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September is Sepsis Awareness Month, bringing needed attention to a healthcare issue that affects 1.7 million people and kills approximately 350,000 adults in the U.S. every year

CHICAGO, Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 2Flo Ventures, a startup studio and venture capital firm dedicated to accelerating equitable innovation in healthcare, today announced that it has named the Sepsis Alliance as the Charity Beneficiary for 2024 of its annual Health Equity Investing Symposium. The Health Equity Investing Symposium, taking place Thursday, September 12 from 8:45am - 4:20pm CDT in Chicago, brings together subject matter experts, investors, startups, and thought leaders to discuss the importance of investing in health equity.

As part of the Health Equity Investing Symposium, Sepsis Alliance will provide education to attendees on the burden of sepsis, its signs and symptoms, and what can be done to reduce sepsis mortality. Additionally, attendees can engage in a roundtable discussion focusing on health equity related to maternal, neonatal, and pediatric sepsis.  Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency that happens when the body's response to an infection damages vital organs and, often, causes death.

"We are proud to extend 2Flo's relationship with Sepsis Alliance and are eager to work with the organization to bring attention to the dangers of sepsis and the need to develop new tools and technologies to better treat the condition," stated Paul Burton, JD, MBA, Managing Partner, 2Flo Ventures. "The Health Equity Investing Symposium provides an excellent forum to build awareness, and the timing aligns perfectly with September's Sepsis Awareness Month, allowing an even greater opportunity to raise prominence of sepsis as the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals."

Sepsis Alliance works to raise awareness of sepsis, which is the leading cause of death in US hospitals, and educate the public, healthcare professionals, and policy makers about the condition. As part of the larger healthcare sector, Sepsis Alliance is committed to closing gaps in health outcomes. To learn more about sepsis and health equity and download the fact sheet click here or you can visit Sepsis Alliance at sepsis.org.

To learn more and register for the Health Equity Investing Symposium, click here. 

The Sepsis Divide in the U.S.
In the United States, differences in health and mortality are influenced by both socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity.¹ Sepsis disproportionally impacts communities of color and those with lower levels of education and income. For example,

• Black and other Non-white populations have nearly twice the incidence of sepsis as white (1.89 times the risk for Black, and 1.9 times the risk for other Non-white populations).²
• Black patients admitted to the emergency room are assigned to significantly lower priority status and experience significantly longer wait times (10.9 minutes longer on average) as compared to case-matched white patients.³
• Adults below the poverty line have over three to four times the risk of dying of sepsis as compared to adults whose family income is at least five times the poverty line.⁴

About Sepsis Alliance
Sepsis Alliance, a leading patient advocacy organization, is saving lives and reducing suffering by improving sepsis awareness and care. Through Sepsis.org, Sepsis Alliance Institute, Sepsis Alliance Voices, Sepsis Alliance Connect, and Sepsis Innovation Collaborative, Sepsis Alliance is providing healthcare professionals, the general public, and those touched by sepsis with the education, support, and advocacy to save lives and limbs. Sepsis Alliance is enacting and influencing positive change for the 1.7 million people diagnosed with sepsis each year including the 350,000 adults and 6,800 children who die in the U.S. Infection prevention is sepsis prevention. For more information on Sepsis Alliance, a GuideStar Platinum Rated and Charity Navigator Four-Star rated 501(c)3 charity, visit Sepsis.org.

About 2Flo Ventures         

2Flo Ventures is a Chicago based early-stage venture capital firm and startup studio. We have invested in nine nationally recognized companies employing 100+ people and have collectively raised over 85 million dollars. We build and invest in companies across biotechnology, medical devices, and digital health with a core mission of advancing health equity and addressing large unmet medical needs.

References

1 Phelan, J. C., & Link, B. G. (2015). Is racism a fundamental cause of inequalities in health?. Annual Review of Sociology, 41, 311-330.

2  Martin, G. S., Mannino, D. M., Eaton, S. and Moss, M. (2003) The epidemiology of sepsis in the United States from 1979 through 2000, New England Journal of Medicine, 348(16), 1546-1554.

3  Schrader, C. D. and Lewis, L. M. (2013) Racial disparity in emergency department triage, J Emerg Med, 44(2), 511-518.

4  Kempker, J. A., Kramer, M. R., Waller, L. A. and Martin, G. S. (2018) Risk Factors for Septicemia Deaths and Disparities in a Longitudinal US Cohort, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 5(12), ofy305.

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SOURCE 2Flo Ventures