DeAnn Richards, RN
Nurse Consultant
DeAnn Richards has worked in Infection Prevention and Occupational Health for over 27 years. She has an Associate Degree in both Occupational Therapy and Nursing, followed by her bachelor’s in nursing. Her previous experience in patient safety and quality included being a regional lead at Lake Superior Quality Innovation Network to support the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) priorities for health care quality improvement. Through a subcontracted with the Wisconsin Hospital Association, she also supported the Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks (HIIN).
In 2020, she started her own consulting business – D. Richards Infection Prevention. This opportunity allows DeAnn to apply and experience in multiple settings and love of infection prevention. She has spoken at national conferences and webinars, regional webinars, state conferences, and local APIC chapters. She holds certifications in Infection Control, Healthcare Quality, and Patient Safety. She is the past Chair of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Member Services Committee.
She has served as the President for her local APIC chapter three times. DeAnn’s philosophy is that we should not need to be thanked for preventing the spread of infection, as this is an expectation in today’s healthcare. She loves the challenges of Infection Prevention and hopes her commitment is “infectious.”