Congress Allocates $3 million to CDC to Address Sepsis in FY24 Budget The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received $3 million in funding for sepsis in the FY24 Congressional Budget, the largest amount ever allocated directly to combatting sepsis. The funds will be used to improve patient outcomes through the integration of key hospital data. The allocation of sepsis funds builds on the new momentum created at the federal level to address the sepsis crisis. END SEPSIS has consistently advocated for a federal approach to sepsis, working with Congress and federal healthcare agenc ..read more

I dreamt about Rory the other night. I hardly ever dream of him, so it’s hard to wake up when I do. My heart just wants to hold onto the dream. In the dream, I couldn’t see his face, but he was there, I could feel his strong loving presence. He was with me and his dad at a game and he was telling me what kind of taco he wanted. Kathleen says that this dream was on brand for him because he loved tacos. I agree. I think about him every day, every hour, but since that dream, I can’t get him out of my mind, at all. And today, on Valentine’s Day he’s especially on my mind. He was just 12 when he di ..read more

In an opinion piece today in the Boston Globe, Ann MacDonald writes that the Rhode Island sepsis regulations, passed in June 2023 and going into effect this month, will save lives. MacDonald, whose mother died in a Providence hospital, shares her own experience and examines the Rhode Island protocols put into place after the relentless efforts of Tara Cirella, whose daughter Gianna died from sepsis, and numerous other families who played a pivotal role in making this life-saving legislation a reality. The following excerpt is from MacDonald’s story: – “For several days before my mother died i ..read more

The CDC’s recent release of their Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements is a game-changer for healthcare facilities. This comprehensive framework provides a clear roadmap for implementing, monitoring, and optimizing hospital sepsis programs, ultimately improving patient outcomes and saving lives. In collaboration with the American Medical Association, the CDC hosted a 5-part webinar series packed with real-life examples, practical strategies, and best practices to ensure successful implementation of the Core Elements. All recordings and instructions for claiming Continuing Education (CE) credi ..read more

  As the familiar chill of winter settles in, so does the annual flu season. Influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection that attacks the nose, the lungs and the throat. While most cases of flu can be treated at home, flu can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. One of the flu’s  most serious complications is sepsis. Sepsis is the body’s extreme reaction to infection. The body attacks its own organs and tissues, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.  While children under 5 and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to sepsis from the flu, even ..read more

We are proud to have our work and Rory’s story featured in the New York Times article C.D.C. Sets New Standards for Hospitals to Combat Sepsis. From the article: “Rory’s mother, Ms. Staunton, who started a foundation to combat sepsis with her husband, Ciaran Staunton, acknowledged the federal guidance didn’t go as far as the state regulations they championed the year after Rory died. (In 2013, New York became the first state to mandate that all hospitals adopt sepsis protocols, known as “Rory’s regulations.”) Still, after years of pleading with C.D.C. officials to take action, she is hop ..read more

  I live in dread of meeting a little boy wearing a red hat at Christmas time. It’s him, my breaking heart whispers. Of course, it’s not him, but nonetheless, the memories rush back of Rory’s enormous smile, his upturned face, his chit-chat. A little red hat sitting atop a super lovable little boy, a boy who adores Christmas. Some pictures of him sit in a particular part of my heart, and this is one of them. My heart is full of pictures of him, but some sit in this special place. When I see a little red-hatted boy, it’s curtains; it’s time to go hom ..read more

On September 13th–World Sepsis Day–the END SEPSIS 2023 National Forum on Sepsis was held in Washington DC. It was a phenomenal success! The event was live streamed globally, reaching viewers in more than 35 countries. Here’s the event recap. Leading figures in sepsis, including policymakers, clinicians, scholars, hospital executives, private sector innovators, journalists and patient advocates came together in a spirit of optimism and determination and shared their visions for a world without preventable deaths from sepsis. Panelists analyzed historic recent gains in the fight against sepsis ..read more

As the familiar chill of winter settles in, so does the annual flu season. Influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection that attacks the nose, the lungs and the throat. While most cases of flu can be treated at home, flu can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. One of the flu’s  most serious complications is sepsis. Sepsis is the body’s extreme reaction to infection. The body attacks its own organs and tissues, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.  While children under 5 and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to sepsis from the flu, even healthy ..read more

Six years ago today, the world lost Gianna Cirella. She was 16 years old and she lost her life to sepsis. You can read Gianna’s story here. Through their grief and anguish, Gianna’s parents, Tara and Stanley “Skip” Cirella, vowed to make a difference and to ensure that no other child would die a needless death from sepsis in their home state of Rhode Island. Tara Cirella reached out to us shortly after Gianna’s death, looking for understanding and for guidance. We knew her grief well and we recognized her determination to create change in her child’s name. We shared our roadmap for passin ..read more