System Director - Infection Prevention
SSM Health
Christina Zirges, DNP, ACNS-BC, CIC, FAPIC is system Director of Infection Prevention (IP) for SSM Health which includes oversite for infection prevention for over twenty hospitals and over one hundred outpatient locations.
Memberships include the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and past president and board member of the Greater St. Louis APIC chapter. Other professional endeavors include the board of directors for the Certification Board of Infection Control (CBIC) for two terms, Vice-Chair of the APIC Professional Development Committee, board of directors for the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC), and the HAI Advisory Council through the University of Missouri (Sinclair School of Nursing).
She has served on numerous statewide and local committees along with her department receiving the SSM Health – Achievement in Exceptional Care award for their work in the development of initiatives in HAI prevention and the SSM Health 2017 SSM Innovator Award for implementing and bringing evidence-based practices to the bedside.
An area of interest is the IP role in emergency preparedness. As such, she was an adjunct instructor in the St. Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice whereby she taught hospital and public health emergency planning. She has completed both hospital entry level and hospital leadership emergency planning courses through FEMA at the Noble Training facility in Anniston, Alabama.
Chris has a bachelor’s in nursing from Webster University, St. Louis MO, and master’s in nursing from St. Louis University, St. Louis MO. She is certified in infection prevention (CIC), board certified as an advanced practice nurse (ACNS-BC) and a Fellow of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (FAPIC). She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice with a focused project on Reducing Indwelling Urinary Catheter Days, comparing two protocols.