What Sepsis Alliance does

Sepsis Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in San Diego, California, was founded in 2003 (formally incorporated in 2007) by Carl Flatley, DDS, MSD, following the death of his daughter Erin from sepsis. The organization is the nation's first and leading sepsis advocacy organization, operating a portfolio of interconnected programs: Sepsis.org (public-facing education and resource hub), Sepsis Alliance Institute (free virtual learning platform with ACCME accreditation for CME credits and RN CE credits, launched in 2019 via partnership with DRIVe/BARDA, having trained over 60,000 healthcare professionals), Sepsis Alliance Connect (peer-support community for survivors and caregivers, migrated to Higher Logic in April 2024), Sepsis Alliance Voices (grassroots advocacy platform), Faces of Sepsis (storytelling archive), the Sepsis Innovation Collaborative (multi-stakeholder public/private convening), the annual Sepsis Alliance Summit and Unite for Sepsis Symposium, the Sepsis Awareness Month (September) campaign built around the TIME symptom-recognition acronym, and the National Sepsis Data Trust initiative. Sepsis Alliance runs an annual national awareness survey via YouGov tracking public knowledge of sepsis.

Sepsis Alliance is governed by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Steven Q. Simpson, MD (University of Kansas), with recent addition of David Elin (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) in April 2026, and is led by President and CEO Thomas Heymann. Revenue mechanics are diversified across three streams: private donations and individual contributions, corporate sponsorships (with a disclosed sponsor roster spanning Vantive, Prenosis, Abionic, bioMérieux, Novartis, Sanofi, Wolters Kluwer, Merck, Immunexpress, Beckman Coulter, Dompé, Roche, Baxter, Pfizer, Cytovale, EKF, Inflammatix, BD, RECCE, Mednition, GE Healthcare, Seres Therapeutics, Boston Scientific, DiaSorin, CorMedix, and ThermoFisher; sponsorships do not influence editorial content), and government/foundation grants (notably the BARDA-backed 2019 launch of the Institute). All educational content, the Institute platform, community support, and major events are offered free of charge to clinicians, patients, and the public, generating no direct fees; pricing model is effectively freemium with donor/sponsor/grant-supported delivery.

The organization addresses the U.S. sepsis burden of approximately 1.7 million annual diagnoses, 350,000 adult deaths (plus 6,800 pediatric deaths), and $62 billion in annual hospitalization costs, with continued expansion into sepsis innovation and federal data-infrastructure advocacy. Multiple third-party validators (GuideStar Platinum, Charity Navigator Four-Star, ACCME accreditation, 2025 Great Nonprofits recognition) and prior MarCom/Hermes creative awards for the TIME campaign signal durable operational credibility.

Name

Sepsis Alliance

Legal name

Sepsis Alliance

Website

https://sepsis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sepsis Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 and headquartered in San Diego that delivers free sepsis education, awareness campaigns, and survivor support to U.S. healthcare professionals, patients, families, and the general public through its Sepsis.org website, ACCME-accredited Sepsis Alliance Institute, Sepsis Alliance Connect community, and corporate-sponsored programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy and Health Awareness Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

Keywords

• Sepsis awareness education
• Healthcare professional training
• Patient advocacy services
• Continuing medical education
• Nonprofit healthcare outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Individual contributions from donors supporting the organization's mission to save lives and reduce suffering from sepsis.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Funding from healthcare corporations and pharmaceutical companies. The organization lists numerous sponsors including Vantive, Prenosis, Abionic, bioMérieux, Novartis, Sanofi, Wolters Kluwer, Merck, Immunexpress, Beckman Coulter, Dompé, Roche, Baxter, Pfizer, Cytovale, EKF, Inflammatix, BD, RECCE, Mednition, GE Healthcare, Seres Therapeutics, Boston Scientific, DiaSorin, CorMedix, and ThermoFisher. Sponsorships are acknowledged per policy but do not influence editorial content.
3. Grants: Funding from government entities and foundations. The Sepsis Alliance Institute was launched in 2019 through a partnership with DRIVe/BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Sepsis Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit patient advocacy organization that provides free sepsis education, awareness campaigns, healthcare professional training, survivor support community, and policy advocacy. Its core deliverables include the public-facing Sepsis.org educational website, the Sepsis Alliance Institute accredited virtual learning platform for healthcare providers (CME/CE credits), the Sepsis Alliance Connect community for survivors and caregivers, and the Sepsis Alliance Voices advocacy platform.

Product overview

Sepsis Alliance operates as a patient advocacy organization with a portfolio of interconnected programs and platforms. The core public-facing website Sepsis.org provides foundational sepsis education and resources. Sepsis Alliance Institute serves as the primary educational platform for healthcare professionals with ACCME-accredited CME courses and RN CE credits. Sepsis Alliance Connect provides a virtual community for survivors and caregivers. Sepsis Alliance Voices enables grassroots advocacy, while the Sepsis Innovation Collaborative convenes stakeholders for innovation in sepsis care. Supporting initiatives include the Faces of Sepsis story collection, annual Sepsis Awareness Month campaign, Sepsis Awareness Survey research program, Sepsis Research and Innovation Challenge, and the Unite for Sepsis Symposium. The organization also advocates for a National Sepsis Data Trust. This ecosystem works together to educate the public, train healthcare professionals, support survivors, drive policy change, and foster innovation in sepsis care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sepsis Alliance Institute: A free, virtual learning platform for healthcare professionals offering webinars, modules, and continuing education credits (CME and RN CE) for sepsis care training.
• Sepsis Alliance Connect
• Sepsis Alliance Voices
• Sepsis: It's About TIME
• Sepsis Innovation Collaborative
• Sepsis Alliance Summit
• Unite for Sepsis Symposium

Products and services

• Sepsis.org Website The primary public-facing website providing comprehensive sepsis education, awareness resources, and information for patients, families, and healthcare professionals. Sepsis.org serves as the central hub for symptom education, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and post-sepsis syndrome information.
• Sepsis Alliance Institute Free, virtual learning platform for healthcare professionals offering accredited education in sepsis diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. ACCME-accredited as of 2025 to provide CME credits to physicians and pharmacists in addition to existing RN CE credits. Has trained over 60,000 healthcare professionals since launch.
• Sepsis Alliance Connect Virtual support community for sepsis survivors, caregivers, and loved ones to connect, share experiences, and access recovery resources. The platform provides peer support and educational resources for those affected by sepsis.
• Sepsis Alliance Voices Grassroots advocacy activation platform enabling the public to contact elected officials, learn about sepsis-relevant legislation (such as Lulu's Law and the National Sepsis Action Plan), and take action on policy issues at sepsisvoices.org.
• Sepsis Awareness Month Campaign Annual September awareness campaign bringing healthcare professionals and community members together in the fight against sepsis through educational events, outreach, and shared advocacy activities.
• Sepsis: It's About TIME Campaign National awareness initiative using the TIME acronym (Temperature, Infection, Mental decline, Extremely ill) to help the public recognize sepsis symptoms and understand the urgency of seeking emergency medical care.
• Faces of Sepsis Storytelling collection of sepsis experiences told by survivors, caregivers, and families of those who have been affected by sepsis, supporting awareness, education, and peer connection.
• Sepsis Innovation Collaborative Multi-stakeholder public/private collaborative convened by Sepsis Alliance dedicated to advancing innovation in sepsis prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and patient outcomes by bringing together clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.
• Unite for Sepsis Symposium Annual cross-disciplinary symposium dedicated to advancing innovation in sepsis prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and industry partners.
• Sepsis Research and Innovation Challenge Innovation challenge spotlighting emerging technologies in sepsis prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and patient outcomes, held at the Unite for Sepsis Symposium.
• Sepsis Alliance Institute Open Forums Monthly virtual collaborative forums for healthcare professionals to discuss sepsis management best practices, coordination strategies, and program development.
• National Sepsis Data Trust Initiative Initiative advocating for state and territorial sepsis registries and privacy-protected health data infrastructure to improve sepsis diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes research across the United States.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sepsis awareness among U.S. adults increased from 19% (2003) to 75% (2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DRIVe/BARDAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Sepsis Alliance Institute was launched in 2019 as The Sepsis Institute through a partnership with DRIVe/BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This partnership enabled the development of the virtual learning platform for healthcare professional education.
• bioMérieuxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on Sepsis Alliance website with logo placement. Supports sepsis awareness and education initiatives.
• RocheminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Sepsis Alliance's mission and educational programs through unrestricted grants.
• PfizerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting sepsis awareness initiatives. Sepsis Alliance acknowledges Merck and Pfizer for unrestricted grant support of grassroots advocacy activation platform.
• MerckminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor acknowledged for unrestricted grant support of grassroots advocacy activation platform.
• NovartisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Sepsis Alliance educational initiatives.
• SanofiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed with logo placement on Sepsis Alliance website.
• Wolters KluwerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting sepsis awareness programs.
• GE HealthcareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on Sepsis Alliance website.
• BaxterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor with logo placement on the Sepsis Alliance website.
• DiaSorinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor; hosted sponsored webinar on LIAISON PLEX for sepsis detection and surveillance.
• VantiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed with logo placement.
• PrenosisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on Sepsis Alliance website.
• AbionicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor with logo placement.
• ImmunexpressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting sepsis awareness initiatives.
• Beckman CoulterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on Sepsis Alliance website.
• DompéminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor with logo placement.
• CytovaleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Sepsis Alliance.
• EKF DiagnosticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on Sepsis Alliance website.
• InflammatixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting sepsis awareness.
• BD (Becton Dickinson)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor with logo placement.
• RECCEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on Sepsis Alliance website.
• MednitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting sepsis awareness.
• Seres TherapeuticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor with logo placement.
• Boston ScientificminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on Sepsis Alliance website.
• CorMedixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting sepsis awareness initiatives.
• Thermo Fisher ScientificminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor with logo placement on the Sepsis Alliance website.
• Sepsis Innovation CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder public/private collaborative convened by Sepsis Alliance dedicated to innovations in sepsis diagnosis and management. Brings together clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.
• YouGov PlccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner conducting annual sepsis awareness surveys since 2003. Survey results published annually to track public knowledge of sepsis among U.S. adults.
• Radius Global Market ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner that conducted earlier annual sepsis awareness surveys before YouGov.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Cancer Society: Disease-focused nonprofit with parallel public awareness campaigns, professional education programs, survivor support services, and advocacy — a benchmark for how a single-disease nonprofit can scale national reach and donor support.
• UK Sepsis Trust: U.K.-based sepsis advocacy nonprofit running awareness campaigns, HCP education, and survivor support — the closest international direct peer, though operating in a different geography and healthcare system.
• American Lung Association: Health-focused nonprofit running public awareness campaigns, HCP education, advocacy, and survivor/patient support — highly comparable structure to Sepsis Alliance's ecosystem of programs.
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Disease-specific nonprofit that pairs patient advocacy with therapeutics pipeline funding and HCP education. Sepsis Alliance explicitly references CFF (Board Member David Elin serves there), making it a directly comparable operational and governance peer.
• American Diabetes Association: Single-disease awareness and education nonprofit with CME programming, professional training, patient/survivor support, and policy advocacy — directly comparable mission and operating model.
• National Kidney Foundation: Disease-specific nonprofit running public awareness, HCP education (CKD, dialysis), patient support resources, and policy advocacy — structurally similar mid-to-large nonprofit profile.
• American Heart Association: Large U.S. health awareness and advocacy nonprofit that combines public education campaigns, professional training, and advocacy — operating a structurally similar multi-stakeholder ecosystem (public + HCPs + advocacy + research funding) to Sepsis Alliance.

Emerging players

• Rory Staunton Foundation / END SEPSIS: Family-founded sepsis awareness and advocacy nonprofit pursuing state-level policy (e.g., 'Rory's Regulations') — competes for sepsis-specific donor mindshare and policy attention with Sepsis Alliance.

Broad incumbents

• Global Sepsis Alliance: International coalition focused on reducing the global sepsis burden through policy advocacy and awareness — overlaps with Sepsis Alliance's mission but operates at a broader, multi-country scale.
• Society of Critical Care Medicine: Professional medical society providing sepsis-related HCP education, guidelines, and training — overlaps with Sepsis Alliance Institute's HCP training mission, especially in the ICU and critical care clinician segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SepsisAlliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7sB2jG6y_FwL7v2v8bHcbw
• Facebookfacebook.com/sepsisalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sepsis-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/sepsisalliance

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sepsis Alliance