Carole and Ty Moss
Founders of Nile’s Project
tymoss95@gmail.com
Nile’s Project, a patient safety awareness and public health policy foundation was started in 2007 by Carole and Ty Moss following the death of their 15 year old son Nile due to acquiring healthcare-associated MRSA delayed treatment for sepsis. That same year Carole became a voting member on the California HAI advisory committee appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger as the public voice for 36 million Californians that need safer care. Now, 11 years later she continues to drive positive change as advisor/consultant on 2 of the working groups/sub-committees she once chaired; Environmental Cleaning, Public Reporting sub-committees she continues her advisory/consulting role on California’s HAI Sub-committee for Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Stewardship. The Mosses expanded to a national focus as they partnered with the CDC, CMS,HHS, the Safe Patient Project legislative leaders, PSAN and many other organizations to educate the public on preventing HAI’s, antibiotic resistant bacteria, the need to adopt of point-of-care rapid diagnostics to quickly treat appropriately either virus or bacteria.
Using Ty’s unique music background as a vehicle to spread infection prevention awareness, they began hosting concerts at schools, universities and community centers throughout southern California. Their reach grew into a national awareness program to include health expos, athletic programs, medical and nursing schools. They speak regularly on national webinars and panels and are fixtures on “Drive Time” morning and evening radio sharing infection prevention and patient safety advice with dedicated listeners across the country. Their leadership and expertise on antibiotic stewardship lead to Carole’s invitation to speak on behalf of the public at the very first White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship that convened government official and private sector leaders in June of 2015. On this day the White House announced they would only serve meats and poultry raised in accordance with responsible use policies and they directed the entire federal government to buy meat only from sources that do the same.
In 2007 Ty and Carole Moss presented a legislative proposal to lawmakers and partners for the state of California that became the base language for 2 of our nation’s strongest state, public health and patient safety infection prevention bills that disclose hospital acquired infection outcome data to the public. The bills were signed into law in 2008 by then Governor Schwarzenegger and the first reports were made public Pre- NHSN reporting.
With this legislation, California became the first state to; require hospitals to gather antibiotic resistant bacteria infection and C.diff infection rates then publically report their findings that include all deep and organ space surgical site infections. This was also the first legislation to require all acute care hospitals in the state to screen “all high-risk in-patients” for MRSA when admitted and if results are negative require a second MRSA screen test at time of discharge and made it a crime if hospitals did not comply. This California legislation was first to require all hospitals to establish a written infection prevention program that is reviewed at the time of their patient safety inspection with the state health department every 3 years.
The Mosses continue to help shape a better national healthcare system with better patient outcomes and one that is affordable for all, in honor of their son Nile Calvin Moss. They are recognized leaders in their work and have received multiple awards of recognition include A Humanitarian award from Long Beach School District and Honda has recognized them as Hero’s in their 2017 “”Helpful Honda Hero’s Of The Week” on KNX 1070 news.
To read Nile’s Story, Click Here