Frequently Asked Questions about APIC s Potential Name Change to: Association for the Prevention of Infection

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1 Frequently Asked Questions about APIC s Potential Name Change to: Association for the Prevention of Infection If our name changes, would we continue to use the acronym APIC? Would it still fit? Our acronym carries a tremendous amount of name recognition and prestige, and therefore we will never change it. We will retain the APIC acronym -- we will still be APIC. There is considerable precedent with other associations changing names but retaining their acronyms, such as AORN (Association of perioperative Registered Nurses). Why is APIC proposing that we change our name to the Association for the Prevention of Infection? The potential new name better reflects the association s mission and more easily conveys our purpose. Most importantly, it incorporates our members critical role in protecting patients. The new name would also allow us to be more inclusive, diverse and welcoming to other healthcare-related disciplines who share a common interest in reducing the risk of infection. With many other organizations entering the infection prevention arena, the name change would encourage other healthcare workers to see APIC as their primary expert resource in infection prevention. The proposed new name more powerfully and positively conveys our changing and expanding role and moves us from being passive to active in our collaborations so that we are seen as inviting partnerships in patient safety reaching out to all of the stakeholders as true partners in prevention. Changing the name is the final and most important step in incorporating prevention into the work of the association and its members. It puts prevention front and center in our name. The name change offered in 2008 for the profession -- from infection control professional to infection preventionist emphasizes our role in protecting patients and reducing infections. The new 1

2 association name will make it easier for everyone -- from other healthcare personnel to the general public -- to understand who we are and what we do. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has served us well for many years, yet the scope of infection prevention continues to evolve. Our proposed new name incorporates our members critical role in protecting patients and allows APIC to be seen as a major resource in infection prevention. If the word professional is removed from our name, will APIC still advocate for infection preventionists? Have we lost our professional association? Though the proposed new name does not include the word professional, APIC s leadership is committed to our core mission: education, networking, and advocacy on behalf of our members. Our constituency of more than 12,000 infection preventionists will continue to be our primary focus. Nor would the potential name change affect the balance of power or leadership within the organization. Members of other professions and organizations who wish to join APIC will continue to be eligible for associate membership with restrictions on voting and running for office. The leadership of APIC will not change. How will the name change affect administrators and other healthcare workers perceptions of us as professionals and practice experts? The best way to be recognized as a professional in the field of infection prevention is to achieve Board Certification in Infection Control (CIC). Certification is a benchmark for practice excellence, whether it s in infection prevention, oncology, critical care or wound care. As members of APIC, we need to continue to advance our professionalism through certification. Obtaining the CIC credentials demonstrates your knowledge of the profession and is clear evidence of your competency and professionalism. For more information, visit the Certification Board of Infection Control & Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC) website at Are our APIC dues paying for this name change? APIC leadership, both volunteer members and professional staff, have worked very hard to increase the sources of funding for your professional society over the last 5 years. Membership dues account for 10 percent of APIC s overall yearly revenue. APIC member services have grown exponentially and will continue to provide broader offerings and expanded programs in education, public policy, research, communications and practice guidance. Costs associated 2

3 with the name change will be funded out of general association funds. No additional resources or outside consultants will be required. Given that the acronym is not changing, the costs associated with the change are minimal. Will other organization members have voting rights? Our constituency of 12,000 infection preventionists will continue to be our primary focus. The name change will not affect the balance of power or leadership within the organization. Members of other professions and organizations who wish to join APIC have always been eligible for associate membership. The Associate Membership category includes restrictions on voting rights and running for office. APIC Bylaws clearly state who can and cannot serve on the APIC Board of Directors. The Bylaws prohibit those who are not infection preventionists from being officers within the organization. What is the process for changing our name? The discussion began in 2006 when APIC emphasized the profession s role in prevention. Since then, we have incorporated prevention into the name of the profession infection preventionist -- and in our tagline Spreading knowledge, Preventing infection. Now it is time to make prevention central to the name of the association. The title infection preventionist was chosen to more accurately communicate the role of our members and to raise awareness about what infection preventionists uniquely contribute to patient safety, improved outcomes, and financial savings to healthcare institutions. Our collective passion and the end result, is to promote infection preventionists as a separate and distinct profession, whose members are poised for leadership roles in healthcare, and who impact patient safety by promoting a culture of targeting zero infections. Phase two of the branding initiative is consideration of a new name for the association that better reflects the association s mission, more easily conveys the purpose of the organization and allows APIC to be more inclusive, diverse and collaborative with other healthcare-related disciplines who share common goals. The APIC Board of Directors proposed the name change at the June 2009 Annual Business Meeting and discussed it with the past presidents including the founding president. The founding president and past presidents fully supported the idea. From the response at these meetings, it is anticipated that the membership will also embrace the recommended name change to the Association for the Prevention of Infection. 3

4 Adopting this change will require approval of the membership, and if approved, an amendment to the current APIC Bylaws. You, as members of APIC, will make the final decision about a name change for the organization. During August and September of 2009, APIC will communicate through a number of forums to provide information and answer questions about this potential change. In October, APIC members will have the opportunity to vote on whether to approve the name change via an online ballot that is part of the annual election process. The ballot will include the amendment to the Bylaws, which is required to accompany the name change. APIC uses an outside firm to manage the election ensuring a secure and accurate process. APIC will communicate the results of this ballot later in the fall via and through our weekly E-News. We will issue a press release and post the news on our website. Will I be contacted? In October, APIC members will have the opportunity to vote on whether to approve the name change via an online ballot that is part of the annual election process. The result of both the election and the proposed Bylaws name change will be announced via to APIC membership and press release later in the fall. What happens to our Chapter letterhead, business cards and other printed supplies? Regardless of whether the new name is approved, chapter names and logos will not be affected. The templates that were created for each individual chapter s materials included the acronym APIC and the chapter name; APIC was not spelled out. If a local chapter did not adopt the new APIC chapter-specific logo, the new templates can still be downloaded for letterhead and other printed materials. Chapters can continue to use old materials until they run out. Will our Chapter name change? No, chapter names remain the same: APIC, xxyy Chapter. Chapter names do not include the spelled-out version of the name so they will not be impacted by the potential name change. 4

5 How will this affect our bank accounts, lease agreements and other official business where our name is used? This will not be an issue as chapter names will remain the same. 5