Transmission Control

Your hand hygiene memo is three paragraphs too long, and the charge nurse stopped reading after the subject line... Sound familiar? In this Season 6 premiere of Transmission Control, hosts Garrett Hollembeak and Ericka Kalp sit down with Tori L. Whitacre Martonicz, editor of Infection Control Today, to tackle the kind of clinical writing that changes behavior instead of just passing along informat...

While we get ready for the next season of the Transmission Control Podcast, we're featuring episodes from Beyond Clean's "What the Speck?" series, sponsored by Aesculap. Enjoy! What does it really take to make sure a black speck problem never comes back? In the final episode of "What the Speck?," Sterile Processing expert Kendra Lucas shares the real-world story of how her team worked through one...

While we get ready for the next season of the Transmission Control Podcast, we're featuring episodes from Beyond Clean's "What the Speck?" series, sponsored by Aesculap. Enjoy! Black specks may be small, but the tension they create between departments can be anything but. In this episode of "What the Speck?," Alex Miseirvitch from Aesculap® joins us again to talk about one of the most overlooked c...

While we get ready for the next season of the Transmission Control Podcast, we're featuring episodes from Beyond Clean's "What the Speck?" series, sponsored by Aesculap. Enjoy! When black specks show up in your trays, water is often the first suspect—but is it really to blame? In this episode of "What the Speck?," Christian Abell from Aesculap's Surgical Asset Management team dives into one of the...

While we get ready for the next season of the Transmission Control Podcast, we're featuring episodes from Beyond Clean's "What the Speck?" series, sponsored by Aesculap. Enjoy! Behind every black speck is a process, a piece of equipment, or a hidden culprit waiting to be discovered. In this episode of "What the Speck?," SPD professional and consultant Warren Nist joins us to discuss how department...

While we get ready for the next season of the Transmission Control Podcast, we're featuring episodes from Beyond Clean's "What the Speck?" series, sponsored by Aesculap. Enjoy! When a black speck shows up in a surgical tray, the first question is simple: "What is it?" But as many Sterile Processing teams discover, the answer is anything but straightforward. On this episode of "What the Speck?," gl...

While we get ready for the next season of the Transmission Control Podcast, we're featuring episodes from Beyond Clean's What the Speck? series, sponsored by Aesculap. Enjoy! Every #CleanFreak has seen them at least once—those mysterious black specks appearing in surgical trays with no clear explanation. But are they just a nuisance… or a warning sign of something bigger? In Episode 1 of our brand...

Fungi are everywhere, but in healthcare, they're often an afterthought. In this episode of   Transmission Control, we sit down with internationally recognized medical mycologist Malcolm Richardson to explore the hidden role fungal pathogens play in patient safety. From   Aspergillus lurking in dust, ventilation systems, and water-damaged environments to the growing challenge of antifungal resistan...

All season long, we've been breaking down the silos between the OR and Infection Prevention teams. So where do we go from here? In this "Silo-Free Surgery" season finale episode, Garrett Hollembeak and Lindsey Joyce are joined by Maureen Spencer and Peter Graves to talk about what it takes to turn collaboration into action. They discuss why effective SSI prevention means looking beyond policies an...

When something doesn't look right in the OR, do you have the confidence to speak up? In this episode of "Silo-Free Surgery," Garrett Hollembeak sits down with certified surgical technologist, educator, and infection preventionist Julia Jackson to talk about the role surgical conscience plays in protecting patients and preventing surgical site infections. From protecting the sterile field to slowin...

The OR sees one thing. Infection Prevention reports another. So who's right? In this episode of "Silo-Free Surgery," hosts Garrett Hollembeak and Trey Morrow are joined by infection prevention expert Emily Barnard to tackle one of the trickier parts of SSI surveillance: PATOS, or "present at time of surgery." Emily breaks down the difference between clinical and surveillance definitions, why the r...

Every day, healthcare teams rely on IFUs to get the job done. But how often do we stop to think about how they actually come together? In this week's special season co-release episode, Garrett Hollembeak sits down with Alpa Patel to take a closer look at why manufacturers' instructions for use play such an important role in preventing surgical site infections. Drawing on decades of experience in r...

The pace may be different, but the goal is exactly the same: delivering safe surgical care. In this week's special season co-release episode, we talk with Carlene Smith about what surgical site infection prevention looks like in ambulatory surgery centers. As someone who's worked in Sterile Processing, Infection Prevention, and the OR, Carlene shares her unique perspective on the challenges ASC te...

Could the biggest opportunities to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) be the ones you've stopped noticing? In this week's special season co-release episode, Garrett Hollembeak sits down with Crystal Heishman for a conversation about seeing SSI prevention through a different lens. With experience spanning Infection Prevention, Sterile Processing, and the Operating Room, Crystal shares how stro...

What keeps you up at night when it comes to preventing surgical site infections (SSIs)? In this week's special season co-release episode, Jeremy Gibson-Roark returns to join hosts Garrett Hollembeak and Lindsey Joyce for a conversation about moving from reactive investigations to proactive prevention. Together, they explore why infection prevention plans should be living documents, how stronger co...

Why is it so difficult to trace a surgical site infection (SSI) back to one clear cause? On this special season co-release episode of Transmission Control and First Case , hosts Garrett Hollembeak and Lindsey Joyce are joined by Jeremy Gibson-Roark for an honest conversation about what really happens when an SSI investigation begins. Together, they explore why infection investigations are rarely s...

You're doing the work. You're solving the problems. Now it's time to take the lead! On this Season 2 finale of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth is joined by Kelly Zabriskie, Lee Smith, Dr. Kevin Bush, and David Jagrosse to take a closer look at what leadership really means in Sterile Processing. From finding your voice and building confidence to forming partnerships and stepping beyond t...

You're building a tray. The phone rings. Someone needs an update. You step away… and just like that, the process breaks. On this week's episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth and co-host Katie Belski are joined by Art Babiy, Jennifer Greisen, and Ebow Holdbrook-Smith to talk through the real challenges #CleanFreaks are facing in assembly areas. From stepping away mid-tray and chasin...

Think one brush fits all? Think again! On this week's episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," hosts Jill Holdsworth and Trevor Hazen are joined by Nelson Winter, Emily Barnard, and Ron Hunsucker to take a closer look at how brush selection, sizing, and technique impact your manual cleaning process. From choosing the right brush size and type to knowing when a brush has reached the end of its life, this g...

We've built the bundles. We've driven compliance. So why are CAUTI rates still plateauing? In the Season Finale of Transmission Control, we challenge one of the most familiar frameworks in infection prevention and expose a critical blind spot hiding in plain sight. Joined by Amy Huser and Dr. Kelly Hyatt, this episode dives into the overlooked risks within the Foley catheter system—specifically th...

You followed the IFU. You brushed. You flushed. So it's clean… right? On this week's episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," hosts Jill Holdsworth and Brandon Gantt are teaming up with Aaron Preston, Cheron Rojo, and Jahan Azizi to take a closer look at what's hiding inside your lumen instruments. As more departments adopt borescopes, teams are uncovering retained debris, moisture, and internal damage th...

When it comes to the built environment, what you don't see can absolutely hurt you. In this episode of Transmission Control, we take on one of the most misunderstood (and often overreacted to) topics in healthcare: mold. Joined by industrial hygienist Nate Sanders and infection preventionist Aaron Preston, we break down what's really happening behind ceiling tiles, inside walls, and across the wat...

Peel pouches hanging from clips, dust collecting in bins, trays stacked just a little too high… sound familiar? When it comes to sterile storage, small shortcuts can lead to big risks. On this episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth and co-host Mark Copeland sit down with Tiffany Reece, Malinda Elammari, and Kendall Ashe to dive into the storage challenges showing up in sterile stora...

What if IP orientation felt less like trial by fire and more like a clear, intentional starting point? In this episode of the Transmission Control, we're joined by Kelsey Ostergren and Noreen Mollon to explore how APIC transformed the Novice IP Roadmap into a practical Orientation Checklist designed for real-world onboarding. After learning that the roadmap was valuable but underused, APIC reframe...

Stacks of vendor trays arriving without warning, stat turnaround instruments soaking in the sink, and techs scrolling through 100+ documents to find the right IFU… welcome to decontam! In this episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth and co-host Michael Matthews are joined by Trevor Hazen, Jake McHugh, and Katie Belski to take a closer look at what's happening in today's decontaminati...