Sepsis Alliance Announces Sepsis Heroes for 2012
August 7, 2012 - Sepsis Alliance, the nation’s leading patient advocacy group in sepsis awareness, today announced the honorees of the 2012 Sepsis Heroes Award. These awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact in helping raise sepsis awareness in the United States.
“Recognizing the hard work that it takes to help raise sepsis awareness is vital,” said Dr. Carl Flatley, founder of Sepsis Alliance. “As research and numerous surveys have demonstrated, we need as much help as we can get in ensuring the message gets across to as many Americans as possible.”
The first honoree is Jennifer Ludwin, a sepsis survivor who has dramatically helped raise awareness of the disease. As one of Sepsis Alliance’s first Faces of Sepsis™, Jennifer has recounted her story of survival against a disease that claimed her fingers, as well as her legs below the knees. She recently completed a dual degree master's program at The Ohio State University and works as a Graduate Teaching Associate in the Human Development and Family Science Department. Yet, she has found time to tell her story at TEDx, be a guest on the Rachael Ray show, participate in Sepsis: Emergency, and speak to countless groups about the seriousness of sepsis and the need for awareness.
Sepsis Alliance’s second honoree is the North Shore-LIJ Health System, being recognized for its leadership role in improving care for sepsis patients across all of their hospitals. NS-LIJ’s public commitment and dedication to sepsis victims serves as a model for other organizations, both here and across the globe. NS-LIJ also organized and hosted the Merinoff Symposium in 2010, a ground-breaking international conference on sepsis which helped spur the formation of the Global Sepsis Alliance, the organization behind World Sepsis Day.
Sepsis Heroes will also recognize two amazing medical professionals who founded Spike Out Sepsis (SOS), a sand volleyball tournament held in Columbus, Ohio that attracts competitors, spectators and supporters from central Ohio and across the Midwest. Started in 2009 by staff at The Ohio State University Medical Center, the event continues to grow every year, with 2012 being a record-breaking year for the tournament. Two of the founders of SOS, ICU nurse Jennifer McDermott, MSN, Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Ohio State University, and Alicia Rendon, MSN, CNP, will be accepting the award.
The final honoree for 2012 Sepsis Heroes is Jennifer Anderson, whose annual fishing tournament in Dunedin, FL has been raising awareness of sepsis since 2003. Following the death of her sister, Erin Flatley, Jennifer started BUGS Classic to help raise awareness of the disease and funds for the Erin K. Flatley Foundation. Jennifer has been steering the tournament from the beginning, and is being honored for her hard work and dedication to sepsis awareness.
“We are so incredibly honored to be recognizing these true Sepsis Heroes on September 13th,” said Thomas Heymann, Sepsis Alliance board president. “As people become more aware of the need for education about sepsis, these trailblazers have served as an inspiration to countless others, fighting to raise awareness of sepsis or fighting against the disease itself. We look forward to giving them the credit they deserve, and hope others can join us in the celebration of their work.”
Tickets for An Evening with Sepsis Heroes are available online, with general admission and special VIP packages available at www.sepsisheroes.org. For those who cannot attend the Sepsis Heroes event, virtual tickets can also be purchased. Additional information about the event can be found by following @SepsisHeroes or @SepsisAlliance on Twitter, or by “liking” Sepsis Alliance on Facebook. For companies and organizations who would like to sponsor the Sepsis Heroes Evening, please visit http://www.sepsisheroes.org or call us at (813) 874-2552.
About Sepsis Alliance
Sepsis Alliance is a nonprofit patient advocacy organization in the U.S. promoting awareness of sepsis. Sepsis Alliance operates by providing information and education to raise awareness of sepsis and its devastating effects, So More Survive. Sepsis Alliance also provides support by giving people affected by sepsis a forum to share information. Sepsis Alliance was founded by Dr. Carl Flatley after the loss of his 23 year-old daughter, Erin, to sepsis. Her death in 2002 spurred Dr. Flatley to start an organization that would promote awareness of sepsis to both medical professionals and patients. He recently published an article in the Tampa Bay Times looking back at the last decade of sepsis awareness since his daughter’s death. Sepsis Alliance is registered as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and is a founding member of the Global Sepsis Alliance. For more information on Sepsis Alliance, please visit http://www.sepsisalliance.org.