Dr. Kainer was the first to recognize cases of fungal meningitis related to spinal injections using contaminated steroid medication and led the recent fungal meningitis outbreak investigation at the Tennessee Department of Health. Her timely recognition and effective action triggered an almost immediate recall of contaminated product and the national investigation of what turned out to be a large, multi-state outbreak.  Her action saved lives by identifying the problem, removing the source and assuring appropriate therapy for those who had, until then, undiagnosed disease.  Throughout the events related to this outbreak, she has played a leadership role on the national level in elucidating the epidemiology and impact of the fungal meningitis epidemic.  Dr. Kainer will provide the compelling first-hand story of the origins and course of this major national epidemic, its impact and the lessons learned.

Dr. Kainer obtained her medical degree and masters of public health in Melbourne, Australia.  She is an adult infectious diseases physician and healthcare epidemiologist and joined the Tennessee Department of Health in 2003. Dr. Kainer is the chair of the healthcare associated infections [HAI] subcommittee of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists [CSTE] and co-chairs both the CSTE HAI data standards committee and the antimicrobial resistance reporting working group.  Dr. Kainer serves as the CSTE liaison to the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee [HICPAC], the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) steering committee, the NHSN change control board and the Emerging Infections Program Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Steering Committee.  She serves on the public policy and governmental affairs committee of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). Dr. Kainer was named Tennessean of the Year by the Nashville based Tennessean newspaper and in 2013 was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for Public Health and Prevention.

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