Health Watch USA^sm Presentations: 

• PACCARB, Jan. 28 to 29, 2025. The Importance of Carrier Identification (Meeting Canceled After Public Comment Submitted).
  Dr. Kevin Kavanagh describes the importance in admission screening and contact precautions in the control of dangerous pathogens.  View Written Comment

• PACCARB, Dec. 20, 2023. Enhanced Barrier Precautions and Revisions to Recommendations for Contact Precautions.
  Dr. Kevin Kavanagh from Health Watch USA(sm) discusses concerns regarding the CDC's proposed Enhanced Barrier Precautions and Isolation Precautions. A case is made that these precautions are a step backwards and will not stop infections, nor will they help prepare us for the next pandemic. PACCARB Meeting. Dec. 20, 2023. View Video: https://youtu.be/q_UiDIllEl0     Written Comment
  
  Download Signed Comment Letter (as of Dec. 20, 2024)  Download CDC Letter  

• PACCARB, Jan. 24, 2023. Impact of COVID-19 Immunodysfunction on Antibiotic Resistant Organisms.  Dr. Kevin Kavanagh gives a short discussion regarding the impact of immune dysfunction caused by COVID-19 and its impact on antibiotic resistant organisms. It is stressed that exposure needs to be prevented and similar to the protocols used by the Veterans Health Administration system, surveillance and contact precautions are of utmost importance.  PACCARB Oral Comment Jan. 24, 2023. https://youtu.be/8QYfp7KSd20   https://www.healthwatchusa.net/Videos-Presentations/20230124-PACCARB-PublicComment.htm      Written Comment at PACCARB Meeting.  Download Comment.

• PACCARB - 2022, Sept. 13. The United States has seen a surge in Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria.   Written Comment

• PACCARB, Feb. 11, 2021 Public Comment: Universal Reporting of Pathogens, Better COVID-19 HAI Metrics.
  Dr. Kevin Kavanagh from Health Watch USA^sm gives a public comment during the Sept 11, 2021 Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria which stresses the need for universal reporting of all dangerous pathogens, including antibiotic resistant organisms.  In addition, the United States needs to increase support of public health to implement early surveillance and case tracking. Health Care Worker Acquisitions of dangerous pathogens need to be reported along with revising our current COVID-19 HAI metric, which is not effectively capturing infections. PACCARB.   https://www.healthwatchusa.net/Videos-Presentations/20210211-PACARB-PublicComment.htm   https://youtu.be/2O-yC0HC1dA    Downlosd Written Comment

• PACCARB, Sept. 2020 Public Comment: “One Size Does Not Fit All” is an excuse for inaction, it did not work with MRSA and it led to a disastrous uncoordinated whack-a-mole approach with COVID-19. Of utmost importance is the implementation of a National Reporting System for Dangerous Pathogens. https://www.healthwatchusa.net/Videos-Presentations/20200910-PACARB-PublicComment.htm    https://youtu.be/yfJ8Yb5LiQk    Download Written Comment

• PACCARB, Feb. 27, 2020 Public Comment: Transparency of Outbreaks of Dangerous Pathogens - Is the United States Any Better Than China?
  Dr. Kevin Kavanagh stresses the importance of public disclosure of antibiotic resistant bacteria outbreaks. And how the United States performance is not that much better than what occurred with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in China. Public comment before the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. PACCARB Meetig. Feb. 27, 2020.   YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/q_hiy2wB1wg    Download Written Comment

• PACCARB, Feb. 26, 2020 Public Comment:  Enhanced Precautions for Nursing Homes -- Will they be enough to stop infections?  Kevin Kavanagh, MD presents public comments regarding enhanced barrier precautions for nursing homes and concerns are raised regarding their effectiveness in preventing spread of dangerous pathogens. The concept of a facility's microbiome being compatible with that of the residents' is discussed. PACCARB Meeting Feb. 26, 2020.  https://youtu.be/HIBmlDQvz54   Download Written Comment

• Risk Adjustment and the Need for More Comprehensive Reporting of Deadly Infections:  Kevin Kavanagh, MD comments before the Presidential Advisory Committee on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria on the pitfalls for risk adjustment and the need for more complete and comprehensive data on infections from deadly pathogens. Health Watch USA^sm PACCARB Comment on July 11, 2019  https://youtu.be/kShI4jDQvyk     Download Presentation Script 

• Resistant Bacteria the Need for Increased Vigilance and Healthcare Worker Protection:  Kevin Kavanagh, MD from Health Watch USA^sm presents at Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria regarding the need for surveillance, to regard dangerous pathogens seriously and to protect our healthcare workers.   July 10, 2019.  https://youtu.be/aSdtHMUgVt8   Download Presentation Script
  

• Kevin T. Kavanagh, MD, MS comments on the importance of the microbiome to overall patient health and the prevention of infectious disease. Until we have the capability of monitoring a patient's microbiome we should at least be screening for dangerous pathogens. Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Jan. 31, 2019.  https://youtu.be/cLjN6MTkuPc      PACCARB Oral Comments

• Kevin T. Kavanagh, MD, MS comments on the epidemic of drug resistant bacteria and the need for more resources and commitments to stop spread and to safeguard healthcare workers. The need for increased surveillance of carriers and for healthcare worker safety. In addition, there should be a surveillance system for MDRO acquisitions in healthcare workers and economic safety net.  (PACCARB) - Jan. 30, 2019. https://youtu.be/vcFwjD7uLtk    PACCARB Oral Comments

• Kevin T. Kavanagh, MD, MS, comments on the need for greater focusing on the control of spread of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms.  Antibiotic stewardship programs alone are not likely to reverse the epidemic and there is no certainty that new antibiotics can be developed.   The Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria  (PACCARB) - Sept. 26, 2018.    YouTube Video (2 mins):  https://youtu.be/OnX-QH51JQ8     PACCARB Written Comments    Comment with FACT on OTC Polymyxins

• Kevin T. Kavanagh, MD, MS discusses the importance of forming standards for control of Resistant Organisms.  In addition he discusses problems created by research integrity and an overreliance on hand hygeine.   Presidential Advisory Committee on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria.   May 16, 2018.  YouTube Video https://youtu.be/ufOXcHitRp0    Download Text of Presentation

• Kevin Kavanagh, MD, MS provides a short comment on chlorhexidine research integrity, WHO recommendations for surgical antisepsis and FDA medical device approval.   Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) - Sept 14, 2017    
  https://youtu.be/W1XHZqqVuhs   Written Comment

• Kavanagh KT.  Health Watch USA^sm comments at the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria on MRSA tracking and prevention, along with the need for a better definition of an "outbreak", the over dependance on hand hygiene and the importance of knowing the patient's microbiome.  Sept. 13, 2017.   YouTube Video:   https://youtu.be/fLT8fOZrfzw

• Kavanagh KT. Health Watch USA^sm comments at the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria regarding the United States missing goals for reducing MRSA and other resistant pathogens along with the need for a mandatory publicly reported comprehensive surveillance system to track multi-drug resistant organisms.  Jan. 25, 2017.  YouTube Video:  https://youtu.be/hbdXX3a_OIY     Written Comments

• Kavanagh KT. Health Watch USA^sm Comments at the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.  "The committee needs to ensure that our healthcare institutions make the needed investments in prevention and patient safety, along with setting well-defined standards for screening, isolation, environmental cleaning, appropriate staffing and worker safety. "  Sept 19, 2016.  YouTube Video:  https://youtu.be/RGlpKY1L-S4     View Written Comment

• Kavanagh KT. Health Watch USA^sm Comments on the importance of preventing the transmission of resistant bacteria between patients. In addition, the importance of nursing, worker safety and carrier surveillance was stressed. Attention was also drawn to polymyxin B in topical over-the-counter antibiotics as a possible cause of resistance to colistin. Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Jun. 21 2016. Washington DC. YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/t2LM9IuN7fQ   View Written Comment

• Kavanagh KT. Health Watch USA^sm Comments on the importance of preventing patient-to-patient transmission. Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Mar. 31 , 2016. Washington DC. YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/-IB1qF1qP48   

• Kavanagh KT. Health Watch USA^sm Comments on chlorhexidine, surveillance and public disclosure of conflicts of interest in the confrontation of the antibiotic bacterial resistance epidemic. Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Mar. 30, 2016. Washington DC. YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/iG1aQZftqb0  View Written Comment

• Kavanagh KT. Health Watch USA^sm Comments on research integrity, conflicts-of-interest, the need for firm standards, the tying of antibiotic stewardship to funds for antibiotic development and public reporting of antibiotic provider utilization data. Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Sep. 29, 2015. Washington DC. YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/b67J-X5c8gU   View Written Comment  

The pictures on the right and left are photomicrographs of
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).