Tewodros Fantahun Terefe

· Managed multiple high-priority projects, primarily IPC, along with Antimicrobial Stewardship and COVID-19 response, while consistently meeting goals.

· Provided technical support and oversaw IPC program designing and implementation in 25 acute care hospitals.

· Developed a protocol for management, follow up and reporting of HCW exposure to blood and blood borne pathogens, including needle stick injury.

· Led Hand Hygiene improvement project across 8 hospitals using WHO tools, which, in average, improved hand hygiene compliance from 45% to 70%.

· Customized IPC monitoring tool from WHO (IPCAF) and CDC, and used the tool to guide IPC intervention in 25 hospitals, which resulted IPC improvement from an average of 56.7% to 75.2%.

· Supported the hospitals in developing IPC protocols for hand hygiene, disinfection & sterilization, and waste management, aligned with CDC and national guidelines.

· Supported antimicrobial stewardship by collaborating with clinical and pharmacy teams on data collection, audits, feedback, and antibiotic use education.

· Served as M&E focal point, collecting, analyzing, and reporting infection prevention data from hospitals using DevResults and Power BI, and sharing findings with stakeholders.

· Led nationwide COVID-19 IPC preparedness and response initiatives under the USAID-MTaPS program in Ethiopia, overseeing IPC activities by supervising nine consultants and supporting regional COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs).

· Facilitated nationwide COVID-19 training for 2,500+ healthcare providers through training-of-trainers (TOT) and cascaded training sessions.

· Contributed to the National Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19 and the development of related training materials and 21 IPC protocols.

· Contributed for COVID-19 facility readiness assessment tool, and used the tool to conduct the assessment and build response capacity of 30 hospitals.

· Chaired the hospital's IPC committee.

· Worked as Field Epidemiology Program Coordinator, modeled after CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and funded by the CDC.

· Contributed to curriculum development at the College by integrating IPC sessions into the School of Medicine's module.

· Designed and taught undergraduate and postgraduate public health courses on epidemiologic methods, biostatistics, and disease surveillance for medical, nursing, and public health students.

· Contributed to SPHMMC outbreak preparedness and response protocol, 2018.

· Advised and mentored students on epidemiological research projects, including study design development.

· Assessed student progress regularly and provided mentorship and guidance.

· Coordinator for the undergraduate medical student research program

· Participated in conducting researches as principal investigator and co-researcher.

· Ensured application of recommended cleaning and disinfection practice of patient care areas, high-touch surfaces, and medical devices.

· Regularly conduct food and water quality monitoring through testing and proactive management of potential contamination sources.

· Ensured application and auditing of the hospital's healthcare waste management protocols based on the regulatory requirement.

· Ensured compliance with applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and reported all unsafe practices.

· Provide technical input to the hospital's engineering department in construction and renovation of sanitation facilities; septic tanks, installation/building of waste disposal facilities (e.g. incinerators).

· Developed SOP for food preparation and handling, monitor food handlers hygiene and health status, and conducting regular auditing and feedback.

Supervised adherence to standardized cleaning protocols, including terminal cleaning procedures based on the level of risks.

· Led the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Infection Prevention and Control Program aligned with national standards and regulatory requirements.

· Routinely monitored hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) such as CAUTI, CLABSI and SSIs using chart audits, clinical consultations, and laboratory findings.

· Regularly conducted infection control rounds in clinical wards and high-risk areas, identifying gaps and supporting compliance on IPC practices.

· Designed and implemented an induction training program on IP for new employee orientation, and training for annual competencies and unit-based in-services training.

· Led epidemiologic outbreak investigations (e.g., AWD, H1N1), managed exposures and risk assessments, conducted source testing and follow-up, ensured regulatory reporting, and analyzed infection trends to report findings to leadership.

· Collaborated with clinical and pharmacy teams to support antimicrobial stewardship through audit and feedback, data review, and staff education.

· Assess compliance to standard and transmission based precaution compliance; Such as hand hygiene, PPE use, Sterilization of medical equipment and environmental cleaning using structured assessment tool

· Advised clinical teams on infection risk mitigation for immunocompromised patients and supported implementation of transmission-based precautions.

· Collaborate with Environmental Services to ensure compliance with cleaning and disinfection protocols, and audit equipment reprocessing, linen handling, and waste disposal practices.

· Ensured regulatory compliance through audits, documentation reviews, and readiness assessments for accreditation surveys.

Reviewed and revised IPC policies and procedures based on surveillance outcomes, regulatory updates, and best practices in acute care setting.

•  Chaired the hospital's Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) committee and led the successful integration of the IPC team into the Quality Management Department.
   Collaborated with clinical departments and administrators to develop and implement a 5-year Quality Improvement (QI) strategy (2017–2022).
   Regularly updated the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) plan in partnership with clinical and nursing departments.
   Designed and led Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs) focusing on hand hygiene, sterilization processing, and reducing healthcare personnel (HCP) exposure to occupational hazards.
   Established and facilitated bi-monthly hospital-wide Quality Council meetings to monitor QAPI implementation, evaluate progress, and provide feedback.
   Provided evidence-based recommendations to leadership and clinical teams to revise policies and procedures aimed at reducing infection risks.
   Developed and implemented a protocol for managing HCP exposure to blood and bodily fluids, including risk assessment, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and follow-up.
   Analyzed HCP exposure data to guide preventive interventions and reduce occupational infection risks.
   Conducted regular patient satisfaction surveys and proactively addressed findings to enhance quality of care and patient experience.
   Acted as a liaison between clinical departments and hospital administration, strengthening collaboration for effective QI program execution.