Julia Shaklee Sammons, MD, MSCE

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Julia Shaklee Sammons, MD, MSCE, is the Assistant Vice President of the Office of Preparedness, Prevention and Response at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Areas of Expertise: Prevention of healthcare-associated infections, Epidemiology of pediatric C. difficile infection, Change management and implementation of quality improvement initiatives
Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - Vanderbilt University School of Medicine 

Internship

Pediatrics - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Residency

Pediatrics - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Fellowship

Pediatric Infectious Diseases - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Board Certification

Pediatric Infectious Diseases – American Board of Pediatrics
Pediatrics – American Board of Pediatrics

Graduate Degree

Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) - University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Physician

AVP, Office of Preparedness, Prevention and Response

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania 

Departments and Services

Publications

Papers

2019

Roberts AL, Sammons JS, Thomas NJ, Yehya N: Specific Viral Etiologies are Associated with Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2019 Jun 19. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000002008. [Epub ahead of print]

Sammons JS, Graf EH, Townsend S, Hoegg CL, Smathers SA, Coffin SE, Williams K, Mitchell SL, Nawab U, Munson D, Quinn G, Binenbaum G: Outbreak of adenovirus in a neonatal intensive care unit: critical importance of equipment cleaning during inpatient ophthalmologic examinations  Ophthalmology 126(1): 137-143, Jan 2019.

Karandikar MV, Coffin SE, Priebe GP, Sandora TJ, Logan LK, Larsen GY, Toltzis P, Gray JE, Klompas M, Sammons JS, Harper MB, Horan K, Lakoma M, Cocoros NM and Lee GM: Variability in antimicrobial use in pediatric ventilator-associated events. Infect Contr Hosp Epidemiol 40: 32-39, January 2019.

2018

Hei H, Bezpalko O, Smathers SA, Coffin SE, Sammons JS: Development of a Novel Prevention Bundle for Pediatric Healthcare-associated Viral Infections  Infect Contr Hosp Epidemiol 39(9): 1086-1092, September  2018.

2017

Vaughan A, Ross R, Gilman M, Satchell L, Ditaranto S, Reilly A, Kersun L, Shanahan A, Coffin S, Sammons JS: Mucosal Barrier Injury Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections: what is the impact of standard prevention bundles? Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 38(11): 1385-1387, November 2017.

Cocoros NM, Priebe G, Gray JE, Toltzis P, Larsen GY, Logan L, Coffin S, Sammons JS, Deakins K, Horan K, Lakoma M, Young J, Burton M, Klompas M, Lee GM: Factors associated with pediatric ventilator-associated conditions in 6 U.S. hospitals: A nested case-control study. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine  18(11): e536-e545, November 2017.

Noelle M. Cocoros, DSc, MPH, Gregory P. Priebe, MD, Latania K. Logan, MD, Susan Coffin, MD, MPH, Gitte Larsen, MD, MPH,  Philip Toltzis, MD, Thomas J. Sandora, MD, MPH, Marvin Harper, MD , Julia S. Sammons, MD, MSCE, James E. Gray, MD, Don Goldmanng,  Kelly Horan, MPH, Michael Burton, BS, Paul A. Checchia, MD, Matthew Lakoma, MPH, Shannon Sims, MD, PhD , Michael Klompas, MD, MPH, Grace M. Lee, MD, MPH, on behalf of the Pediatric VAC Study Team: A Pediatric Approach to Ventilator-Associated Events Surveillance. Infect Contr Hosp Epidemiol 38(3): 327-33, March 2017.

2016

Horton DB, Strom BL, Putt ME, Rose CD, Sherry DD, and Sammons JS: The epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection-associated reactive arthritis (CDIAReA) in children. JAMA Pediatrics 5(170), Jul 2016.

Vendetti N, Gerber JS, Sammons JS, Fisher BT, Zaoutis TE, Coffin SE: Administration of Palivizumab in the NICU. Hosp Pediatr 6(6): 354-8, Jun 2016.

Nayar V, Kennedy A, Pappas J,  Atchley KD, Field C, Smathers S, Teszner EE, Sammons JS,  Coffin SE, Gerber JS, Spray TL, Steven JM, Bell LM, Forrer J, Gonzalez F, Nieczpiel WJ, Chi A, Gaynor JW: Improving Cardiac Surgical Site Infection Diagnosis, Adjudication and Reporting By Using Registry Data for Case Ascertainment. Annals of Thoracic Surgery 101(1): 190-9, January 2016.

Cocoros NM, Kleinman K, Priebe GP, Gray JE, Logan LK, Larsen G, Sammons J, Toltzis P, Miroshnik I, Horan K, Burton M, Sims S, Harper M, Coffin S, Sandora TJ, Hocevar SN, Checchia PA, Klompas M, Lee GM; Pediatric Ventilator-Associated Conditions Study Team.: Ventilator Associated Events in Neonates and Children - A New Paradigm. Critical Care Medicine  44(1): 14-22, January  2016.

2015

Szymczak J, Smathers SA, Hoegg CL, Klieger S, Sammons JS: Reasons Why Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians Work While Sick: A Mixed Methods Analysis. JAMA Pediatr 169(9): 815-21, 2015.

Klieger SB, Fitzgerald JC, Weiss SL, Balamuth F, Teszner E, Sammons JS, Coffin SE, for the CDC Prevention Epicenter Program: Pediatric Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock Associated with Healthcare-Associated Infections. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 16: 1-3, Dec 2015.

Farrell L, Gilman M, Teszner E, Coffin SE, Sammons JS: Present or Absent on Admission:   Impact of Change in National Healthcare Safety Network Surveillance Definitions. Am J Infect Control 43(10): 1128-30, 2015.

Vendetti N, Zaoutis TE, Coffin, SE, Sammons JS: Risk Factors for In-Hospital Mortality among a Cohort of Children with Clostridium difficile Infection  Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 36(10): 1183-1189, July 2015 Notes: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/ice.2015.152.

Bender JM, Virgalito M, Newland JG, Sammons JS, Thorell EA, Coffin SE, Pavia AT, Sandora TJ, Hersh AL: Infection Prevention and Control Practices in Children's Hospitals. Infect Control Hospital Epidemiol 36(5): 597-600, May 2015.

2014

Davis KF, Colebaugh AM, Eithun B, Klieger SB, Meredith DJ, Plachter N, Sammons JS, Thompson A, Coffin SE: Reducing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections: A Quality-Improvement Initiative. Pediatrics 134(3): e857-64, 2014.

Fisher BT*, Sammons JS*, Li Y, de Blank P, Seif AE,Huang Y, Kavcic M, Klieger S, Harris T, Torp K, Rheam D, Shah A, Aplenc R: Variation in Risk of Hospital-Onset Clostridium difficile Infection Across β-Lactam Antibiotics in Children With New-Onset Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society doi: 10.1093/jpids/piu008, February 2014.

2013

Sammons JS,Gerber JS, Tamma PD, Sandora TJ, Beekmann SE,Polgreen PM, Hersh AL : Diagnosis and Management of Clostridium difficile Infection by Pediatric Infectious Diseases Physicians. The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society October 2013 Notes: doi:10.1093/jpids/pit065

Sammons JS, Localio AR, Xiao R, Coffin SE, Zaoutis TE: Clostridium difficile Infection is associated with Increased Risk of Death and Prolonged Hospitalization in Children. Clinical Infectious Diseases 57(1): 1-8, March 2013.

Abstracts

2019

Hanley S, Odeniyi F, Feemster K, Coffin SE, Sammons JS :  Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Healthcare Associated Viral Infections in Children Session Name: Studies of Treatment and Prevention of Viral Disease. Open Forum Infectious Diseases October  2019.

Handy L, Graf E, Brostowski L, Cunningham L, Dougherty C, Molitoris K, Townsend S, Smathers S, and Sammons JS: Partnerships in the Field: Using Real-time Sequencing to Enhance Epidemiologic Investigation and Response to a Norovirus Outbreak  Open Forum Infectious Diseases October  2019.

Srinivasan S, Morris K, Shanahan A, Bezpalko O, Frye A, Powell S, Sammons JS: Leveraging High Reliability to Identify Special Cause Factors and Reduce CLABSIs. Pediatric Quality & Safety 4(2S), March/April  2019.

Books

Chapters
2019

Huskins CW, Sammons JS, Coffin SE: Healthcare-associated Infections. Feigin and Cherry Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, 8th Edition  Cherry JD, Harrison GJ, Kaplan SL, Steinbach WJ, Hotez PJ (eds.). Elsevier, Page: 2514-2542, 2019.

2018

Julia S. Sammons, Jeffrey S. Gerber: Clinical Syndromes of Device-Associated Infections. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, 5th edition. Sarah S Long, Charles G Prober, and Marc Fischer (eds.). Elsevier, Page: 600-612, 2018.

2015

Sammons JS, Coffin SE: Health Care-Associated Infections in the Nursery. Remington and Klein's Infectious Diseases of the Fetus and Newborn Infant, Eighth Edition. Christopher B. Wilson, Victor Nizet, Yvonne A. Maldonado, Jack S. Remington, and Jerome O. Klein (eds.). Elsevier Saunders, Page: 1111-1131, 2015.

Sammons JS: Parvovirus B19 (Erythema Infectiosum, Fifth Disease), Yersinia enterocolitica. The 5-minute Pediatric Consult, 7th Edition  Cabana MD (eds.). Wolters Kluwer  Page: 662-663; 1008-1009, 2015.

2014

Sammons JS: Ready or Not: Responding to Measles in the Postelimination Era. Annals of Internal Medicine 161(2): 145-6, 2014.

Huskins, CW; Sammons, JS; Coffin SE: Healthcare-Associated Infections. Feigin & Cherry Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, 7th Edition. Cherry JD, Harrison GJ, Kaplan SL, Steinbach WJ, Hotez PJ (eds.). Elsevier Saunders, 2: 3377-3419, 2014.

2013

Huskins, CW; Sammons, JS; Coffin SE: Healthcare-Associated Infections. Feigin & Cherry Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, 7th Edition. Elsevier, 2013.

Julia S. Sammons and Susan E. Coffin: Infection Control for Pediatric Hospitalists. Comprehensive Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Second Edition. Zaoutis L, Chiang V (eds.). McGraw-Hill, 2013.

Sammons JS, Coffin SE: Health Care-Associated Infections in the Nursery. Remington and Klein's Infectious Diseases of the Fetus and Newborn Infant, Eighth Edition. Christopher B. Wilson, Victor Nizet, Yvonne A. Maldonado, Jack S. Remington, and Jerome O. Klein (eds.). Elsevier, Philadelphia PA, 2013.

Sammons JS, Zaoutis TE: Clostridium difficile Colitis. Clinical Decision Support: Pediatrics McMillan JM, Barrett DJ, Boney CM, Jones MD  (eds.). Decision Support in Medicine, LLC. Wilmington, DE, 2013.

2012

Shaklee JF: Parvovirus B19 (Erythema Infectiosum, Fifth Disease), Yersinia enterocolitica. The Five Minute Pediatric Consult, Sixth Edition. Schwartz, M.W (eds.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Philadelphia, PA, 2012.

Posters and Presentations

2019

Williams K, Farrell L, McNally K, Townsend S, Smathers SA, Handy LK, Sammons JS: Impact of Repeat Infection Timeframe on CLABSI Surveillance. Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) National Conference  June 2019 Notes: Oral Presentation given by collaborator

Plaras M, Cates M, Bezpalko O, Sammons JS: From Auditor to Coach: Implementation of Kamishibai-Card Rounding for Compliance Monitoring. APIC National Conference June 2019 Notes: Poster Presentation

Farrell L, Hoegg CL, Privette G, Smathers SA, Sammons JS: An Infection Prevention and Control Exposure Playbook: Preparing for Rapid Response. APIC Annual Conference  June 2019 Notes: Oral Presentation given by collaborator

Woods-Hill C, Srinivasan L, Schriver ER, Ali Haj-Hassan T, Bezpalko O,  Sammons JS: Novel Risk Factors for Central-Line Associated Bloodstream Infections in Critically Ill Children  SHEA Spring 2019 Conference  April  2019 Notes: Oral Presentation given by collaborator

Kitt E, Burt S, Price S, Sammons JS, Coffin SE: Implementation of a Mandatory Influenza Vaccine Policy: A 10-year Experience. SHEA Spring 2019 Conference April  2019 Notes: Oral Presentation given by collaborator

Roberts AL, Sammons JS, Thomas NJ, Yehya N: Specific Viral Etiologies Affect Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Society of Critical Care Medicine, 48th Critical Care Congress February  2019 Notes: Poster Presentation.

2018

Pisapia JM, Sinha S, Farrell L, Hoegg C, Satchell L, Osadchuk R, Bernardi J, Metjian TA, Sammons JS, Heuer GG: Reliable reduction in CSF shunt infections using an interdisciplinary quality improvement initiative. AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery 47th Annual Meeting December  2018 Notes: Poster Presentation

Satchell L, Smathers SA, Williams K, Schriver E, Farrell L, Sammons JS : Use of an Analytic Application for Management of Infection Prevention Data. Open Forum Infectious Diseases  October 2018 Notes: Poster Presentation, IDWeek 2018.

Handy LK, Bezpalko O, Hei H, Ehritz C, Townsend S, Sammons JS: Leveraging human factors engineering to optimize low level disinfection of bedside medical tools. Open Forum Infectious Diseases  October  2018 Notes: Poster Presentation, IDWeek 2018.

Hei H, Smathers SA, Coffin SE, Sammons JS: I didn't Know that! -- A Comprehensive Infection Prevention and Control Observation Program. Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), National Conference  June 2018 Notes: Poster Presentation

Sammons JS, Odeniyi F, Hanley S, Feemster K, Coffin SE: Exploring Healthcare-associated Viral Infections in Children  Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2018 Meeting May  2018 Notes: Poster Presentation

2017

Privette G, Satchell L, Smathers SA, Coffin SE, Sammons J: Calling Out Gastrointestinal (GI) Illness: Surveillance and Response to GI Clusters in Healthcare Workers and Patients. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 4: S172, October 2017 Notes: Poster Presentation, IDWeek 2017; DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofx163.308.

Mitchell, SL, Sammons, JS, Graf, EH: Real-time Molecular Serotyping and Improved Resolution Through Whole-Virus Genome Sequencing During an Adenovirus Outbreak in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit  Clinical Virology Symposium  May  2017 Notes: Poster Presentation

2016

Sammons JS, Ross R,  Ditaranto S, Gilman M, Reilly A, Kersun L, Shanahan A, Coffin S : Mucosal Barrier Injury Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections: What is the Impact of Standard Prevention Bundles? Open Forum Infectious Diseases October  2016 Notes: Poster Presentation

Hei H,  Hoegg C, Smathers S, Coffin S, Sammons JS: A Multidimensional Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Pediatric Healthcare-Associated Respiratory Viral Infections. Open Forum Infectious Diseases  October  2016 Notes: Poster Presentation

Farrell L, Hoegg C,Satchell L, Gibbons MA, Joiner Jones S, Osadchuk R, Metjian T, Heuer G, Sammons JS: Use of an Intraoperative Checklist to Achieve High Reliability in the Reduction of Neurosurgical Shunt Infections  Open Forum Infectious Diseases October  2016 Notes: Poster Presentation

Invited Lectures
2019

Sammons JS. "Critical and Flexible Partnerships: Investigation of Hospital Outbreaks," Meet the Professor Session, IDWeek 2019, Washington, D.C. Oct, 2019.

Sammons JS. "From Board to Bedside: Using Data to Drive Improvement in Reducing Preventable Harm," Annual APIC National Conference, Philadelphia PA. Jun, 2019.

Sammons JS. "Careers in ID: Day in the Life of a Hospital Epidemiologist," Drexel School of Public Health, Philadelphia PA. Mar, 2019.

2018

Sammons JS. "What's New with Influenza?," Annual Practical Review for the Clinician: Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Philadelphia PA. Oct, 2018.

Sammons JS. "Preventing CLABSI: Where We've Been, Where We're Going," Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Grand Rounds, Philadelphia PA. Sep, 2018.

Sammons JS. "Zika Virus Infection and the Neonate: Where are We Now?," 15th Annual Neonatal Nursing Symposium, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. May, 2018.

Sammons JS. "Navigating Continual Change While Facing the Challenges of Engagement," Healthcare Innovation Forum, Philadelphia, PA. Jan, 2018.

2017

Sammons JS. "Emerging Infections Update," 21st Annual Practical Review for the Clinician: Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Philadelphia PA. Nov, 2017.

Sammons JS. "Adenovirus Outbreak: Rapid Detection and Successful Prevention of Secondary Transmission," Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), Delaware Valley Regional Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. Oct, 2017.

Sammons JS. "Outbreak of Adenovirus in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Rapid Detection and Successful Prevention of Secondary Transmission," Children's Hospital Association Infection Prevention Forum, Dallas, TX. Sep, 2017.

Sammons JS. "Driving Blind Doesn't Work: Using Data to Guide Improvement," Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety National Meeting, Chicago, IL. Sep, 2017.

Sammons JS. "Outbreak of Adenovirus in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Rapid Detection and Successful Prevention of Secondary Transmission," Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon. Jun, 2017.

Sammons JS. "Adenovirus Cluster: Investigation and Response," Scheie Eye Institute Grand Rounds, Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. Jan, 2017.

2016

Sammons JS. "Zika Update: Where Are We Now?," Montgomery County Immunization Coalition, Norristown, PA. Dec, 2016.

Sammons JS. "Infectious Disease Update: Zika Virus and Emerging Global Diseases," 20th Annual Practical Review for the Clinician: Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases. Oct, 2016.

Sammons JS. "Engaging Families in Safety: Limited Visitation to Reduce Nosocomial Viral Infections," Children's Hospital Association, 2016 Improving Performance Conference, St. Louis, MO. Sep, 2016.

Sammons JS. "Harm Prevention: Using Data to Drive Improvement," Regional Meeting for Delaware Valley Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), Philadelphia, PA. Sep, 2016.

Sammons JS. "Enacting Family Centered Care in Situations of Required Social Separation," International Patient and Family Centered Care Conference (IPFCC), New York NY. Jul, 2016.

Sammons JS. "Infection prevention in the immunocompromised child: conundrums versus data," Pediatric Academic Societies, Society for Pediatric Research (PAS/SPR), Baltimore, MD. May, 2016.

Sammons JS. "Working Hand in Glove to Reduce Surgical Site Infections," Infection Prevention Forum, The Children's Hospital Association, New Orleans, LA. Mar, 2016.

Sammons JS. "Zika Virus: What does it mean for the U.S.?" Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA. Mar, 2016.

Awards and Honors

2018, Physician Partnering Award for Outstanding Accomplishments as a Nursing Partner, CHOP

2018, Accelerated Leadership Experience Selectee, CHOP

2015, Patient Safety Executive Development Program, Institute for Healthcare Improvement

2014  Healthcare Leadership Program, CHOP Leadership Institute

2013  Change Management Practitioner Certification

2012  Trainee Award, IDWeek 2012, Combined Meeting: Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)/ Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

2012  Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Jonathan Freeman Scholarship Recipient

2009  Senior Resident Teaching Award, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

2006  Amos Christie Award in Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

2006  Award for Excellence in Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

2006  Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society

2006  Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

2004  Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Kass Award

2003  Amos Christie Pediatric Society Scholar

2000  Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

 

Editorial and Academic Positions

Editorial Positions

2013-present, Reviewer, New England Journal of Medicine

2013-present, Reviewer, Clinical Infectious Diseases

2012-present, Reviewer, Pediatric Emergency Care

2012-present, Reviewer, Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society

Academic and Institutional Committees

2018-present, Physician Sponsor, Breakthrough Leadership Initiative

2018-present, Housestaff Quality and Safety Council

2017-present, Physician and Nurse Operational Leaders Meeting

2015-present, Chair, Bioresponse Steering Committee

2015-present, Program Leader, Harm Prevention Program

2014-present, Chair, Ebola Task Force

2014-present, Milk Bank Advisory Board

2014-present, Children's Hospital Solutions for Patient Safety (CHSPS) Steering Committee Meeting

2013-present, Chair, Preventing Health Care-Associated Infections Steering Committee

2013-present, Chair, Infection Prevention and Control Committee

Leadership and Memberships

Memberships in Professional Organizations

2018-present, Solutions for Patient Safety Collaborative, Atlantic Region

 - 2018-present, Steering Committee

2016-present, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

2009-present, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

 - 2016-present, Pediatric Leadership Council

2009-present, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS)

 - 2019-present, Awards and Nominations Committee Elected Member

 - 2018-present, Communications Committee

2009-present, Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)

2006-Present American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)