How We Will Fight C. diff: Goals of The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation

Given the rising rates of infection and death attributable to C. diff, as well as
its increasing emergence in community settings, in its first year, the foundation
will pursue five goals to raise awareness among physicians, patients and the
general public.

2011 goals include:

• Building a website for the foundation that will include comprehensive
  information about C. diff, including symptoms, diagnostic information,
  traditional and alternative medicine treatments, risk factors (such
  as hospitalization, using antibiotics and gastric acid inhibitors, and
  demographics), current news and research, a physicians directory,
  support and advocacy pages for sufferers, and Peggy Lillis’ life.

• Developing and distributing an educational, patient-focused brochure,
  outlining the symptoms, risks factors, treatments (both traditional and
  alternative), and additional resources.

• Placement of op-eds in online and print media.

• Producing a public-service announcement (PSA), based on the
  experiences of Peggy Lillis and other sufferers, distributing the PSA to
  online outlets through a web-based public education campaign, that will
  utilize the PSA and online collateral to drive public awareness of C. diff,
  and build a core constituency of donors and advocates.

• Developing and hosting two physician education gatherings, first in New
  York, and then growing to other states in the second year. Each gathering
  will feature a speaker with expertise in C. diff research, prevention,
  standards, emerging and alternative treatments or a related field, such as
  antibiotic stewardship, terminal cleaning, or infection control.

• In addition to programmatic goals, the foundation will spend its first year
  building its organizational capacity, raising operating capital from private
  foundations, corporations and individual contributors, growing its National
  Advisory Council, identifying and cultivating potential coalition partnerships,
  and developing its first strategic plan.