News Release
Washington Adventist Hospital to Host Community Forum on MRSA
Washington Adventist Hospital will host a free community forum on March 26 to educate residents about what they can do to prevent and reduce the spread of staph infections including MRSA a form of staph infection that has been making headlines in Maryland and throughout the nation.
Staphylococcus aureus, or "Staph," are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Approximately 25 to 30 percent of the population carries the staph bacteria. MRSA, which is resistant to certain antibiotics, is generally present in about 1 percent of the population who carry the staph bacteria.
In December, a special education teacher at Herbert Hoover Middle School in Potomac died of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria and, in January, a staff member at Bells Mill Elementary School in Bethesda was diagnosed with the drug-resistant staph infection. This month, a student at Wootton High School in Rockville was diagnosed with MRSA. Since October, there have been more than 50 MRSA cases reported among students in Montgomery County Public Schools.
The panelists will include Washington Adventist Hospital physicians and infectious disease experts and Prince George’s County Health Officer Dr. Donald Shell, who will be available to answer questions on this important topic. This forum is part of a state-wide initiative by the Maryland Hospital Association and is one of several forums on MRSA that will be held throughout Maryland in March.
| Forum Details |
| Speakers |
From Washington Adventist Hospital:
• Judy Lichty, Regional Director of Prevention & Wellness - Moderator
• Nancy Grimm, Executive Director of Infection Control
• Dr. Sean Saedi, Primary Care Physician
• Ron Master, Supervisor, Microbiology Lab
From Prince George's County Health Department:
• Dr. Donald Shell, Health Officer
|
| Date |
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 |
| Time |
7:00-9:00pm |
| Location |
Washington Adventist Hospital
Conference Center
7600 Carroll Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912 |
Washington Adventist Hospital is a 294-bed, state-of-the-art acute care facility located in Takoma Park, Maryland. Washington Adventist Hospital is Montgomery County's first cardiac center, performing 8,000 open-heart surgeries and cardiac catheterizations each year. Washington Adventist Hospital is part of Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health-care delivery system based in Rockville, Maryland, that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland. Adventist HealthCare includes Washington Adventist Hospital, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, Adventist Senior Living Services, Hackettstown Community Hospital and Adventist Home Health Services, the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Children and Infants and LifeWork Strategies.