Package Description

This session will provide a summary of common types of respiratory protection used in healthcare settings. Additionally, the presentation will provide an overview of current high-priority topics associated with personal protective equipment (PPE) with an emphasis on CDC respiratory protection optimization strategies, as well as new technologies available, counterfeit issues, international respirator assessments, and PPE research updates. The session will also cover the Respiratory Protection Program and will conclude with a Q&A section.

Learning Objectives:

After completing this course, learners should be able to:

• describe the different types of respirators used in healthcare settings
• identify the elements of a Respiratory Protection Program (RPP)

Price:

• Members: $15
• Non-members: $30

CE Information:

CE Credits: 1.00

Click here to view detailed CE information about this course.

Speakers:

Megan Casey, RN, BSN, MPH

LCDR Casey coordinates research related to the healthcare and social assistance industry sector at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). She is currently a Nurse Epidemiologist and Team Lead at NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory. She also currently serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service where she has deployed for Hurricanes Irma/Maria, Zika virus, unaccompanied minors at the U.S. border, and COVID-19. LCDR Casey came to NIOSH as a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in 2014 conducting workplace health hazard evaluations and performing occupational health surveillance. Also, during this time, she deployed to Sierra Leone to evaluate and initiate Ebola infection control practices among healthcare workers. Prior to joining NIOSH, she was a Nurse Epidemiologist with the Allegheny County Health Department in Pittsburgh coordinating infectious disease surveillance and outbreak response.

Disclosures: No relevant financial relationships to disclose

Maryann D’Alessandro, PhD

Dr. D’Alessandro has served as the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) since March 2012. She also served as the Associate Director for Science for NPPTL from 2003-2012. Maryann provides leadership to the NIOSH Personal Protective Technology (PPT) Core and Specialty Program and the Public Safety Program, where she serves as Manager, leading the effort to align PPT initiatives with user needs across all workplace industry sectors.

Disclosures: No relevant financial relationships to disclose

Kathy Eklund, RDH, MHP

Ms. Eklund is the Director of Occupational Health and Safety at The Forsyth Institute. She is an adjunct faculty member at Regis College, Dental Hygiene Program. Ms. Eklund serves as faculty for the New England AIDS Education and Training Center and HIVdent.org. She was the 2017-2019 Chair of the Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) Board of Directors. She currently serves on the ADHA Task Force on COVID-19 Interim Guidance on Returning to Work and is a consultant to the ADA Council on Dental Practice. Ms. Eklund has published papers and contributed to several texts on infection control and safety and is an author of the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings- 2003.

Disclosures: No relevant financial relationships to disclose

Renee Joskow, DDS, MPH, FAGD, FACD, FICD

Dr. Joskow is a dentist and medical epidemiologist and a Captain in the United States Public Health Service. She currently serves as the Senior Advisor to the Director, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH.

Disclosures: No relevant financial relationships to disclose