18th annual Dr. James J. Crawford Award

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP.org) has named Executive Director Therese Long, MBA, CAE, as the recipient of the 18^th annual Dr. James J. Crawford Award. Honoring lifetime achievement in the field of dental infection control, the award was presented during OSAP’s annual symposium, held May 28–30 in Baltimore.

The award is named in honor of one of the founding fathers of dental infection control, and honorees have made significant contributions in science, education or public policy related to OSAP’s core competencies of infection control and patient and provider safety. The boards of directors of OSAP and the OSAP Foundation recognized Long for her many years of service as executive director (she was the organization’s first full-time director).

“As the heart and soul of OSAP for 20 years, Long has been a tireless and passionate advocate for patient and provider safety in oral health care,” notes John O’Keefe, BDentSc, MBA, chairman of the OSAP board. “The members of the board were unanimous in their delight at being able to recognize her work.”

Over the past two decades, Long has become the international face of OSAP, and through her advocacy it has developed into a respected organization dedicated to advancing safe oral health care. Under her guidance, it obtained IRS recognition, launched the OSAP Foundation, created innovative and effective programs and campaigns, and formed valuable partnerships that expanded the organization’s reach.

Regarded as a premier infection control education and networking event, the OSAP symposium offers attendees the chance to learn from leading authorities in the critical and rapidly changing field of infection prevention and safety in oral health care.

Celebrating more than 30 years of service to the worldwide dental community, OSAP is a growing community of clinicians, educators, students, policymakers and industry representatives advocating for safe and infection-free delivery of oral health care. The organization offers an extensive online collection of resources, publications, FAQs, checklists and toolkits to help dental professionals ensure that every visit is “The Safest Dental Visit” for patients and the dental team.