Infection Prevention & Public Health Leader

Veronica Gbago, MPH, BMLS

Sanford, FL ***** 407-***-**** ***********@*****.***

Infection Preventionist • Public Health Professional • Quality Improvement Specialist Professional Summary

Public health and infection prevention professional with 10+ years of combined experience in infection control, microbiology, and healthcare quality improvement. Demonstrated expertise in ICAR readiness (no deficiencies), NHSN reporting, outbreak management, RCA/CAPA, and regulatory compliance (AHCA, CMS, DOH, Joint Commission). Holds a WES-evaluated Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (U.S. bachelor’s equivalent) and a Master of Public Health. Area of Specialty

Clinical Microbiology & Infection Prevention: Skilled in bacterial culture identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, outbreak source tracing, and infection-control collaboration between clinical and laboratory teams. Expertise includes interpreting microbiology data for surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and quality-improvement initiatives. Core Competencies

Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) HAI Surveillance (NHSN definitions) Epidemiology Methods Outbreak Investigation Exposure Control Isolation & Source Control Employee Health Coordination

RCA / CAPA Policy Development Tracer Rounds Hand Hygiene & PPE Audits Antibiotic Stewardship Program Implementation & Monitoring Staff Education & Training Data Analysis & Dashboard Development Interdisciplinary Teamwork Customer Service Survey Readiness & Continuous Quality Improvement

Certifications & Memberships

APIC — Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (Member) CIC (Certification in Infection Control) — Eligibility in Progress Certified Public Health Education and Promotion (CPHEP) — Completed Post-MPH BLS (AHA) — Current

Education

Master of Public Health (MPH) — Benedictine University, Lisle, IL Certified Public Health Education and Promotion (CPHEP) — Post-Master Certification Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLS) — WES-Evaluated U.S. Bachelor’s Equivalent 4-year professional program with coursework in microbiology, hematology, serology, biochemistry, and infection prevention

Post-Graduate Certificate — Health, Safety & Environment (HSE), University of Lagos, Nigeria Professional Experience

Infection Preventionist — Orange City Nursing & Rehab, DeBary, FL (June 2022 – November 2024)

• Conducted infection surveillance and NHSN reporting for long-term care residents and staff.

• Supported outbreak management and exposure control during respiratory and seasonal illness surges.

• Led facility-wide ICAR review with zero deficiencies and implemented corrective / preventive actions.

• Designed and executed the Infection Control Quality Improvement Process (QIP) and action plan.

• Audited hand hygiene, PPE, and environmental rounds — improving staff compliance by 40%.

• Implemented and co-led the facility’s Antibiotic Stewardship Program to promote rational antimicrobial use and track infection trends.

• Delivered ongoing infection-prevention and antibiotic stewardship education.

• Collaborated with Nursing, Quality, and Risk Management teams to maintain regulatory readiness.

• Recognized for infection-prevention leadership and staff engagement — reflected in positive Google Reviews for Orange City Nursing & Rehab (4.5H overall rating). Infection Control Coordinator — Spring Hill Community, FL (Dec 2020 – Mar 2021)

• Improved infection-control education compliance by 80% through targeted staff training, audits, and real-time feedback.

• Identified hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and submitted reports to leadership and the CDC.

• Partnered with executive directors and multidisciplinary teams to design and evaluate infection-prevention projects.

Infection Prevention Coordinator — Chevron Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos (2013 – 2017)

• Developed and managed the Antibiotic Stewardship Program to optimize antimicrobial use and reduce resistance trends.

• Oversaw hand hygiene and environmental cleaning programs aligned with WHO and national standards.

• Coordinated audits, risk assessments, and policy updates to enhance patient safety. Public Health Intern — Florida Department of Health, Orange County, Orlando, FL (May 2012 – Aug 2013)

• Supported communicable-disease surveillance and infection-control investigations with epidemiology staff.

Laboratory Supervisor — Chevron Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos (2005 – 2012)

• Implemented quality management systems aligned with accreditation and infection-control standards.

• Provided technical oversight during outbreak investigations and infection-risk analyses. Lead, Microbiology Department — Chevron Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos (2000 – 2005)

• Managed daily microbiology operations including culture, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Selected Achievements

• Led facility through ICAR assessment with zero deficiencies.

• Developed and implemented Antibiotic Stewardship Programs at two healthcare organizations.

• Created an Excel surveillance dashboard for HAI trend monitoring and performance tracking. Technical Skills

NHSN • CDC SAMS • Excel (pivots, charts) • EMR Review • PowerPoint • Word • SharePoint / Teams

Availability

Full-Time • AdventHealth Orlando Campus

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