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Director
Lela Luper, RN, BS, CIC, FAPIC
Chickasaw Nation Department of Health
Ada, OK
Lela Luper is currently Manager of Infection Prevention and Control at the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health in Ada, OK. For seventeen years, Lela has been an infection preventionist in the rural hospital and ambulatory care setting providing her with the skills, critical thinking, and leadership abilities to promote infection prevention initiatives and patient safety. As an APIC-Oklahoma Chapter member, Lela has served as the treasurer in 2016. She is a member of the Oklahoma Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention workgroup. Lela has served on Member Services Committee, Branding taskforce, Annual Conference Committee, and currently serves as the Chair a/ Education Committee. Lela contributed to the development of the Roadmap for the Novice Infection Preventionist. She currently serves on the EPI Revision team and as faculty for the Education for the Prevention of Infection (EPI 102) course. Ms. Luper has spoken and presented at local and national APIC events as well as other local events related to the field of infection prevention and control.
In 2015, she was recognized locally with the Spirit of EPIC award. Lela received the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year in 2011 and was named the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year finalist for 2015.
Ms. Luper received her Bachelors of Science degree from East Central University. She has been certified in infection prevention and control since 2004 and received the Fellow of APIC designation in 2016.