Brent W Laartz, MD, FIDSA

Dr. Brent W. Laartz received his undergraduate degree and a master’s degree from Northwestern University where he was a National Merit Scholar. He graduated in the highest quartile of his medical school class at the University of Iowa in 1998. During medical school, he was one of the leaders of an educational group called the Medical Student Ambassador Program. At the University of South Florida, he completed residency in Internal Medicine in 2001 and fellowship in Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine in 2003. Always a leader, he was a member of the Housestaff Committee and was Chief Fellow for the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine in 2002-2003.

In 2004, Dr. Laartz opened the doors of a private practice in Infectious Diseases, soon to be called West Coast Infectious Diseases. He holds a title of Affiliate Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at US and also is on the faculty of Nova Southeastern College of Medicine. He also has been active as a member of Ryan White Council, Six Sigma Quality Programs, the Morton Plant Physician Leadership Training and the Northwestern University Alumni Admission Council. He currently is the Director for Infection Control at Florida Hospital North Pinellas and Baycare Alliant Hospital. He has attained the status of Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and is a member of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America as well as the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He is also active in global health, having served on a mission to India and has provided medical care in the Caribbean. He provides corporate consultations in infection prevention in any industry where customers or employees are at risk of developing infections, such as healthcare, food service, sports teams, or corporations with overseas travel.