Frontline Stories: Infection Preventionists and Clinicians Working Together Against Infections and Sepsis

Ruth Carrico, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CIC, FSHEA, FNAP, FAAN, is a senior consultant with Carrico & Ramirez, PLLC focused on infectious diseases, infection prevention and control, and vaccinology. She is also a Family Nurse Practitioner based in Louisville, Kentucky.  In addition, Dr. Carrico is a Professor, adjunct faculty, with the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Carrico has received training specific for healthcare epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in conjunction with the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

Dr. Carrico has worked in the field of infectious diseases and infection control for more than thirty years. Her work in infection control began in 1994 when she assumed the position as Director of the Infection Control department at the University of Louisville Hospital. She quickly recognized this as an area of intense interest and began active collaboration, seeking mentoring from national and international experts. From 2005-2012, she served as Editor for the APIC Text of Infection Control and Epidemiology, was appointed to the National Biosurveillance Subcommittee (NBS) Advisory Committee to the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in 2010 became a SHEA Fellow. In 2011, Dr. Carrico was appointed by Secretary Sebelius (Health and Human Services), to the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). In 2012, she was presented with the Carole DeMille Achievement Award by APIC, an honor for an Infection Preventionist. In 2013, Dr. Carrico began serving the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases as the Board’s Nurse Planner and in 2014 became a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow alumna.

Dr. Carrico served as the 2016 President of the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC). In 2018, Dr. Carrico assumed the position of President of the Kentucky Nurses Association and in 2020 was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academies of Practice. In October 2021, Dr. Carrico was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the highest honor in the nursing profession. Also in October 2021, Dr. Carrico assumed the role of Executive Director, then Senior Scientific Officer of the Norton Infectious Diseases Institute (NIDI) at Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky, where she supported the scientific and educational activities of the four Centers (Clinical Research, Education & Training, Global Health, Public Health) within the Institute until early 2023. During that time, she also led the CDC-funded Kentucky Infection Prevention (KYIP) Training Center, a broad educational program for infection preventionists and partners across the healthcare continuum. Following successful launch of the NIDI Centers and the KYIP Training Center, in 2023 Dr. Carrico moved to work as a full-time consultant with healthcare organizations, public health workers, providers, and industry partners sharing interests in addressing the challenges of infectious diseases prevention. Dr. Carrico serves on numerous advisory boards focused on vaccines and improving vaccination rates.  She continues to conceptualize and implement novel immunization approaches including training and competence development for healthcare providers and healthcare workers, including an educational website supporting vaccination and international travel health (TH101.com). Dr. Carrico provides consultation and service as Medical Affairs lead for VaxCare, LLC [Orlando] and maintains a clinical practice focused on vaccines, vaccination, and immunization processes (Trifecta Medical Group, Louisville, KY).