Dr. Christine McGuire-Wolfe, a USF College of Public Health (COPH) assistant professor and alum, has joined the Public Policy Committee of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). 

“Being a part of this committee allows me to cultivate an awareness of developing issues in infection control and to pass this knowledge on to my students,” said McGuire-Wolfe, who received both her PhD and MPH from the college. 

According to its website, the APIC’s mission is to create a safer world through the prevention of infection. It is the leading professional association for infection preventionists (IPs) with more than 15,000 members, most of whom are health care providers, public health professionals, epidemiologists and medical technologists. 

The group’s Public Policy Committee “monitors, analyzes and provides input into legislation in the U.S. Congress and in state legislatures that ensures legislators and regulators have the best information to help them develop policies that create a safer world through the prevention of infection,” says the APIC website. Some of their advocacy projects include supporting antibiotic stewardship, mandatory flu vaccinations for healthcare workers and evidence-based practices of social distancing and masking to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

“Participation in this committee requires field experience about the realities and challenges of practicing as an infection preventionist. It also requires knowledge about infection-control related public health issues,” said McGuire-Wolfe, who, in addition to her COPH duties, has worked as an emergency responder and infection control officer with Pasco County Fire Rescue (PCFR) for nearly two decades. “Thirdly, it requires solid writing skills as the committee comments on regulatory and legislative initiatives and provides talking points to stakeholders regarding issues of importance to infection control and prevention. This is a great outreach opportunity for me, as well as an opportunity to represent the online infection control program at the USF COPH.”

McGuire-Wolfe’s term, which began in January 2021, will extend for three years.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health