CIC education program, available for free and via zoom. She makes the program available to anyone who would like to participate. Luz does this on her own time and with her own funds. The course has been extremely valuable to new and seasoned IPs and will certainly help propel the IP profession forward, develop current IPs, encourage those who want to become IPs, and refresh seasoned IPs. Luz has a passion for education and developing the IP profession and manages to do it all while managing her own department because of her love for infection prevention and education.
February 2022
Rebecca Bartles, MPH, CIC, FAPIC
Together with Chaz Rhone, Becca has originated and facilitated the work being undertaken by the Academic Pathway sub-committee. This work will pave the future path for academic entry into our profession and facilitate bringing a new generation of infection preventionists into the field. This work is critical to maintaining the strength and future of our profession. Becca’s efforts have been innovative and tireless; she has contributed a significant amount of her own time and has effectively facilitated the contributions of others to move this work forward.
Chaz Rhone, MPH, CIC, FAPIC
Together with Becca Bartles, Chaz has facilitated the work being undertaken by the Academic Pathway sub-committee. This work will pave the future path for academic entry into our profession and facilitate bringing a new generation of infection preventionists into the field. This work is critical to maintaining the strength and future of our profession. Chaz’s leadership has been consistent, patient and tireless; he has contributed a significant amount of his own time and has effectively facilitated the necessary contributions of others to move this work forward.
October 2021
Kathleen McMullen, MPH, CIC, FAPIC
Kathleen McMullen has influenced key guidance changes vital to the field of infection prevention and control. She has served as member and is currently Chair of the Practice Guidance Committee. During her tenure, Kathleen aptly served as representative to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) workgroups related to ST91 (Guidelines on the processing of semi-rigid and flexible endoscopes) and S79 (Steam sterilization guidelines). Kathleen also took the lead to address the issue of disinfection of transcutaneous ultrasound transducers used for percutaneous procedures or for the purpose of monitoring other invasive procedures. These efforts resulted in APIC’s close collaboration with the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) and the publication of an Intersocietal Position Statement on the topic in March 2021. Kathleen serves on the COVID-19 Task Force to support the needs of infection preventionists during the pandemic. A key contribution from this work is the publication she co-authored which focused the attention of hospitals on healthcare-associated infections during the pandemic (K.M. McMullen et al. Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on hospital acquired infection rates in the United States: Predictions and early results. American Journal of Infection Control COMMENTARY| VOLUME 48, ISSUE 11, P1409-1411, NOVEMBER 01, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2020.06.209).
June 2021
Sue Barnes, RN, CIC, FAPIC
Since retiring as the National Infection Prevention Director for Kaiser Permanente in 2016, Sue Barnes has served as an advisor and consultant for industry partners and professional organizations including APIC, AORN and IDSA. She is Board certified in Infection Control and Prevention and was granted the designation of Fellow of APIC in 2015 (FAPIC). She has been in the field of Infection Prevention since 1989. She has participated in the development of a number of APIC implementation guides, and served as a speaker for organizations including AORN and APIC. In addition, Sue has been published in journals including AORN Journal, American Journal of Infection Control, The Joint Commission Source for Compliance Strategies and The Permanente Journal. She served on the National APIC Board of Directors from 2010 to 2012, and the San Francisco APIC chapter board of directors from 2007 – 2017.