Maria Sharapova 2011 ESPY Awards

Maria Sharapova helped to honor a fellow elite sportsman at the 2011 ESPY Awards.

 

 

And there will be prizes!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just sent me an e-mail announcing two new national awards to recognize success in “reducing and eliminating central-line associated bloodstream infection and ventilator-associated pneumonia.” The awards are co-sponsored by the Critical Care Societies Collaborative.

The announcement states that the awards are intended to motivate. There should already be several potent motivators at work here (e.g. saving lives, reducing lengths of hospital stay and costs, CMS public disclosure requirements, etc.). But if the prospect of getting a plaque and a free trip to Chicago is what your organization needs to get over the hump, then by all means get to work. I’m also in favor of anything that raises the profile of HAI prevention, so it is good to see on that level.

Speaking of raising profiles, there was a very similar award presented at the Fifth Decennial, to recognize excellent team performance in infection prevention. It would have been nice to see SHEA, APIC and IDSA co-sponsoring this, too.

Award announcement here

Sachin Tendulkar At The Asian Awards

Sachin Tendulkar talks to a journalist after winning the People's Choice Award at The Asian Awards at Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane in London