The ICHE Podcast

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee speaks with Dr. Daniel Morgan of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Dr. Jorge Salinas of Stanford University School of Medicine about the use of artificial intelligence for surgical site infection surveillance. The conversation highlights findings from their recent studies evaluating AI-assisted approaches to surgical site i...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. Dave Calfee sits down with Kavita Bhavan, MD, Sara Keller, MD, MPH, MSHP, Deborah Lockard, BSN, MPH, and Sara Szathmary, BSN, RN, CNRI to discuss their recent publications in ICHE. The authors discuss what current evidence tells us about CLABSI incidence in outpatient infusion populations, why surveillance data remain limited, and the unique challenges...

In this episode of THE ICHE Podcast , host Dr. David Calfee is joined by two authors from the April 2026 issue of ICHE to discuss current infection control practices and ongoing challenges in preventing multidrug-resistant organisms and Candidozyma auris in U.S. acute care hospitals.   During the conversation, Dr. KC Coffey and Dr. Sarah Sansom explain the rationale behind their studies, share key...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee speaks with Jose Navarrete, MD. of Emory University School of Medicine and Marin Schweizer, PhD. of the University of Wisconsin about infection risks among patients receiving hemodialysis, including common pathogens and factors that increase vulnerability. They discuss their recent research and share key findings, along with practical insi...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee speaks with Bobby Warren of Duke University Medical Center and Ibrahim Ahmed El-Imam of the University of Maryland School of Medicine about their recent publications examining sink drain contamination as a reservoir for gram-negative bacteria and other healthcare-associated pathogens.   "Evaluation of hydrogen peroxide-based foam disi...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee explores non–ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP)—what it is, how common it is, and why it matters for patient outcomes.   He is joined by Dr. Barbara Jones (University of Utah) and Dr. Sheryl Kluberg (Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School) to discuss key risk factors for NV-HAP and how prev...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee speaks with the authors of the newly released Multisociety Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control in Nursing Homes . He is joined by Dr. Lona Mody, Dr. Deborah Burdsall, Dr. Susan Huang, Dr. Robin Jump, and Dr. Rekha Murthy to discuss the development, key updates, and practical implications of this comprehensive guidance.   Develope...

Host Dr. David Calfee speaks with Dr. Westyn Branch-Elliman, Dr. Rani Elwy, and Dr. Stephanie Stroever about their recent Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE) papers, “The life cycle of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship projects and interventions: The dynamic interplay of implementation and de-implementation science (Part I & II).” They discuss the role of deim...

Long-term care facilities face unique challenges in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and managing multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, Dr. Loren G. Miller (UCLA), Dr. Lyndsay M. O’Hara (University of Maryland School of Medicine), and Dr. Mary-Claire Roghmann (University of Maryland School of Medicine) share insights from their recent studies...

This episode of The ICHE Podcast explores the use of virtual reality (VR) in healthcare training, with a focus on infection prevention and control. Experts examine the current state of VR adoption, its effectiveness as an educational tool, and common challenges in implementation. Dr. Aline Wolfensberger (University Hospital Zurich), Dr. Erica Shenoy (Mass General Brigham/Harvard Medical School), a...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, we take a deep dive into the evolving role of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Hosted by experts from UCLA Health, this discussion breaks down what cfDNA mNGS is, how it differs from more traditional pathogen detection tools like PCR, and where it fits in the diagnostic landscape...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, David Calfee joined by three experts who contributed to the development of the updated SHEA guidance on high-level disinfection (HLD) and sterilization: Dr. Emily Sickbert-Bennett, Dr. Audrey Calderwood, and Dr. Erica Shenoy. Together, they bring expertise in infection prevention and hospital epidemiology to a discussion of what’s new, what’s changed, and how t...

In this episode of the ICHE Podcast, we bring together Dr. Loreen Herwaldt (University of Iowa) and Dr. Jessica Seidelman (Duke University) to explore the latest research and strategies aimed at reducing the burden of surgical site infections (SSIs). SSIs remain a significant cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality, contributing to prolonged hospital stays, increased healthcare costs, and s...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, Editor-in-Chief David Calfee is joined by Drs. Catherine Passaretti and Michael Klompas for a timely discussion on healthcare-acquired respiratory viral infections (HA-RVIs). Together, they explore how frequently these infections occur, the primary sources of transmission—including infected healthcare personnel (HCP)—and the infection prevention strategies aime...

In this episode of the ICHE Podcast, we explore the critical issue of blood culture contamination and the role of initial specimen diversion devices (ISDDs) in reducing false-positive results. Host Dr. David Calfee is joined by a distinguished panel of experts including: Dr. Maria Navas, Dr. Mark Rupp, Dr. Lucy Tompkins, and Dr. Francine Touzard Romo. The discussion begins with an overview of bloo...

On this episode of The ICHE Podcast, we dive into research priorities in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial stewardship (AS) with experts Robin Jump, Jennie Kwon, Daniel Livorsi, Lona Mody, and Eli Perencevich. The discussion explores the importance of publishing research agendas to stimulate focused research, guide researchers in prioritizing critical topics, and inform fun...

In this episode of the ICHE Podcast, guests discuss the prevention and management of infections in obstetrical populations, with a focus on Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infections. Hosted by ICHE Editor-in-Chief, Dr. David Calfee, the episode features Dr. John Conly, Dr. Shandra R. Day, and Dr. Kiran M. Perkins. The discussion begins with an overview of GAS infections in healthcare settings, partic...

In this episode of the ICHE podcast, we explore the theme of respiratory culturing appropriateness in pediatric patients, emphasizing diagnostic stewardship's role in optimizing patient outcomes. Host David Calfee, MD, MS and guest experts, Kathleen Chiotos, MD, MSCE and Edward Lyon, DO, MA, share insights on how stewardship practices can refine respiratory testing in pediatric intensive care...

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, we explore the use of mathematical modeling to understand the impact of different infection prevention strategies in healthcare settings. Our expert panel, featuring Daniel K. Sewell, Rachel B. Slayton, and Samuel Cincotta, delves into how modeling studies can inform healthcare decision-making by evaluating the effectiveness of various prevention approaches. Th...

In this episode of the ICHE Podcast, we delve into the topic of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), focusing on healthcare-associated infections and transmission. Our expert panel of authors from recently published ICHE papers includes Anthony Harris, MD, MPH, Elise Martin, MD, MS, and Philip M. Polgreen, MD, MPH. Listen as they discuss the pre...

On this episode of The ICHE Podcast, Editor-in-Chief, David Calfee, MD, MS is joined by Sebastian Arenas, MPH, CIC, Ian Hennessee, PhD, MPH, and Leigh Smith, MD, MAS. Today's episode discusses three papers from the June issue of ICHE on the topic of Candida auris. We begin the podcast with a general discussion on Candida auris including why this particular Candida species of such great concer...

On this episode of The ICHE Podcast, Editor-in-Chief, David Calfee, MD, MS is joined by Alison L. Nelson, DO, Sharon B. Wright, MD, MPH, Tania N. Bubb, PhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC, and Thomas R. Talbot, MD, MPH. Today's episode addresses the timely topic of sustaining and growing the IPC workforce. Listen as our esteemed panelists discuss what we know about current and/or predicted IPC workforce shor...

On this episode of The ICHE Podcast, Editor-in-Chief, David Calfee, MD, MS is joined by Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, PharmD, MPH, AAHIVP, Jasmine R. Marcelin, MD, FACP, FIDSA, and Caitlin McGrath, MD, MS. Today's episode explores DEI in infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship as our guests discuss their recent articles in ICHE and highlight ICHE’s dedicated section on DEI. Listen as o...

On this episode of The ICHE Podcast, Editor-in-Chief, David Calfee, MD, MS is joined by guests Danielle Rankin, PhD, Bobby Warren, MPS, and Becky Smith, MD. Today's episode in on several papers in the March issue of ICHE that discuss role of sink and drain contamination in pathogen transmission. Listen as our guests discuss how common this type of contamination is, how it occurs, and the effe...

On this episode of The ICHE Podcast, Editor-in-Chief, David Calfee, MD, MS is joined by an esteemed panel to talk about whole genome sequencing in infection prevention and control programs. Guests on today’s episode are Andie Lee, MBBS, Sebastiaan Van Hal, PhD, Graham Snyder, MD, MS, Alexander J. Sundermann, DrPH, CIC, and Waleed Javaid, MD. Listen as they discuss whole genome sequencing and molec...