Governor Issues Proclamation Recognizing Sepsis Awareness Month

Led by the Sepsis Alliance, Sepsis Awareness Month is aimed at education around the signs, symptoms and life-threatening nature of sepsis.

Sepsis, which is the body’s extreme, life-threatening response to an infection, affects at least 1.7 million people and claims over 350,000 lives in the United States each year. Early recognition and treatment dramatically improve survival rates, making education and awareness vitally important. 

With the support of Senior Leadership, Karen Cutler, BSN, RN, Quality Documentation Specialist, leads multidisciplinary teams at Saint Francis Hospital and Johnson Memorial Hospital to improve sepsis care. Karen reviews sepsis patient charts to identify potential gaps, tracks and submits compliance with sepsis standards to the leadership teams and to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and educates clinical teams. She also has been instrumental in building reports in EPIC for early identification and tracking current hospitalized sepsis patients, allowing her to support the clinical teams in real time.

“My focus is on making sure sepsis is recognized early and treated without delay, since both are critical to preventing fatal complications,” Karen said. “Through physician and nursing education, I help clinical teams stay sharp on the subtle signs of organ dysfunction and stay consistent with standardized treatment bundles. It is meaningful work, and knowing it contributes to better, safer outcomes for patients is something I am proud to be a part of.”

Since 2022, on behalf of Trinity Health Of New England, Karen has requested that Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont issue official state proclamations annually, raising awareness of this critical public health crisis, which he has done. This year, Connecticut joins 29 other states and Washington, D.C. in focusing public attention on the importance of immediate sepsis recognition and imperative care.

To learn more about sepsis, visit the Sepsis Alliance website.