Led by Drs. Alex Sundermann and Lee Harrison, the UPMC initiative demonstrates that prospective genomic sequencing detects outbreaks often missed by conventional surveillance. By identifying transmission events in real time, the team moved beyond reactive investigations to active prevention. Beyond the clinical safety benefits, the hospital reported significant reductions in patient length-of-stay and net cost savings that outweighed the implementation expenses of the sequencing program.
In section Releases
Joint Commission Honors UPMC for Genomic Infection Tracking
The Joint Commission has awarded UPMC Presbyterian Hospital the John M. Eisenberg Local Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality Award. The recognition highlights the hospital’s pioneering use of bacterial whole genome sequencing to pinpoint infection transmission paths, a method that is currently shifting hospital surveillance strategies nationwide.
Dr. Paul Rhodes, founder and CEO of NGD Infection Prevention, noted that this validation from a national accreditation authority marks a turning point for infection control teams. The ability to identify root causes allows for targeted interventions before wider patient spread occurs. This shift toward routine genomic monitoring is supported by the NGD200 system, an automated platform designed to handle 48-sample throughput overnight without requiring specialized technical staff, making the technology accessible for broader hospital deployment.
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