Today, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) formally launched its annual Healthcare Safety Conference, held hybrid-style at the UT Commons Conference Center in Austin. This two-day event, running July 22–23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., convenes healthcare and public health professionals across the state to share the latest in infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and response strategies for emerging public health threats.
The conference is open at no cost to a diverse audience, including infection control practitioners, epidemiologists, data analysts, administrators, and frontline clinicians. It offers Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits through the Texas Medical Association, as well as continuing education in nursing, public health, and other allied health fields.
Experts from DSHS and partner institutions such as Dell Medical School will lead sessions covering updated protocols, statewide safety initiatives, and best practices aimed at protecting patient health and strengthening readiness for health emergencies. The program reflects the state’s commitment to evolving challenges in light of lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and rising antimicrobial resistance.
An expanded focus on antimicrobial stewardship—programs that ensure appropriate use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials to prevent resistance—will feature prominently. The DSHS antimicrobial stewardship team utilizes CDC-aligned “5 D’s” of antimicrobial use: diagnosis; drug choice; dose; duration; and de‑escalation to promote optimal clinical outcomes and reduce infection spread.
The annual conference is organized by DSHS’s Healthcare Safety Unit, established in 2010 to enforce mandatory infection control reporting and oversight for all Texas hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, long-term care, dialysis, and dental clinics. Its broad mission is to protect Texans from healthcare-associated infections and preventable adverse events through robust training, surveillance, and regulation.
Sessions will also delve into practical infection prevention tools and resources, such as guidance on combating multidrug-resistant organisms (e.g., CRE, C. auris), outbreak prevention, and health literacy strategies for engaging patients and families. Additionally, training on emerging public health threats and practitioner guidance from the Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology section underscores heightened state preparedness.
By convening healthcare professionals statewide, DSHS aims to foster collaboration and enhance Texas’s collective capacity to respond to evolving health threats. The hybrid format ensures broad accessibility, while in-person participants gain hands-on interaction and networking opportunities. Though registration has closed, a waitlist is available for both virtual and in-person attendance.
As Texas continues to prioritize patient safety and epidemic readiness, the Healthcare Safety Conference provides a timely venue for sharing knowledge, reinforcing statewide protocols, and empowering health practitioners with the tools needed to safeguard communities.
