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Kent A. Sepkowitz, MD Vice Chairman of Clinical Affairs;
Director, Hospital Infection Control;
Member, Infectious Disease Service
Memorial Sloan-Kettering CancerCenter;
Professor of Medicine
Weill Medical College of Cornell University |
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Phone
212-639-2441
Education
MD, Oklahoma University College of Medicine
Residencies
Roosevelt Hospital
Fellowship
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Cornell University Medical College
Board Certification
Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases
Academic Appointments
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Hospital Appointments
Memorial Hospital, New York Presbytarian Hospital
Research Interests
Dr. Sepkowitz' research interests include hospital infection control and tuberculosis. He also serves as an advisor to the Director of the Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Infection Control
The MSKCC infection control program is led by Dr. Sepkowitz and Janet Eagan, RN, MPH. The team also includes certified infection control nurses, an epidemiologist, research assistants and an administrative assistant. Routine surveillance, outbreak investigation, and prevention of healthcare associated (nosocomial) infections among patients and staff are the core activities of the group. Current initiatives include development of novel approaches to prevention of healthcare associated infections, use of electronic data for surveillance of surgical site infection, and the application of molecular typing methods to routine infection control activities.
Infection Control Staff
Janet Eagan, RN, MPH
Manager, Infection Control
Eleanor Cappiello
Melanie Carrow, RN
Teresa Childers, MPH
Infection Control Surveillance Specialist
Ellen Dougherty, RN
Janice Kaplan, RN
Theresa Plaskett, MPH
Infection Control Surveillance Specialist
Crystal Son, MPH
Epidemiologist
Susan Singh, MPH
Infection Control Surveillance Specialist
Shauna Usiak, MPH
Infection Control Assistant
Recent Publications
Tomblyn M, Chiller T, Einsele H, Gress R, Sepkowitz K, Storek J, Wingard JR, Young JA, Boeckh MA. Guidelines for preventing infectious complications among hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients: a global perspective. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2009 Oct;15(10):1143-238. [PubMed Abstract]
Sepkowitz KA. Forever unprepared--the predictable unpredictability of pathogens. N Engl J Med. 2009 Jul 9;361(2):120-1. No abstract available.
Renaud TC, Bocour A, Irvine MK, Bernstein KT, Begier EM, Sepkowitz KA, Kellerman SE, Weglein D. The free condom initiative: promoting condom availability and use in New York City. Public Health Rep. 2009 Jul-Aug;124(4):481-9. [PubMed Abstract]
Kamboj M, Sepkowitz KA. Nosocomial infections in patients with cancer. Lancet Oncol. 2009 Jun;10(6):589-97. Review. [PubMed Abstract]
Climo MW, Sepkowitz KA, Zuccotti G, Fraser VJ, Warren DK, Perl TM, Speck K, Jernigan JA, Robles JR, Wong ES. The effect of daily bathing with chlorhexidine on the acquistion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, and healthcare-associated bloodstream infections: Results of a quasi-experimental multicenter trial* Crit Care Med. 2009 Jun;37(6):1858-65. [PubMed Abstract]
Morgan DJ, Diekema DJ, Sepkowitz K, Perencevich EN. Adverse outcomes associated with Contact Precautions: a review of the literature. Am J Infect Control. 2009 Mar;37(2):85-93. [PubMed Abstract]
Jain CL, Wyatt CM, Burke R, Sepkowitz K, Begier EM. Knowledge of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2006 Routine HIV Testing Recommendations among New York City Internal Medicine Residents. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2009 Feb 3. [PubMed Abstract]
Morgan DJ, Weisenberg SA, Augenbraun MH, Calfee DP, Currie BP, Furuya EY, Holzman R, Montecalvo MC, Phillips M, Polsky B, Sepkowitz KA. Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in New York City - 10 years into the epidemic. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2009 Feb;30(2):196-7. [PubMed Abstract]
Mihu CN, Schaub J, Kesh S, Jakubowski A, Sepkowitz K, Pamer EG, Papanicolaou GA. Risk factors for late Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a single-institution, nested case-controlled study. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2008 Dec;14(12):1429-33. [PubMed Abstract]
Kamboj M, Gerbin M, Huang CK, Brennan C, Stiles J, Balashov S, Park S, Kiehn TE, Perlin DS, Pamer EG, Sepkowitz KA. Clinical characterization of human metapneumovirus infection among patients with cancer. J Infect. 2008 Dec;57(6):464-71. [PubMed Abstract]
Kamboj M, Louie E, Kiehn T, Papanicolaou G, Glickman M, Sepkowitz K. Mycobacterium haemophilum infection after alemtuzumab treatment. Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 Nov;14(11):1821-3. [PubMed Abstract]
Chapman LE, Iskander JK, Chen RT, Neff J, Birkhead GS, Poland G, Gray GC, Siegel J, Sepkowitz K, Robertson RM, Yancy C, Guerra FA, Gardner P, Modlin JF, Maurer T, Berger T, Flanders WD, Shope R. A process for sentinel case review to assess causal relationships between smallpox vaccination and advserse outcomes. 2003-2004. Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Mar 15;46 Suppl 3:S271-93. [PubMed Abstract]
Neff J, Modlin J, Birkhead GS, Poland G, Robertson RM, Sepkowitz K, Yancy C, Gardner P, Gray GC, Maurer T, Siegel J, Guerra FA, Berger T, Flanders WD, Shope R; Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; Armed Forces Epidemiological Board. Monitoring the safety of a smallpox vaccination program in the United States: report of the joint Smallpox Vaccine Safety Working Group of the advisory committee on immunization practices and the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board. Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Mar 15;46 Suppl 3:S258-70. [PubMed Abstract]
Safdieh JE, Mead PA, Sepkowitz KA, Kiehn TE, Abrey LE. Bacterial and fungal meningitis in patients with cancer. Neurology. 2008; 70(12):943-7. [PubMed Abstract]
Chapman LE, Iskander JK, Chen RT, Neff J, Birkhead GS, Poland G, Gray GC, Siegel J, Sepkowitz KA, Robertson RM, Yancy C, Guerra FA, Gardner P, Modlin JF, Maurer T, Berger T, Flanders WD, Shope R. A process for sentinel case review to assess causal relationships between smallpox vaccination and adverse outcomes, 2003-2004. Clin Infect Dis. 2008; 46 Suppl 3:S271-93. [PubMed Abstract]
Symeonidis N, Jakubowski A, Pierre-Louis S, Jaffe D, Pamer E, Sepkowitz KA, O'Reilly RJ, Papanicolaou GA. Invasive adenoviral infections in T-cell-depleted allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: high mortality in the era of cidofovir. Transpl Infect Dis. 2007; 9(2):108-13. [PubMed Abstract]
Almyroudis NG, Jakubowski A, Jaffe D, Sepkowitz KA, Pamer EG, O'Reilly RJ, Papanicolaou GA. Predictors for persistent cytomegalovirus reactivation after T-cell-depleted allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Transpl Infect Dis. 2007; 9(4):286-94. [PubMed Abstract]
Kamboj M, Mihu CN, Sepkowitz KA, Kernan NA, Papanicolaou GA. Work-up for infectious diarrhea after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: single specimen testing results in cost savings without compromising diagnostic yield. Transpl Infect Dis. 2007; 9(4):265-9. [PubMed Abstract]
Kamboj M, Sepkowitz KA. Risk of transmission associated with live attenuated vaccines given to healthy persons caring for or residing with an immunocompromised patient. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2007; 28(6):702-7. [PubMedAbstract]
Burke RC, Sepkowitz KA, Bernstein KT, Karpati AM, Myers JE, Tsoi BW, Begier EM. Why don't physicians test for HIV? A review of the US literature. AIDS. 2007; 21(12):1617-1624. [PubMed Abstract]
Myers JE, Henning KJ, Frieden TR, Larson K, Begier B, Sepkowitz KA. Written consent for human immunodeficiency virus testing. Public Health Rep. 2007; 122(4):433-434. [PubMed Abstract]
Freifeld AG, Sepkowitz KA, Martino P, Steven N, Billingham L, Cullen M, Baden LR. Antibacterial prophylaxis in patients with cancer and neutropenia. N Engl J Med. 2006; 354(1):90-4; author reply 90-94. [PubMed Abstract]
Tuma S, Sepkowitz KA. Efficacy of safety-engineered device implementation in the prevention of percutaneous injuries: a review of published studies. Clin Infect Dis. 2006; 42(8):1159-1170. [PubMed Abstract]
Kamboj M, Sepkowitz KA. The risk of tuberculosis in patients with cancer. Clin Infect Dis. 2006; 42(11):1592-5. [PubMed Abstract]
Koo DJ, Begier EM, Henn MH, Sepkowitz KA, Kellerman SE. HIV counseling and testing: less targeting, more testing. Am J Public Health. 2006; 96(6):962-964. [PubMed Abstract]
Sepkowitz KA. Health of the World's Roma population. Lancet. 2006; 267(9524):1707-1708. [PubMed Abstract]
Sepkowitz KA. One disease, two epidemics—AIDS at 25. N Engl J Med. 2006; 354(23):2411-2414. [PubMed Abstract]
Warren DK, Cosgrove SE, Diekema DJ, Zuccotti G, Climo MW, Bolon MK, Tokars JI, Noskin GA, Wong ES, Sepkowitz KA, Herwaldt LA, Perl TM, Solomon SL, Fraser VJ; Prevention Epicenter Program. A multicenter intervention to prevent catheter-associated bloodstream infections. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2006; (7):662-669. [PubMed Abstract]
Freifeld A, Sepkowitz KA. The conundrum of fluoroquinolone prophylaxis. Nat Clin Pract Oncol. 2006; (10):524-525. [PubMed Abstract]
Kamboj M, Weinstock D, Sepkowitz KA. Progression of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in patients receiving echinocandin therapy. Clin Infect Dis. 2006; 43(9):e92-94. [PubMed Abstract]
Almyroudis NG, Kontoyiannis DP, Sepkowitz KA, Depauw BE, Wwalsh TJ, Segal BH. Issues related to the design and interpretation of clinical trials of salvage therapy for invasive mold infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2006; 43(11):1449-1455. [PubMed Abstract]
Weinstock DM, Boeckh M, Sepkowitz KA. Postexposure prophylaxis against varicella zoster virus infection among hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2006; (10):1096-1097. [PubMed Abstract]
