Prevention Epicenters Program

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CDC Prevention Epicenters - innovative research to protect patients

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Prevention Epicenters Program is a unique, over 20-year-old research program working to implement innovative strategies to improve healthcare quality and patient safety. The program works with academic partners to create new knowledge through collaborative research that leads to the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), antibiotic resistance, and other adverse health outcomes. A new 5-year cycle began June 1, 2021. The 11 funded Prevention Epicenters are:

Prevention Epicenters
  • Chicago Prevention and Intervention Epicenter (CPIE)
    – Rush University
  • Duke-UNC Prevention Epicenter
    – Duke University
    – UNC
  • Prevention Epicenter of Emory and Collaborating Healthcare Facilities (PEACH)
    – Emory University
  • Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute Center for Excellence in HAI Surveillance and Prevention
    – Harvard University
  • Johns Hopkins Prevention Epicenter: Transdisciplinary Research Approaches to Prevent Healthcare Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance (TRAP HAI & AR)
    – Johns Hopkins University
  • The Iowa Prevention Epicenter: Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship
    – Iowa University
  • Intermountain Program on Antibiotic Resistance and Microbial Threats
    – University of Utah
  • University of Maryland-Baltimore Epicenter
    – University of Maryland-Baltimore
  • Southeastern Pennsylvania Adult and Pediatric Prevention Epicenter Network
    – University of Pennsylvania
  • J. Craig Venter Institute and Cleveland VA Prevention and Intervention Epicenter
    – J. Craig Venter Institute
    – Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • Washington University & BJC Epicenter to Prevent Healthcare Associated Infections & Antibiotic Resistance
    – Washington University

Discovering New Ways to Protect Patients

Innovations to Improve Patient Safety CDC guides and collaborates with Prevention Epicenters to protect patients by filling prevention knowledge gaps identified by CDC’s outbreak response and surveillance data. An image of a circular process shows how Prevention Epicenters Link Academic Partners with CDC’s Data and Expertise. The image describes the cyclical process of how information gathered through CDC activities, such as gathering surveillance data and responding to outbreaks at facilities across the nation, can inform guidelines and recommendations. • First, CDC MONITORS HEALTHCARE DELIVERY. This leads to: o Identifying Knowledge Gaps that CDC and the Prevention Epicenters seek to fill through 3 steps: 1. Discovering innovative prevention methods, 2. Broadening investigation to refine methods, and 3. Refining methods across healthcare spectrum. o These steps can inform CDC Guidelines and Recommendations. • This partnership all leads back to CDC MONITORING HEALTHCARE DELIVERY.

Page last reviewed: June 11, 2021
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID),, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)