Our Team
Dr. Harris is a licensed infectious disease physician and Associate Hospital Epidemiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center, a 700-bed acute-care hospital with more than 30,000 admissions per year. Dr. Harris has over 20 years of experience in infection control. He is an expert in antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections.
Dr. Harris serves as professor and Head of the Division of Genomic Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is a former president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). He is on the advisory board for the Maryland Health Care Commission and advises the Maryland Department of Health regularly.
In October 2022, The Siena School recognized Dr. Harris with a Key Supporter Award for his work consulting with the school to develop new COVID protocols and a reopening plan.
Dr. Leekha is an infectious disease physician and Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, a 730-bed facility in downtown Baltimore. She completed her residency and fellowship in infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic. She is an Associate Professor at the Univeristy of Maryland School of Medicine, Division of Genomic Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes within the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. She has published extensively on prevention of C. difficile, surgical site infections and central-line associated bloodstream infections. Dr. Leekha is a lead investigator on a Maryland Department of Health funded statewide collaborative for C. difficile reduction.
Stephanie Mayoryk, RN, BSN, CIC
Ms. Mayoryk is an infection preventionist who has served most recently as the Corporate Director of Infection Prevention for the LifeBridge Health System and has nineteen years of Infection Prevention experience in the Baltimore Metro area.
Ms. Mayoryk has held leadership positions for the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the Association of Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) and served at the national level as APIC membership chair. She currently serves on the Maryland Healthcare Commission Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Advisory Committee. She excels in Infection Prevention Program Management and Regulatory Readiness.
Joan Hebden, RN, MS, CIC, FAPIC
Ms. Hebden is an infection preventionist who has served in national roles to advance the fields of infection prevention and control and healthcare epidemiology. She served as director of infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center for 28 years as well as managing infection prevention at a long-term acute care facility. She has published over 35 manuscripts and is an American Journal of Infection Control section editor and reviewer and serves on the AJIC editorial board.
Ms. Hebden has served as a board member of the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the Association Professional for Infection Control (APIC) and successfully led the University of Maryland Medical Center through multiple Joint Commission and CMS reviews. She is an expert in surveillance of healthcare-associated infections and collaborates with the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network team to educate infection preventionists on surveillance methods and definitions through case studies published in AJIC.
Ms. Hebden is certified in infection control through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, is an active member of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiologists of America (SHEA) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), and is a fellow of APIC. She was the recipient of the 2018 SHEA Advanced Practice IP award.
Dr. Morgan is a licensed infection disease physician who currently serves as Hospital Epidemiologist at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Healthcare System and manages the VA infection control program for an acute care hospital and two long-term care facilities. Dr. Morgan has over 10 years of experience in infection control and prevention and is an expert in patient isolation. He has advised the Department of Veterans Affairs appeals board, the Maryland Attorney General’s office and multiple hospitals.
Dr. Morgan is a Professor in the Division of Genomic Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes within the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is a member of the Research and Guidelines Committee for the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).
Dr. O'Hara is an Assistant Professor and infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She received a PhD in Epidemiology, an MPH in Global Health and a postgraduate certificate in Infection Prevention and Control all from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She is a member of the Infection Control team at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Prior to moving to Maryland, Dr. O'Hara spent much of her time studying strategies to prevent the transmission of tuberculosis in public hospitals in South Africa.
Dr. Thom is an Associate Hospital Epidemiologist for the University of Maryland Medical Center and an Physician Advisor for Quality at the University of Maryland Medical System. She is a Professor in the Division of Genomic Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes within the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Thom's main areas of research including the study of antimicrobial resistant pathogens and prevention of infections in the healthcare setting. She is on the advisory board for the Maryland Health Care Commission and advises DHMH regularly and has helped the state in its control of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
Dr. Baghdadi is a licensed infectious disease physician and Associate Hospital Epidemiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He serves as Chair of Infection Prevention at UMMC Midtown Campus, a 170-bed acute care facility in Downtown Baltimore, and Informatics Hospital Epidemiologist at the VA Maryland Healthcare System. Within the incident command for the COVID-19 response at Midtown, he acts as Medical Consultant to the Incident Commander. Dr. Baghdadi received a PhD in Health Policy and Management from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. His interests include quality improvement, diagnostic stewardship, and protocols for early management of sepsis.
KC Coffey, MD, MPH
Dr. Coffey is an infectious disease physician and Associate Hospital Epidemiologist at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Healthcare System. She is also an assistant professor in the Division of Genomic Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes within the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She received a Master of Public Health in International Health and Development from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She is currently engaged in the COVID-19 response and serves as Subject Matter Expert to the VA Incident Command. Dr. Coffey is board certified in Medical Microbiology as well as Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine. Her interests include: diagnostic stewardship, antibiotic stewardship, and prevention of healthcare associated infections.