Editor's Note: The following article was researched and written by Andrew Glyman BA, MGH Research Institute Intern, Susan Fisher BA, RN, MGH SON ’66, and Mary E. Larkin MS RN, MGH SON ’76.
Carole DeMille, a 1953 graduate of the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing (SON), was a pioneer in the prevention of hospital-associated infections in the 1960s and became one of the first infection control specialists in the United States.
DeMille was instrumental in guiding, encouraging and inspiring others as they entered the new field of epidemiology and infection control in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. She was also the co-founder of the Association for Professionals in Epidemiology and Infection Control (APIC) in 1972, which continues to this day.
Friends and former colleagues remember her as natural leader who tacked the challenges of the emerging field of infection control with determination and good humor.
Early Career and Transition to Infection Control
DeMille was born and raised in Dorchester and attended the Jeremiah E. Burke School for Girls. After graduating from the MGH School of Nursing, she initially worked as a surgical staff nurse on White 7, then joined the still-young IV Team. Both roles were good preparation for her future role in infection control.
A diehard Red Sox fan and a mother of two children (one of whom was named after Ted Williams), DeMille was also a voracious reader, her daughter Wendy DeMille recalls. "She especially loved mysteries."
This natural inclination towards investigation played a significant role in her transition from bedside nursing to infection control, where she found an intellectual outlet and a job that she could make her own.
DeMille was the second RN to work in infection control at MGH (1967) and the first RN to hold the title of Infection Control Nurse (1970)
The early days of working in infection control were far from glamorous.
DeMille recalled working in a makeshift office in a temporary building on the Bulfinch lawn, surrounded by laboratory animals, highlighting the lack of resources and recognition for her work at the time.
Despite these early challenges, though, DeMille was soon using her investigative skills to solve infection-related mysteries.
During an outbreak of infections in the transplant unit at MGH, she was instrumental in identifying an issue with the air ducts that was leading to the spread of the disease and posing a serious threat to immunosuppressed patients.
Her investigation and subsequent actions led to significant changes in hospital standards to manage air circulation and infection control, ultimately avoiding further infections and improving patient safety.
DeMille also collaborated with colleagues such as Annie Polcari (MGHSON ’54) and Marie Kelleher (MGHSON ’47), who shared her vision for improving hospital infection control practices.
Together, they updated isolation manuals and developed protocols for emerging health threats, such as the early cases of AIDS even before the disease had a name.
Leadership and Founding of APIC
In 1972, Carole DeMille co-founded the National Association for Practitioners in Infection Control, now known as the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
DeMille's leadership skills and ability to unite healthcare professionals around a common goal were instrumental in APIC's early success.
She served as APIC president from 1975 to 1976 and was a driving force behind the organization's growth. Her peers remember her not only for her expertise but also for her vibrant personality and ability to inspire those around her.
Patricia Lynch, a fellow APIC member, reminisced, "Carole was unstoppable, inventive, and wildly fun to work with. She could turn the most daunting challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.”
Wendy DeMille humorously noted, "My brother and I always say that APIC was our only sibling rival," highlighting the immense dedication her mother had to the organization.
Legacy and Impact
Carole's pioneering work has had an enduring impact on the practice of infection control in and outside of hospitals, on her colleagues and on the AIPC organization.
Following her untimely death at the age of 47 in 1979, the APIC established the Carole DeMille Achievement Award in her honor. This award, given annually, recognizes APIC individual members who have advanced the practice and profession of infection prevention and control (IPC).
DeMille's visionary approach laid the groundwork for modern infection control programs, emphasizing the importance of rigorous infection prevention protocols, ongoing education and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Generations of infection control practitioners have followed, ensuring that patient safety remains a top priority in healthcare settings worldwide.
At MGH, what started as one nurse in a basement office has now grown to a department of over 10 nurses whose specialty practice is now known as Infection Prevention and who work within the MGH Infection Control Program.
Their role includes surveillance, remediation, infection reporting, policy and regulatory work, education, and environment of care rounds, according to Rebecca Craig MPH, RN, CIC, senior manager of infection control.
Dedicated, Determined and a Lot of Fun
Correspondence from friends and colleagues of DeMille paint a vivid picture of a determined woman who tackled challenges with optimism and a keen sense of humor.
“Carole had the gift of making everyone feel that she respected them and they had something special to offer," one former colleague wrote. "She made working hard together to attain something a lot of fun.”
"Carole’s communicative skills were unequaled," another colleague recalled. "I would work with her in her office and tell her she had a ‘telephone’ ear to the world. She would say, 'I can get people to do things.'”
“I just remember her laughing a lot and enabling problem resolution to occur in a relaxed atmosphere. No stress!”
“She left us the idea of confidence—that we knew more than anyone else in the hospital what we were doing in infection control.”
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