Healthcare Safety Conference
Safer Tomorrow: Bridging the Gap to Healthcare Safety
July 22 and 23, 2025
Hybrid (online, in-person) – Austin, TX
Free Registration
Contact Us Agenda Call for Abstracts Call for Exhibitors Call for Speakers
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Healthcare Safety Unit (HSU) announces the 2025 Healthcare Safety Conference. The Conference is a free event held virtually and in-person at the UT Commons Conference Center in Austin, Texas on July 22 and 23, 2025, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Purpose:
The Healthcare Safety Conference gathers healthcare and public health professionals across Texas. The event shares new information on infection prevention and control training, the state’s healthcare safety initiatives, and emerging public health threats.
Conference Target Audience:
Infection control practitioners, quality improvement and patient safety professionals, epidemiologists, data analysts, medical professionals, healthcare administrators, public health partners, and more.
Continuing Education credits for multiple disciplines will be provided.
Healthcare Safety Conference by Year
July 16, 2024 / Virtual Event
Presentations
- How AI is the Future of Healthcare and How to Harness It
(Amy Ho, MD, MPH, Chief Systems and Informatics Officer, Integrative Emergency Services) - Finding Balance in a Fast-Paced World
(Greg Brannan, Director of Business Development & Training, Deer Oaks EAP Services, LLC) - Health Literacy Strategies for Clear Communication
(Ashley Ring, MPH, Senior Project Manager, Communicate Health, Melanie Schwarz, MA, Content Strategist, Communicate Health) - Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)-Lights From The Field
(Aprilyn Diansuy, BSN, RN, MAN, CIC, Epidemiologist II, DSHS, Amanda Decimo, MPH, RN, Nurse III, DSHS, Angel Guevara, MS, MPH, CIC, Epidemiologist III, DSHS) - Prevent Becoming a Victim - When Patient Harm Occurs
(Linda Stimmel, Senior Attorney Consultant, JD Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP) - Waterborne Pathogen Disinfection and Remediation in Healthcare Facilities
(Michael Castro, MPH, CWT, Water Safety and Management Specialist District Manager) - Getting More From Your Root Cause Analysis Process
(Joyce M. Black, PhD , FAAN, Florence Neidfelt Professor of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Nursing) - Candida auris: The Fungus Among Us
(Sarah Work, MPH, CIC, HAI Epidemiologist III, DSHS, Tina Moraga, MPH, MDRO Epidemiologist II, DSHS, Mary Ann DeMaet, MSN, RN, CIC, Operations Manager Infection Control & Healthcare Epidemiology, University of Texas Medical Branch) - What's New in Just Culture?
(Kathryn Wire, JD, MBA, CPPS, CPHRM, FASHRM, Executive Director, Center for Patient Safety) - Medical Provider Barriers in Implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship
(Melissa LeBrun, DNP, MPH, APRN, FNP-C, CIC, CEO/ Professor, Executive Medical Clinic of Lake Charles/ Loyola University) - Mental Health First Aid 101
(Jondell Lafont-Garcia, MA, LPC, Program Specialist VII, Texas Health and Human Services Commission)
August 23-24, 2023
Presentations
- An Approach to Earning and Sustaining Trust in Health Care
(Jodyn Platt, PhD, MPH, University of Michigan) - Avoiding Burnout and Managing Stress for Healthcare Professionals
(Ron Mottern, PhD, LCDC, RTC Mottern Institute for Mind-Body Wellness) - Breaking Down the Annual Risk Assessment and IP Program APIC Broadcast
(Rebecca Battjes, MPH, CIC, FAPIC Diversey) - DSHS HAI-Lights of Texas
(Sonya Ajani, MPH; Melissa LeBrun, DNP, MPH, APRN, FNP-C, a-IPC; Katy Glazebrook, MS, LMT, CWP; Anna Nutt, MPH, CIC, FAPIC; Gretchen Rodriguez, MPH, CIC; DSHS) - Engaging Patients/Families in Infection Prevention
(Sue Collier Deaton, MSN, RN, FABC Patient-Centered Innovation) - High-Reliability Principles as a Leadership Operating System
(Rod Brace, PhD RELIA Healthcare Advisors) - Human Factor in Root Cause Analysis to Improve Patient Safety
(Brittany Anderson Montoya, PhD, MS Atrium Health) - Leading Through Crisis
(Dr. Emily Schottman, Austin Mental Wellness) - Mitigation of a Multiple Organism NDM CRE Outbreak at an Acute Care Hospital
(Thi Dang, MPH, CHES, CIC, FAPIC and Richard Duh, MPH Tarrant County Public Health) - Optimizing Patient and Your Health through Laughter Yoga
(Emma Ferguson, RN, CLYL, CLYT) - Stronger Together: Game Winning Strategies for the Team and the Public
(Rik Roberts, Creative Keynotes) - Telehealth and Patient Safety
(Nora Cox, Texas e-Health Alliance) - The Art of Apology
(Linda Stimmel, JD Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP) - The Impact of Health Disparities
(Krystal Robinson, MPH, CIC HonorHealth) - When to use Enhanced Barrier Precautions versus Contact Precautions
(Heather Jones, DNP, NP-C Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
May 17-19, 2022
Presentations
- Beating Burnout at Work: Strategies for You and Your Team
- Best Practices for Healthcare Construction and Renovation: Minimizing the Health Impact on Patients
- Building Healthcare Resiliency Across the Continuum of Care
- Enhanced Barrier Precautions in the Long-Term Care (LTC) Setting
- HAI-lights of the Field During the COVID 19 Pandemic
- Healthcare-associated Infections and Preventable Adverse Events Events: Learning from COVID-19
- Healthcare Safety Investigations - Group COVID 19 Response
- Identifying and Responding to Outbreaks in Long-term Care Facilities (LTCFs)
- Infection Control Risk Assessment 2.0
- Innovations in Skilled Nursing Home Dialysis
- Overview of COVID-19 Public Health Surveillance and Reporting in Texas, 2020-2022
- Telling a Story With Your Data
- The Return of MDROs: C diff Case Example
- The Rise of Candida auris in Texas during COVID 19
- Weathering the Storm: An All Hands on Deck Response to an Infodemic & How to Prepare for the Future
August 28-30, 2019
- Conference Agenda – Agenda, Session Descriptions and Learning Objectives.
- Speakers – Bios/photos of speakers.
Presentations:
- Bloodstream Infection (BSI) Quality improvement Activities Dany Anchia BSN, RN, CDN
- Good Drugs and Bad Bugs: Antimicrobial Stewardship and Resistant Pathogens in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Settings Robin Jump, MD, PhD
- HAI-lights from the Field DSHS HAI Epidemiologists
- How Safe is the Patient Journey Through the Healthcare Maze? Cheri Lattimer, RN, BSN
- Human Factors Engineering and Patient Safety: A Worksystem Framework for “Protection Through Prevention”
C. Adam Probst, PhD, MS, CPPS - Infection Prevention and Control in LTC Facilities: Quality Monitoring Program Activities and Current Regulations
Sheri Mead RN, CDP, CADDCT - Keeping Patients Safe - One Day at a Time Eunice Halverson, MA, CPPS
- OR to CSD Best Practices for Sterilization in Health Care Facilities Bob Marrs, CRCST, CIS, CHL
- Patient Notification of Infection Control Breaches and HAI Outbreaks Kiran M. Perkins, MD, MPH
- Texas Healthcare Safety Status Update Jennifer Vinyard, MPH, CIC and Vickie Gillespie, BSN, RN
- VIM-CRPA in West Texas Gillian Blackwell, BSN, RN, CIC
Presentations by guest speaker:
- A Systematic Approach to Safe and Highly Reliable Care Michael Leonard, MD
- Active Surveillance for C.diff and Candida auris in Texas Kevin W. Garey, PharmD, MS, FASHP
- After the Unexpected: Disclosure, Transparency & Collaboration Leilani Schweitzer
- An historic ‘Never Event’: How can we prevent others? Evelyn V. McKnight, AuD, Thomas A. McKnight, MD
- Antibiotic Stewardship is Here to Stay: Are You Ready? Kristi Kuper, PharmD, BCPS
- Building an Integrated Medical Device Hygiene Strategy Across the Continuum of Care J. Hudson Garrett, PhD, MSN, MPH, MBA, FNP-BC, CSRN, PLNC, AS-BC, IP-BC, VA-BCTM, FACDONA
- From Data to Discovery: Interpreting Data for Action DSHS Healthcare Safety Group
- High Reliability and Healthcare Brian H. Enochs, JD
- Is This a Reportable PAE? Vickie Gillespie, BSN, RN, CIC
- New Directions in Fall and Fall Injury Prevention Pat Quigley, PhD, MPH, ARNP, CRRN, FAAN, FAANP
- The Resistance Persistence: A Closer Look at Antimicrobial Resistance and Outbreaks in Texas DSHS Healthcare Safety Team
- When Caring Hurts: The Second Victim Phenomenon Susan D. Scott, PhD, RN, CPPS, FAAN
Stand UP for SAFETY Materials
- AMS: Practical Implementation Strategies: (Slides) “Antibiotic Stewardship: Practical Implementation Strategies” Theresa Jaso, PharmD, BCPS
- DSHS Ebola Preparedness: (Slides) “Designated Infection Control Officer” Samuel Vance, MHA, LP; “Ebola Readiness in Texas Hospitals” Thi Dang, MPH, CHES, CIC; “Ebola Preparedness: Hospitals and Beyond” Keri Cain, MA
- Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship: (Slides) “Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship and Patient Safety” Guillermo Sanchez, PA-C,MSHS, MPH
- PSS Ebola Presentation (Slides) “Ebola Lessons Learned, The Impact from International and Local Perspectives” Abdulasalami Nasidi, MD, PhD
- Stand Up for Safety pt. 2: (Video) “The High Reliability Journey – Ebola in Dallas, Dr. Daniel Varga, Texas Health Resources
- Stand Up for Safety pt. 3: (Video) “Health Literacy Part 1” Teresa Wagner, PhD
- Stand Up for Safety pt. 4: (Video) “Health Literacy Part 2” Teresa Wagner, PhD
- Stand Up for Safety pt. 5: (Video) “Saying NO to HAPI!” Alaina Tellson, PhD
- Saying No to HAPI!: (Slides) “Saying NO to HAPI!” Alaina Tellson
- PFE: DFW Partnering for Safety: (Slides) “Partnering with Patients and Family to Improve Quality and Patient Safety” Tanya Lord, PhD, MPH
Materials:
- Antibiotic Stewardship Antibiograms
- Antimicrobial Resistance: A Call to Action
- Cleaning and Disinfection - It is More Than
- Clostridium difficile Update in Texas and Beyond
- Do you measure Up? Hardwiring Sepsis
- It is Time to Ask the Burning Question
- Preventing Adverse Perioperative Events
- Preventing Surgical Site Infection Related Devices Used in Invasive
- PSO's Reconciling Protection with State
- Root Cause Analysis Map
- Texas DoH-Milne - RCA Workshop Materials
- Texas DSHS Healthcare Safety Update
- Update on Clostridium difficile