“Our efforts will work to enhance and support infection prevention and control efforts across Alabama’s healthcare and public health systems,” said Lisa McCormick, DrPH, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Public Health Practice in the UAB School of Public Health and Director of the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control (ARC IPC). “I’m excited to be working with a diverse team of IPC experts from UAB, ADPH, and from across other organizations in the state to assist ADPH in strengthen Alabama’s capacity to prevent, control, and manage infectious disease outbreaks. We hope these efforts will not only work to build capacity within the current workforce but also increase awareness for the need and importance of professionals in IPC and highlight their role in surveillance, detection, response, and prevention of future infectious disease outbreaks.”

The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in immense impacts on the economy, health, and social wellbeing of the citizens of Alabama. As of the time of this article, there have been over 548,000 COVID-19 cases and over 11,250 deaths due to COVID-19 in Alabama. Currently, the state’s vaccine rates are lagging, as new genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 are emerging (including the Delta variant with increased transmissibility). In addition, Alabama continues to see increases in cases of Hepatitis A and RSV, and, as we enter the summer months, concerns of vector-borne and foodborne illnesses increase. “As a nation and state, we were really caught flat footed by SARS-CoV-2 even though scientists had been warning that coronaviruses had the potential to create a global pandemic” said Dr. Suzanne Judd, PhD, Professor and Co-Director of the ARC IPC and Director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy in the UAB School of Public Health. “Working together with ADPH will help us to be ready when a new virus or bacteria threatens the health of Alabamians. We will be better prepared to communicate risks to the public to help prevent future pandemics.”

The Center will provide training and technical assistance to local, district, and state health department(s) IPC personnel, Infection Control Managers and Nurses located in in-patient and out-patient healthcare facilities and long-term care facilities, hospital epidemiologist, school nurses, and other infection control practitioners. “The UAB faculty and staff involved in this Center have extensive experience in infectious disease prevention and control, epidemiology and surveillance, behavioral health, public health preparedness, forecasting and modeling, as well as in implementing and evaluating public health programs whose purpose is to strengthen the current public health and healthcare workforce,” said Dr. McCormick.

The Center’s investigators include:

The Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control (ARC IPC) is currently launching its efforts. Please visit our website to request training or technical assistance, access Infection Prevention resources, see upcoming training opportunities, or to learn more about ARC IPC. For more information, questions or to sign up for the ARC IPC’s newsletter, please email ARCIPC@uab.edu or visit www.sites.uab.edu/arcipc.