It’s Pediatric Sepsis Awareness Week
The Situation Report | April 21, 2025
April 20th-26th 2025 is pediatric sepsis awareness week. Sepsis is the body’s life-threatening response to an infection, causing tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Sepsis can affect anyone at any time- but children are among the at-risk population. HCANYS works closely with End Sepsis- The Legacy of Rory Staunton, and Sepsis Alliance on several sepsis awareness, prevention, and intervention initiatives throughout the year and encourages all HCANYS members to visit their websites to learn more and to get involved.
The Role of Home Care
87% of sepsis originates in the home and community settings. For every hour treatment is delayed, chance of death increases by 4%-9%. The good news is - sepsis deaths are projected to be 80% preventable with early identification and treatment.
HCANYS in partnership with Sepsis Alliance, END SEPSIS, IPRO, medical students, and other state and national leadership worked to develop tools for sepsis screening and intervention in the home and community settings.
If your agency or MLTC is not yet employing the HCANYS Home Care Sepsis Screening and Intervention Tool and Protocol, Pediatric Sepsis Awareness week is the perfect time to act. Adult and pediatric tools are available for use to recognize and respond to sepsis in a timely manner. Send an email to
Resources
Resources to assist your efforts both internally and with the public are available through END SEPSIS- The Legacy of Rory Staunton, and Sepsis Alliance. HCANYS salutes the leadership of these organizations and thanks them for their continuous support and partnership in sepsis awareness and prevention. Visit HCANYS’ Stop Sepsis at Home page for more information, trainings, and additional resources to help equip home care providers and clinicians to do their part to Stop Sepsis at Home. Contact
Sepsis can affect anyone at any time - but children are among the highest of the at-risk population. In response, HCANYS in conjunction with core partners – IPRO, Sepsis Alliance, END SEPSIS- The Legacy of Rory Staunton, and state and national partners launched the nation’s first screening and intervention protocol for sepsis through the statewide home health care system. The tool was created by an expert clinical workgroup, including input and guidance from top state and national physicians in sepsis.
“Home health care plays a critical role in nearly all facets of health care, such as combatting this health and life-threatening medical emergency, which 87 percent of the time occurs in home and community. We are pleased to have created this life-saving tool for kids and adults that has had a tremendous impact in patient care." Al Cardillo, president and chief executive officer of HCANYS.
“Sepsis is the leading cause of death of young children and babies worldwide. Sepsis Alliance launched Pediatric Sepsis Week in 2019 in response to the need for more information, more awareness, and more knowledge about the effects of sepsis on this vulnerable population. We empower advocates worldwide to raise sepsis awareness during this week, to save young lives.” Thomas Heymann, president of Sepsis Alliance.
“The pediatric sepsis tool empowers families and community physicians by providing rapid, reliable sepsis identification in the home care setting, bringing comfort to pediatric nurses and ensuring timely intervention by Americare staff for our youngest patients.” Veronica Khrustaleva, director of staff education, Americare.
“St. Mary's Home Care is committed to preventing sepsis from causing severe complications in our Medically complex young patients. The pediatric sepsis tool in our home care setting is designed to educate our clinicians and families on early identification of sepsis. This proactive approach enables us to tackle potential threats swiftly, ensuring the best outcomes for those in our care.” Dr. Maggie Lang, RN; clinical education manager; St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children.
"Sepsis remains a critical concern in the pediatric population, with cases presenting regularly to the hospital setting. Early recognition and timely intervention are essential to reducing both morbidity and mortality. The Pediatric Sepsis Screening Tool plays a vital role by identifying children at highest risk in our community and ensuring prompt diagnosis and escalation of care—ultimately improving outcomes for our youngest and most vulnerable patients." Devneet Singh, MBA and Shayhaan Shaikh, MBA, former HCANYS interns.