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International Speaker Alicia Cole is regarded as one of the most influential voices in Patient Safety, Infection Prevention, and Patient Engagement. Honored by President Barack Obama in a national address, Alicia was subsequently appointed as a Voting Member to the Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB). She served on that respected council from 2015 until February 2020 under both Presidents Obama and Trump.
Cole’s journey to Patient Advocacy began in 2006 when her mother noticed a black dot above the former actress’s surgical incision following routine fibroid removal surgery. It was the first sign of Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh-eating disease) and the beginning of a two-month fight to survive hospital-acquired MRSA, VRE, Sepsis, and Pseudomonas. She suffered six additional surgeries, nine blood transfusions, nearly had her left leg amputated, then endured over a decade of weekly medical treatments and aftercare.
While still recovering from her near-fatal ordeal, Cole co-sponsored and successfully lobbied for passage of two California laws for Patient Safety Education and Public Reporting of hospital infection rates - “Nile’s Law.” In between doctor appointments, the Ohio State Alum went back to school, earning a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management and Leadership from UCLA School of Public Health. The CDC, CMS, Partnership for Patients, Pew Charitable Trust, and the National Quality Forum are just a few of the organizations she collaborates with. Cole proudly serves on the board of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation and the Environmental Services Optimization Playbook Project (ESOP) Advisory Council. She is also a member of the Patient Safety Action Network (PSAN) and the Society for Participatory Medicine. She was aptly listed among the “Nation’s Best-Practices in Patient and Family Engagement” by the Caregiver Action Network.
Incredibly in 2016, while receiving care, Alicia again suffered a hospital infection and needed two more surgeries, blood transfusions, and two more years of intense aftercare. Alicia’s journey from survivor to change agent has been featured on ABC’s 20/20, The Doctors, The Dr. Nandi Show, Telemundo, CBS, and Fox News, she has also been profiled in USA Today, HEALTH Magazine, Consumer Reports, HealthLeaders Media, and the LA Times. Her mission is to bring the patient voice to every forum creating important healthcare policies and patient safety decisions and making the healthcare system safer for every patient at every encounter.
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