retired
Department of Veterans Affairs
Kathleen Hartless, MN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, CRMST began her role as an Infection Control Coordinator in 1996 at the Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) and has remained certified in infection control since 1998. In 2022 after 42 years of service to the Department of Veterans Affairs in various roles, Ms. Hartless retired as Nurse Manager, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Program at the VANTHCS, which served Veterans in 38 counties in Texas and two counties in Southern Oklahoma providing acute, long-term, ambulatory, community based, home care, and mental health services. Ms. Hartless provided training with new infection preventionists (IPs) and facilitated continuing education of IPs. To enhance the visibility and knowledge of specific IPC practices, targets, and goals, multidisciplinary staff were invited and attended TheraDoc® training to utilize the surveillance tools. The multidisciplinary IPC Committee provided the forum for communication of healthcare-associated infections and of compliance of process and prevention measures.
During Coronavirus 2019, Ms. Hartless continued to work with Human Resources and Fiscal Services to justify and support the IPC Program’s 24 hours/seven days per week availability to staff and monetary compensation of the IPs. Ms. Hartless co-authored the following publications: “Effect of serious infectious threat response initiative (SITRI) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at the Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System” and “Investigation of the first reported outbreak of New Delhi metallo-β-lactase-1-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Texas”.
Since retirement, Ms. Hartless has been an active member of the APIC DFW Education Committee identifying educational needs, critiquing presentations, and collaborating with speakers to facilitate advancement of IPC Practices. Ms. Hartless co-presented “Building a Multidisciplinary IP Toolbox: CDC’s Project Firstline” to APIC DFW on August 4, 2022, which provided attendees continuing education units and qualified for infection prevention units.
