Q&A with the Experts in Healthcare: Reducing Pathogen Risks from the Ground Up

Speaker

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  Linda Lybert Executive Director, Healthcare Surfaces Institute (HSI)
  

  Linda Lybert

  Executive Director, Healthcare Surfaces Institute (HSI)

  Linda Lybert is the Founder and Executive Director of the Healthcare Surfaces Institute (HSI), now a division of ISSA, where she also leads the newly established ISSA Healthcare Division. With 27 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Linda is a nationally recognized expert in infection prevention, with a specialized focus on the role surfaces play in the transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

  She developed the Seven Aspects of Surface Selection©, a groundbreaking framework that addresses the complex factors influencing surface safety and hygiene in healthcare environments. Her work has consistently emphasized the need for a multidisciplinary approach, uniting professionals from infection prevention, materials science, design, and healthcare operations.

  To address the fragmented efforts across the industry, Linda founded HSI with a board of global experts, creating the first collaborative dedicated solely to surface-related challenges in healthcare. Under her leadership, the Institute has become a hub for research, education, and innovation aimed at reducing HAIs through improved surface design, selection, and maintenance.

  In 2024, HSI merged with ISSA, and Linda is now spearheading the development of the ISSA Healthcare Division, which provides strategic guidance, training, and resources to healthcare professionals, manufacturers, and building service providers focused on healthcare environmental hygiene.