TORONTO, June 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since 2014, CHAIR, the Coalition for Community and Healthcare Acquired Infection Reduction, has recognized the leadership of an individual or organization passionate about reducing acquired infections through engineered infection prevention technologies.
This year we had the most significant number of nominations to date and are awarding four awards in two categories, Healthcare and Community, for outstanding work and leadership.
Community Award #1
Joseph Fox, P.Eng.
Chair, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Advisory Group
Ontario Society of Professional Engineers
Joseph Fox is a professional engineer with more than ten years of experience in the HVAC industry. He chairs the Indoor Air Quality Advisory Group for the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. Their guidance has specifically targeted mitigating airborne disease transmission in healthcare settings.
"This award recognizes Joseph's passion and dedication to developing and publishing Indoor Air Quality Reports outlining how COVID-19 spreads, the core recommendations for safer Indoor air, the indoor Air Quality checklist, and the guidance around face coverings for COVID-19 prevention," said Steve Reinecke, Executive Director of CHAIR.
"Thank you for the honor of receiving the CHAIR Leadership Award. We have the necessary tools and knowledge to mitigate the transmission of airborne diseases. The time has come for us to put these measures into practice," said Joseph Fox. "The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers Indoor Air Quality Advisory Group specifically targeted healthcare settings in our core recommendations because of the moral imperative to protect patients and healthcare workers."
Community Award # 2- Joint Award
Department of Materials Engineering, The University of British Columbia
Dr. Edouard Asselin, B.A.Sc., Ph.D., P.Eng.
Professor
and
Dr. Amanda Clifford, B.Eng., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Asselin is a Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering at UBC who studies the extraction and corrosion of metals with an emphasis on copper. Since 2018, Ed has worked with VGH and Teck to study the durability of antimicrobial copper surfaces in public health care and transit systems. Ed has also worked on developing surface-engineered antimicrobial copper coatings.
Dr. Amanda Clifford is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering at UBC in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her research is focused on developing new self-disinfecting nanomaterials and coatings that rapidly kill pathogens to prevent surface-mediated transmission of infectious diseases.
"CHAIR wants to recognize Dr. Asselin and Dr. Clifford's passion and commitment to leading research in infection prevention and control," said Reinecke. "Specifically your published Smart Cu research and your contributions to the Cross-Canada Durability Study and Copper in Transit Program."
"Reducing surface-acquired infections across a wide variety of public spaces is essential to promoting public health," said Dr. Asselin. "CHAIR and its partners have long worked to this end, and I am honored to be recognized by this award."
"The creation and widespread implementation of 'smart' self-disinfecting coatings and materials in public spaces are critical to combatting the rising threat of antibiotic resistance," continued Dr. Clifford, "and reducing the surface-based spread of respiratory viruses such as coronavirus and influenza."
"This is the ninth year these distinguished awards have been presented," said Reinecke. "And these award winners truly represent CHAIR's new Vision: 'Safe Spaces, free from pathogens', and our new Mission: 'Inspire and guide research-based engineered solutions'."
About CHAIR:
CHAIR is a coalition of members working on promoting and introducing engineered solutions to reduce Community and Healthcare Infections. CHAIR was formed in 2014 with the original goal of supporting the creation of a safe healthcare environment for patients, staff, and visitors by achieving an 80% reduction in healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) by 2024. In 2022, the coalition revised its vision and mission and developed a new strategic roadmap (2022-2024). It seeks to have a more significant impact on reducing community and healthcare-acquired infections by building awareness and facilitating the application of engineered solutions (air, water, and surface).
For further information:
Steve Reinecke
sreinecke@chaircanada.org
