Stories of Care

In this episode of Stories of Care, we dive into an innovative program at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine that integrates quality improvement (QI) and patient safety into medical education. Hear from Catriona, a third-year medical student; Dr. Jennifer Baldwin, an internal medicine physician and hospitalist director; and Dr. David Banach, an infectious disease physician and QI men...

In this episode of the Stories of Care podcast, we welcome Dr. Gonzalo Bearman to discuss his career journey, the importance of leadership, and strategies to combat burnout in healthcare. We delve into the significance of team ethos, inclusion, and clear communication in fostering a productive work environment. Dr. Bearman also shares insights on ensuring team members stay motivated and valued, th...

On this episode of Stories of Care, we delve into the challenging yet vital realm of infection prevention and control in pediatric populations. Our guest is Dr. Joseph McBride, assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease . Dr. McBride sheds light on the complexities and strategies of managing infect...

In this episode of Stories of Care, host Megan Srinivas , MD, MPH, is joined by Susy Hota , MD, MS c , to discuss infection prevention, health care equity, and the impact of the pandemic on burnout among health care professionals . Dr. Hota shares her journey from medical training to specializing in infectious diseases and highlights the challenges faced by infection preventionists. The discussion...

Research shows that nurse-driven protocols can reduce HAIs. In this episode of Stories of Care, we discuss w hat nurse-driven protocols are , how they can benefit everyone in the care environment, and how physicians and nurses can partner to incorporate them into clinical practice .

In this episode of 'Stories of Care', Megan interviews Dr. James Lewis, Health Officer for Snohomish County, Washington, who has an extensive background in infectious diseases, public health, and epidemiology. He shares his intensive experiences dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, especially focusing on infection prevention in long-term care facilities (LTACHs), and the unique challenges they face...

In this episode of Stories of Care, we talk with Michelle Doll , MD , a health system epidemiologist with Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, about the importance of hand hygiene in health care settings . Dr. Doll discusses challenges with and strategies for improving hand hygiene, the impact of automated monitoring systems, the role of different health care professionals and the patie...

Approximately 15% of Americans live in a rural setting , and they are at a greater risk of death from 5 leading causes (heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, stroke and chronic lower respiratory disease) than urban Americans.  Studies looking at rural hospitals note unique challenges: health care staff shortages, relative geographic isolation and difficulty in accessing mentoring in IPC and...

Structural racism affects many aspects of life – residential segregation, quality of education, and economic potential .   In addition, health care delivery is affected by structural racism.  I n the 2018 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report , Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander patients were reported to receive worse care than White p...

No patient expects to get an infection in the hospital that they did not arrive with, yet over 500,000 patients do each year (about 1 in every 31 patients) .  Patients who suffer from health care associated infections , or HAI s, have higher morbidity and mortality than those who don't . These preventable infections impact patients and families alike .  Dr. Tuan Ta, an infectious diseases physicia...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Amina Ahmed , Pediatric H ospital E pidemiologist and Division Chair of I nfectious Diseases at Atrium Health , to discuss tuberculosis in the United States. Patient isolation and appropriate PPE for health care professionals can prevent tuberculosis from spreading while the patient is being treated, but isolation can be a difficult experience for patient s an...

While masking has been established as an effective way to help prevent the spread of respiratory illness, it has created substantial challenges for people and physicians with hearing loss. Dr. Joanne Turner Bisgrove is a F amily Medicine physician  and anti-ableism advocate . Dr. Bisgrove outlines her experience as a physician with hearing impairment in a pandemic that required everyone to wear ma...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Shannon Novosad, Team Lead of the Dialysis Safety Team at the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .  She and her colleagues recently published data in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on rates of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections in dialysis patients. They found that, i n general, dialy...

Environmental Services (EVS) w orkers are often expected to clean and disinfect rooms in which various infectious agents are present: Clostridium d ifficile , Candida aurus , SARS-CoV-2, tuberculosis and many more. While EVS professionals have historically been an unseen part of the healthcare team, their role was coming more to the forefront before COVID-19 .  During the pandemic, their role was...

COVID-19 changed the way s of life for most people. Near the top of that list are those enrolled in medical school or medical residencies and fellowships in March 2020 . Some medical trainees found themselves relegated to the sidelines, told to stay home for fear of infection. Some were drafted into hospital s where patient beds were stacked in hallways . We spoke with Dr. Joshua Leu, an emergency...

The Ebola virus is characterized in part by its profound impact on healthcare professionals in the countries where it spreads. During past Ebola outbreaks, a significant number of doctors, nurses, and other staff have contracted the disease in the course of treating patients and containing the spread. Because of the severity of the illness, the consequences are often fatal. Our guest is Dr. Jonath...

The relationship between gay and bisexual men and public health is one that has been forged through the experience of the HIV and sexually transmitted infection epidemics. The proliferation of the m pox virus among this population has thrust this historically fraught relationship into the spotlight once again. Characterizing a disease by associating it with a single population or a particular iden...

This is part two of a two-part episode on the 2022 Mpox (also known as monkeypox or MPV) outbreak. Part two focuses on the impact of the outbreak on local health clinics and how these healthcare professionals have responded. Our guest today is Dr. Magda Houlberg , the Chief Clinical Officer at Howard Brown Health in Chicago, IL. Howard Brown Health was founded in 1974 and is now one of the nation'...

This is part one of a two-part episode on the 2022 monkeypox (MPV) outbreak. Part one focuses on how the virus is transmitted and the infection control and prevention measures you can take to protect yourself and other healthcare professionals. We are joined today by Dr. Abigail Carlson, an infectious diseases doctor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

This episode explores how Urban Indian Organizations imbued American Indian and Alaska Native cultural heritage and values into their infection control programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cultural competency is an essential part of training for healthcare professionals in UIOs and that extends to the world of infection control. By placing infection control principles into a cultural context, UI...

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is designed primarily to fit clean-shaven, European male faces and body types. This has a disproportionate impact on women, who make up the majority of front-line healthcare personnel. While this was a concern prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, issues with fit became more acute as the demand for PPE increased. This episode explores how one physician coped with ill-...

Dr. Benson Hsu, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota, joins the show to discuss how he and his colleagues in the pediatric ICU adapted their practice to the COVID-19 pandemic, embracing uncertainty, demonstrating compassion, and protecting themselves and their community. This episode was produced in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Dr. Michael Bell, an  expert in drug-resistant pathogens and hospital-acquired infections, and Dr. Karthik  Sivashanker ,  Vice President of Equitable Health Systems & Innovation in the Center for Health Equity at the American Medical Association discuss  how IPC and equity  converge  and how understanding those intersections  contribute to the health and wellbeing of health care professionals and...

Megan Srinivas, MD, introduces a CDC Project Firstline Podcast from the AMA: Stories of Care.