San Diego, California (PRWEB) November 18, 2013
Sepsis Alliance, the nation's leading patient advocacy organization promoting sepsis awareness, today announced that Sean Cuttler has joined its Board of Directors.
Cuttler currently serves as Director and Head of the Project Management Office (PMO) at inVentiv Health, a leading global provider of best-in-class Clinical, Commercial, and Consulting services for companies seeking to accelerate performance. He has also held positions with Integra Lifesciences Corporation, Lifecell Corporation, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Ipreo Holding (now KKR).
“With the alarming number of medical emergencies each year globally, healthcare policy reform, rising costs and limited understand of sepsis, being able to support and drive the advancement of Sepsis Alliance’s mission gives me great joy and honor to those we serve,” said Cuttler.
Sepsis, sometimes called blood poisoning by the general public, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection injures its own tissues and organs. Annually, sepsis kills 258,000 people in the United States alone and is a medical emergency that requires early diagnosis and rapid treatment with antibiotics and fluids. When treated correctly, severe sepsis or septic shock is almost always preventable.
Sepsis is the most expensive of all in-hospital costs at $20.3 billion dollars in 2011 – 5.2% of the national costs for all hospitalizations that year. Sepsis is also the most expensive condition billed to Medicare, accounting for 6.9% of all 2011 Medicare costs. Despite these numbers, fewer than half of American adults know what sepsis is.
“We are delighted that Sean Cuttler is joining our Board of Directors,” said Dr. Jim O’Brien, Sepsis Alliance Medical Director and Board Chair. “There is still much work to be done in promoting sepsis awareness, although Sepsis Alliance is progress. Sean’s business background in the health field will provide valuable expertise to the Board.”
About Sepsis Alliance
Sepsis Alliance is a nonprofit patient advocacy organization in the U.S. promoting awareness of sepsis. Sepsis Alliance operates by providing information and education to raise awareness of sepsis and its devastating effects, So More Survive. Sepsis Alliance also provides support by giving people affected by sepsis a forum to share information. Sepsis Alliance was founded by Dr. Carl Flatley after the loss of his 23-year-old daughter, Erin, to sepsis. Her death in 2002 spurred Dr. Flatley to start an organization that would promote awareness of sepsis to both medical professionals and patients. Sepsis Alliance is registered as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and is a founding member of the Global Sepsis Alliance. For more information on Sepsis Alliance, please visit http://www.sepsisalliance.org.