SHEA Announces its 2012 International Ambassadors

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America is pleased to announce its 2012 International Ambassador Program delegation.  Each year, SHEA selects 10-12 delegates from around the world to participate in intensive training in healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention in the United States, as well as connect to leading experts in the field worldwide.   With delegates from seventeen countries to date, SHEA is pleased to expand this year’s delegation to seven new countries, as well as deepen our presence in Asia, Africa, and South America.  The 2012 delegates include:

• Aziz O. Abdallah, MD, MS, HIVMAN, University Research Corporation, LLC, (Windhoek, Namibia)
• Pierre Abi Hanna, MD, MPH, Rafik Hariri University Hospital (Beirut,  Lebanon)
• Martha I. Alvarez Larrañaga, MD, MPH, Fundacion Cardioinfantil IC (Cundinamarca, Colombia)
• Hitoshi Honda, MD, Teine Keijinkai Medical Center (Hokkaido , Japan)
• Ali  Miraj Khan, MBBS, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, (Dhaka, Bangledesh) (deceased)
• Hong Bin Kim, MD, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (Seongnam, Korea)
• Admasu T. Mamuye, MD, Addis Ababa University School of Medicine (Addis Ababa , Ethiopia)
• Maria Alejandra Marcotti, MD, Clinica Alemana (Santiago, Chile)
• Joseph Ogirima Ovosi, MBBS, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (Kaduna, Northern Nigeria)
• Tamer Saied, MD, MSC, U.S. Naval Medical Research (Cairo, Egypt)
• Sung Won Yoon Chang, RN, PhD, IC, Samsung Medical Center (Seoul ,Korea)

Dr. Khan passed away shortly after submitting his application, and SHEA did not learn of his passing until after awarding him this honor.  For 2012, Dr. Khan has been named an honorary International Ambassador.

After attending both the SHEA Spring 2012 Conference and IDWeek, ambassadors will be well situated to significantly improve infection prevention efforts in their home countries.  The applications for 2012 were extremely competitive and we would like to thank all of those who applied for this program.  We will start accepting applications for 2013 next summer.

The SHEA Education & Research Foundation would like to thank 3M Corporation for its generous support of this program. 

If you have any questions or wish to learn more about the program, please email ambassadors@shea-online.org.

Overview

Since 2009, SHEA has partnered with 3M to launch the International Ambassadors Program, which is dedicated to building collaborative relationships between U.S. and international healthcare professionals with expertise in healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention.

Each year, SHEA sponsors 10-12 ambassadors from around the world to attend SHEA’s Annual Scientific Meeting and the SHEA/CDC Training Course in Healthcare Epidemiology. Ambassadors are also given a one-year membership in the society to foster networking and expose them to SHEA’s journal and other educational opportunities that can promote knowledge dissemination. Beginning in 2012, Ambassadors will also invited to participate in Infectious Disease Week, a joint venture of SHEA with IDSA, HIVMA and PIDS. SHEA continues work with new Ambassadors and program alumnae to identify new educational content to, partnership opportunities and other efforts to support individual goals for education, guideline and policy development and building regional networks.

Response to the International Ambassador Program has been noteworthy since its inception: over 200 applicants from around the world have sought a place in this elite group. SHEA has welcomed thirty-two Ambassadors representing seventeen countries (Brazil, Chile, China, Columbia, Ghana, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam).

Outcomes

The impact of this program within the Ambassadors’ regions as well as for SHEA’s international network is significant and continues to evolve.  Ambassadors have organized training courses and educational meetings addressing infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship in India and China and planning for upcoming meetings in 2011 and 2012 are underway through the leadership of Ambassadors in Brazil and the Philippines.  Ambassadors have collaborated on a variety of projects, including: outbreak investigation (India), educational programs (India; Philippines), development of professional networks within a country (Kenya), and research. 

Please make a tax-deductible contribution to support the SHEA Education & Research Foundation.  Thank you for your commitment to research innovation and the future of healthcare epidemiology.

International Ambassadors Program Goals

• Build collaborative relationships between SHEA and professionals in infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology working abroad.
• Expand international representation of emerging leaders in epidemiology.
• Expose international participants to SHEA scientific content.
• Export SHEA-based expertise to resource-limited settings.
• Expand international SHEA membership and create networks.
• Build a cadre of potential collaborators and investigators for SHEA research and education projects.

Delegations

2011 Delegation

• Romanee Chaiwarith, MD, MHS, Chiang Mai University (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
• Matan Cohen, MD, MPH, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center (Jerusalem, Israel)
• Mirian Dalben, MD, Universidade de Sao Paulo (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Arti Kapil, MD, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi, India)
• Vikas Manchanda, MD, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya (Delhi, India)
• Rose Ngugi, RN, The Nairobi Hospital (Nairobi, Kenya)
• Michael Oji, MBBS, Lagoon Hospital (Lagos, Nigeria)
• Andrea Restrepo, MD, Hospital Pablo Tobon Uribe (Antioguia, Colombia)
• Le Anh Thu, MD, PhD, Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)
• Zhiyong Zong, PhD, MBBS, MS, West China Hospital (Sichuan, China)

2010 Delegation

• Carlos Alvarez, MD, MSc, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Javeriana University  (Bogota, Colombia)
• Wu Anhua, MD, PhD, Xiangya Hospital,Central South University (Hunan, China)
• Susan Anumo Otieno, MPH, RN, Kenyatta University (Nairobi, Kenya)
• Anita Arora, MD, MBBS, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre (Delhi, India)
• Sheila Donlon, MD, Health Protection Surveillnace Centre (Cavan Town, Ireland)
• Nordiah Jalil, MD, MSc, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
• Silma Pinheiro, PhD, RN, MSc, Federal University of Minas Gerais (Minas Gerias, Brazil)
• Josephine Anne Navoa-Ng, MD, St. Luke's Medical Center (Manila, Philippines)
• Sanjeev Singh, MD, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (Kerala, India)
• Graciela Solache-Alcaraz, MD, Hospital General de México, OD, Health Ministry (Mexico City, Mexico)

2009 Delegation

• María Cristina Ajenjo, MD, Internal Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago, Chile)
• Ícaro Boszczowski, MD, MSc, Hospital das Clínicas University of Sao Paulo (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Ana Correa, MD, Hospital Pablo Tobon Uribe (Antioquia, Colombia
• Bijie Hu, MD, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University (Shanghai, China)
• Nongyao Kasatpibal, PhD, RN, MNS, Chaing Mai University (Chaing Mai, Thailand)
• Linus Ndegwa, MPHE, HCS, PGD Ophth, Centres for Disease Control- CDC (Nairobi, Kenya)
• Anand Manoharan, PhD, MPH, MSc, Christian Medical College & Hospital (Tamil Nadu, India)
• Alex Owusu-Ofori, MD, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Kumasi, Ghana)
• Akihiko Saitoh, MD, PhD, FAAP, National Center for Child Health and Development Director (Tokyo, Japan)
• Sharmila Sengupta, MD, SRL Lab, Fortis Hospital (Delhi, India)
• Mohammed Youbi, MD, Ministry of Health (Rabat, Morocco)

Sponsorship

SHEA gratefully acknowledges the financial generosity of 3M Corporation, which supports the International Ambassador Program.

Application

SHEA seeks applicants each year in October for the next year’s International Ambassador delegation.   SHEA encourages applications from regions that have not been represented in the program during prior years. Eligibility and selection criteria emphasize need for training and exposure to an international network of professionals in infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology and the specific goals of the candidate to apply knowledge and networking benefits to their own institution and region.

• Online Application
• Eligibility for Application PDF

 

Key Dates

• Application Period: August 15-September 30, 2011
• Review Period: October-November, 2011
• Notification and Announcement: November 30, 2011
• Spring 2012 Training Course: April 13-16, 2012
• ID Week Conference: October 17-21 , 2012