Presentation by Stephanie Taylor, M.D.
The Wisconsin Chapter of ASHRAE is proud to announce that on Thursday, October 18th, Stephanie Tayor, M.D. will be presenting on: “Healthcare-Associated Infections and Hospital Indoor Air Quality”.
Dr. Stephanie Taylor received her MD from Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts in 1984. For the next several decades, she practiced clinical medicine and did academic research in cellular growth mechanisms.
During this time, she became increasingly concerned about patients who were harmed by new infection during their in-patient treatment. Determined to gain a better understanding of the impact of the built environment on patient well-being, she returned to school and obtained her Master’s Degree I Architecture and Engineering from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. She quickly learned that many of the building and indoor air characteristics that affect people in hospitals also influenced the health of all people in buildings.
Dr. Taylor is currently working at the intersection of architectural design, indoor air management, the microbiome of the built environment and occupant health. She finds the impact of buildings on our health startling! Managing the built environment and indoor air with the goal of decreasing diseases from acute infections to chronic inflammation to cognitive impairment, is a very underutilized yet powerful approach to disease prevention. She finds that her physician insights and biological research helps her understand the science behind the interaction of buildings, human physiology and energy consumption.
Presentation Synopsis:
Healthcare-Associated Infections and Hospital Indoor Air Quality
As new research clarifies how essential the built environment is to patient healing and employee health and productivity Dr. Taylor will communicate clear and up to date research on how indoor air management relates to patient healing, length of stay and hospital profits. Given the exorbitant cost of healthcare, the frightening increase in antibiotic resistance, and the epidemic of patient harm from new infections, these insights offer exciting new tools that cannot be ignored. In addition, this study shows that the current focus on hand hygiene and surface disinfection to decrease transmission of infections will never be adequate without considering the added dimension of indoor management. For those still unconvinced about the value, the business case for these interventions will be presented. Best of all, these findings apply to all building types, not just hospitals.
ASHRAE Scholarship Update:
The Wisconsin Chapter of ASHRAE will also award the Gustus L. Larson Scholarship to students during the October Chapter Meeting! Please encourage any students entering their senior year of an engineering degree to apply for this scholarship opportunity. More info about the scholarship can be found at: http://ashrae-wi.org/scholarship/
Registration and itinerary for the October Meeting are below.
Agenda
Thursday October 18, 2018
4:30-6:00 PM – Registration & Networking
6:00 PM – Dinner & Presentation
Location
Red Rock Saloon
Remember to encourage your friends & coworkers to sign-up & attend the Wisconsin Chapter ASHRAE meetings. Feel free to invite individuals that may be interested in joining our field. ASHRAE meetings serve as a great way to learn about our industry as well as offering a great networking opportunity for current & potential members.
