Agenda at a Glance

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

TimeSession
8:00 am - 8:30 amRegistration and Check-In
8:30 am - 9:30 amHealthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Lights from the Field
9:45 am - 10:45 amAI In Healthcare: Opportunities to improve health outcomes
11:00 am - 12:00 pmBuilding Healthy Teams
12:00 pm - 1:25 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 2:30 pmEvidence-Based Health Communication: Research and Practice to Support Public Health
1:30 pm - 2:30 pmThe Evolving Battlefield: Rising Threats of Multidrug Resistance and the Antibiotic Stewardship Response
2:40 pm - 3:40 pmTrauma-Informed Care and Practice
2:40 pm - 3:40 pmPredictors of Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program Penalties, FY2025
3:55 pm - 4:50 pmMeasles in the Post-Elimination Era: Implications from the West Texas Outbreak

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

TimeSession
8:00 am - 8:25 amRegistration and Check-In
8:30 am - 9:20 amKeynote Address
9:30 am - 10:30 amWorkforce Safety/Regulatory Compliance
9:35 am - 10:20 amNothing to it but to Flu it: A Surprisingly Simple Approach to Increasing Flu Specimen Submissions.
9:40 am - 10:25 amLegionella Environmental Investigations
10:45 am - 12:00 pmWorld Cup Collaboration: How Texas is Preparing Response Efforts Involving Higher Volume and Unusual Cases
12:00 pm - 1:20 pmLunch
1:25 pm - 2:25 pmMind the Culture: Bridging the Gap Between Diagnostic and Antimicrobial Stewardship
1:35 pm - 2:20 pmHighly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Texas Wildlife
1:40 pm - 2:25 pmHemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) in Texas
2:35 pm - 3:50 pmOpen-Floor Networking: Poster and Exhibitor Hall
4:00 pm - 5:00 pmCategory A Waste is a Critical Weakness in the United States Response Plans for Outbreaks of High Consequence Infectious Diseases.
4:05 pm - 4:50 pmTransplant Associated Reportable Disease
4:10 pm - 4:55 pmEngaging Work Around Mpox Prevention and Response 

Thursday, May 7, 2026

TimeSession
8:00 am -8:25 amRegistration and Check-In
8:30 am - 9:15 amLeadership Development in Healthcare and Epidemiology
9:20 am- 10:05 amInfant Botulism Outbreak Linked to Powdered Infant Formula/The World is Your Oyster: Vibrio Investigation and Shellfish Tags
9:25 am - 10:10 amOverview on the Role of the DSHS Lab
9:30 am - 10:15 amFlu Surveillance Workshop Part 1
10:30 am - 11:15 amTimeliness of Candida auris Reporting in Harris County, Texas, 2021–2024
10:35 am - 11:20 amTBD - Local Health Department Presentation
10:40 am - 11:25 amFlu Surveillance Workshop Part 2
11:30 am - 12:15 pmWorld Cup Breakout
11:35 am - 12:20 pmRabies in Texas Discussion
11:40 am - 12:25 pmFlu Surveillance Workshop Part 3
12:25 pm - 1:50 pmLunch
2:00 pm - 3:10 pmIntroducing the New Texas National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS)
3:25 pm - 4:10 pmAntimicrobial Resistance Lab Network
3:30 pm - 4:15 pmPerinatal Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Vaccines and Investigations
3:35 pm - 4:20 pmData Collection Improvement for Epidemiology
4:05 pm - 5:00 pmClosing Plenary 

Friday, May 8, 2026

TimeSession
8:00 am - 8:25 amRegistration and Check-in
8:30 am - 2:55 pmTabletop Exercise - Trace Me If You Can: Traceback Investigation of a Salmonella Outbreak
8:30 am - 11:55 pmTabletop Exercise - New World Screwworm
8:30 am - 2:55 pmTabletop Exercise - High-Consequence Infectious Diseases