The healthcare environment is a complex commercial space, often expanded and modified over many decades. As a result, design decisions are not always optimized to prevent healthcare‑associated infections, especially in large facilities where people at elevated risk for transmissible illness congregate (when seeking healthcare). In my work in hospital epidemiology, I use surveillance‑derived data to guide practical, evidence‑based policies in collaboration with healthcare engineering teams, with the goal of creating safer and more resilient clinical environments. I also have a strong interest in pandemic preparedness and in developing effective, forward‑thinking healthcare leadership.
- BS, Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 2001
- BA, Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 2002
- MD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2007
- Residency, Internal Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland, 2010
- Clinical Fellowship, Critical Care, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 2012
- Clinical Fellowship, Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2013
Education & Training
Buehrle DJ, Shively NR, Wagener MM, Clancy CJ, Decker BK. Sustained Reductions in Overall and Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescribing at Primary Care Clinics in a Veterans Affairs Healthcare System following a Multi-faceted Stewardship Intervention. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Dec 9. PMID: 31813965.
Decker BK, Sevransky JE, Barrett K, Davey RT, Chertow DS. Preparing for Critical Care Services to Patients with Ebola. Ann Intern Med. 2014 Dec 2;161(11):831-2. PMID: 25244048.
Decker BK, Palmore TN. The role of water in healthcare-associated infections. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2013 Aug;26(4):345-51. PMID: 23806897.
Decker BK, Lau AF, Dekker JP, Spalding CD, Sinaii N, Conlan S, Henderson DK, Segre JA, Frank KM, Palmore TN. Healthcare personnel intestinal colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2017 May 12. PMID: 28506784.
