The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) was founded in 1980 to advance the application of the science of healthcare epidemiology. SHEA works to maintain the utmost quality of patient care and healthcare worker safety in all healthcare settings. It upholds its high success rate in infection prevention and control, while applying epidemiologic principles and prevention strategies to a wide range of quality-of-care issues. SHEA is a growing organization, strengthened by its active membership in all branches of medicine, public health, and healthcare epidemiology. The Society's expertise is sought by healthcare regulatory and accrediting agencies, and its scientific voice is influential in guiding decision-making bodies towards rational, effective, cost-conscious policies.