FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 21, 2016 (ATLANTA) — The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), a community of clinicians, educators, researchers and industry representatives who advocate for the Safest Dental Visit™, held their first board meeting at the organization’s new headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, November 13-15. OSAP recently contracted with Meeting Expectations for management services and moved its offices to the company’s facility.

The OSAP Board of Directors had a highly productive meeting, reviewing the accomplishments of 2016 and setting the stage for a successful 2017. The group finalized work on a partnership agreement to advance infection control education, approved a new initiative to develop a global networking community for infection control coordinators, determined editorial schedules, agreed to the development of new white papers on infection control, and approved a new online publication that will be unveiled in 2017.

The OSAP Board includes dental industry executives, infection control educators, clinicians, and government officials. It is chaired by Mike Smurr, director of marketing, merchandise for Patterson Dental. Kathy Eklund RDH MHP, director of occupational health and safety, and patient safety advocate at Forsyth Institute in Boston is vice-chair; Marguerite Walsh, vice president, product merchandising for Henry Schein Dental, is treasurer; and Karen Gregory RN, director of compliance and education for Total Medical Compliance, serves as secretary. John O'Keefe BDentSc MDentSc MBA, director of Knowledge Networks and editor-in-chief with the Canadian Dental Association, is the immediate past chair. Therese M. Long MBA CAE is executive director of OSAP and serves on the board in an ex-officio capacity.

About OSAP

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) is the only dental membership association solely focused on infection prevention and patient safety education. Our members include individual clinicians, group practices, educators, researchers, consultants, trainers, compliance directors, policymakers, and industry representatives who advocate for safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare. OSAP focuses on strategies to improve compliance with safe practices and on building a strong network of recognized infection control experts. OSAP offers an extensive online collection of resources, publications, FAQs, checklists, and toolkits that help dental professionals deliver the Safest Dental Visit for their patients. Plus, online and live courses help advance the level of knowledge and skill for every member of the dental team. For additional information, visit osap.org.

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