Education, Awareness, Celebration of Sepsis Families and the Outstanding Contributions to Sepsis Early Detection: bioMérieux, Inc. Releases National Sepsis Month 2016 Activities

Durham, NC- September 1, 2016 – bioMérieux, Inc., a subsidiary of bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, is proud to report a full schedule of education and awareness-raising events to observe National Sepsis Month throughout the month of September. In partnership with Sepsis Alliance, the leading nonprofit organization prompting sepsis awareness and patient advocacy in North America, bioMérieux, Inc. has planned a month full of activities, kicking off the month with “Strike-Out-Sepsis.” “Strike-Out-Sepsis,” launched in the U.S. by bioMérieux in 2015, is an initiative focused toward major and minor league baseball teams, fans and their communities. Sepsis patients who recovered and the families of those who have lost loved ones to sepsis will be recognized on September 4th at the Durham Bulls (Durham, NC) and September 9th at the St. Louis Cardinals (St. Louis, MO) home games. Both the cities will present proclamations during the game opening recognizing “Sepsis Day” throughout the city. In Durham, Mayor William V. "Bill" Bell will officially present the proclamation.

Also slated throughout the month are educational presentations and online content to recognize the continuous commitment of medical professionals in the battle against sepsis, with a focus this year on nurses. bioMérieux will continue to feature “Faces of Sepsis” and “Champions of Sepsis” on their educational website www.sepsisknowfromday1.com.

“Faces of Sepsis”, launched in 2014, are stories that focus on the people behind the sepsis syndrome, highlighting the journey of people who suffered from sepsis along with a lesson to educate others. In 2015, bioMérieux featured “Champions of Sepsis,” which profile patients and their family members who have worked diligently to raise awareness of sepsis in order to reduce fatalities. “Champions of Sepsis” has also profiled select physicians and hospitals that have taken great initiative in adopting sepsis protocols, early diagnostic testing and other best practices in the identification and management of the septic patient.

This year, bioMérieux is partnering with Sepsis Alliance to launch “Nurses Know Sepsis,” videos and social media content featuring nurses on the front-lines in the day-to-day battle against sepsis. Nurses are always on the forefront of patient care and value early, rapid diagnosis of the sepsis patient. “Nurses Know Sepsis” highlights nurses from around the country sharing their experiences in caring for sepsis patients, along with best practices they have developed for the earliest possible detection of sepsis. bioMérieux will mark World Sepsis Awareness Day, September 13,with a few special events that occur during that week:

On Monday, Sept. 12, bioMérieux Inc., is proud to act as one of two presenting sponsors of the Rory Staunton Foundation’s 3rd National Forum on Sepsis, held at the Yale Club in New York City. Speakers include Michael Dowling , President and CEO of Northwell Health, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Dr. Foster Gesten, of the New York State Dept. of Health, among others.

On the 13th, bioMérieux will host a special educational webinar titled “Lactate and PCT - The tale of two important biomarkers in the assessment and management of the septic patient and implications of the new CMS measures.” Presented by Philipp Schuetz , MD, and Devendra N. Amin MBBS, FCCM, this webinar will examine the CMS measures and how PCT and lactate assays play complimentary but different roles in assessing the risk of progression to sepsis and measuring response to treatment. For more details, click here.

bioMérieux Inc., is also a proud sponsor of Sepsis Alliance Sepsis Heroes Gala in New York City on September 15, 2016. The annual event brings together sepsis survivors, family members, patient advocates, healthcare professionals, policy makers, and members of industry who have been instrumental in raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. This year’s gala will honor five “Sepsis Heroes” who have made extraordinary contributions to sepsis prevention, treatment, education and awareness. New this year, the Sepsis Heroes Gala will feature a presentation of the Erin Kay Flatley Spirit Award. Given in memory of Erin Kay Flatley, a 23-year-old aspiring teacher who died unnecessarily of sepsis after a routine surgery. This year’s Spirit Award recipient is Audrey Leishman and the Begin Again Foundation. Audrey started the Begin Again Foundation in 2015 following her survival from sepsis.

About Sepsis

Sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by an excessive host immune response to a serious blood infection, afflicts more than1,600,000 patients in the U.S. every year, of which nearly 260,000 die from this highly critical condition which can progress extremely rapidly1. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sepsis is currently the most expensive reason for hospitalization. The U.S. spent $23.7 billion dollars on hospital care for sepsis patients in 2013. Every day of the week, U.S. hospitals spend nearly $65 million to care for sepsis patients2. To learn more about sepsis and the importance of rapid diagnosis, visit www.sepsisknowfromday1.com

About bioMérieux

Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for 50 years, bioMérieux is present in more than 150 countries through 42 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2015, revenues reached €1,965 million with 90% of sales outside of France. bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (reagents, instruments, software) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are mainly used for diagnosing infectious diseases. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

Other information can be found at www.biomerieux-usa.com

About Sepsis Alliance

Sepsis Alliance is the leading nonprofit patient advocacy organization in North America. Sepsis Alliance's mission is to save lives by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. The organization hosts national and community events, distributes educational information, and promotes training and education on sepsis prevention and early recognition and treatment. Sepsis Alliance also support sepsis survivors and family members with information about sepsis and Post Sepsis Syndrome, as well as a Faces of Sepsis community forum. The sepsis.org website receive 1 million visits each year. Sepsis Alliance, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is a GuideStar Gold Rated Charity. For more information, please visit http://www.sepsis.org

Media Contacts

bioMérieux
Tim Baker
Tel: +1 216-407-5354
timothy.baker@bioMérieux.com

MRNA Healthcare
Bethany Hilt
Tel: + 1 330-338-6633
bethany.hilt@gmail.com

Sepsis Alliance
Thomas Heymann
Tel: +1 914-584-6252
theymann@sepsis.org

1. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1873131&resultClick=3

2. http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb204

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