MAYWOOD, Ill. -- The Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine will host the 3rd annual World MRSA Day kickoff and Global MRSA Summit at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct.1, in a free, public event. Dr. William R. Jarvis, world-renowned MRSA expert, formerly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the keynote speaker.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that has become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections.
The CDC estimates that 18,000 people die of invasive MRSA infections in U.S. health-care facilities each year – more than total annual deaths from HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Jorge Parada, an associate professor of infectious disease at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, will accept the MRSA Survivor Network’s 2011 “Hospital Leader Award” on behalf of Loyola University Medical Center.
"The first step in preventing the spread of any type of infection is awareness of the possibility," said Dr. Parada, medical director of the infection control program at Loyola University Medical Center. “Loyola’s effort to control MRSA has been recognized and lauded at national and international infectious disease meetings.”
Since 2007, Loyola has been among the first hospitals in the nation to initiate several aggressive strategies to detect and reduce MRSA infections, including screening hospital inpatients and offering a MRSA clinic, which is run by Dr. Parada.
The Global MRSA Summit at Loyola will include:
10:30 a.m. – Welcome by event emcee Ron Stafford, anchor for NBC5 and Dateline NBC
Remembrance Ceremony and Chicago Highlanders’ bagpipe music
Opening prayer by Rev. Henry Soles, Chicago Bulls senior chaplain
Moment of Silence for those who have died from MRSA
Dr. William R. Jarvis, MRSA medical expert
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton
Dr. Jorge Parada, Loyola University Chicago and Loyola University Medical Center
Award presentation by Jeanine Thomas, founder of the MRSA Survivors Network
A 30-minute seminar after the ceremony will teach participants how they can become a MRSA Survivors Champion in their community and raise awareness.
The World MRSA Day event will be broadcast live via Web stream and can be viewed at www.worldmrsaday.org and www.MRSAsurvivors.org.