The Joint Commission has Recognized Genomic Surveillance for the Detection of Transmission in Hospitals

Honors pioneering work at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh led by members of NGD Infection Prevention’s Scientific Advisory Board

Cambridge, MA October 8, 2026 — NGD Infection Prevention (NGD) today congratulates UPMC Presbyterian Hospital on receiving the Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Local Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality Award, for the pioneering implementation of bacterial whole genome sequencing (WGS) for the detection of transmission of infection. Dr. Alex Sundermann who has co-led this work is a member of NGD’s Scientific Advisory Board and also a consultant to NGD. This recognition by the Joint Commission, a highly respected independent organization that evaluates and accredits hospitals and other care facilities, brings a great deal of credibility as hospitals consider the operational and patient benefits of using prospective WGS to prevent transmission. In addition to patient safety benefits, the team at Presbyterian Hospital recently reported that the use of prospective WGS to detect transmission resulted in reductions in length-of-stay and net cost savings substantially above the cost of the WGS service.