Shows
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastBreaking the Silence: How to Talk About HIV and PrEP Without FearFew issues embody the intersection of prevention, compassion, and communication more than HIV and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)—subjects that remain clouded by stigma, even decades after the epidemic’s darkest days. I recently spoke with Cariane Morales Matos, MD, medical director at Hope & Help of Central Florida, about how health care providers, parents, and infection preventionists can approach these conversations, especially with teens, with clarity and empathy.
“Fear and stigma get attached to subjects related to sexual health,” Morales began. “We need to move away from the fear and the stigma and just start having these conversations like we would t...
2025-11-0518 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastVeteran Infection Preventionists Chat: What Are The Soft Skills That Make Strong IPs?When most people think of infection prevention, they picture data dashboards, surveillance reports, and regulatory checklists. But ask any experienced infection preventionist (IP) what really determines success, and you’ll hear something different—it is the people skills.
During a recent Infection Control Today® roundtable, veteran infection prevention professionals representing diverse roles and backgrounds reflected on the nonclinical skills that shaped their careers, the lessons learned the hard way, and the advice they would give to new IPs entering the field.
Their message was clear: Technical expertise may get you in the door, but emotional intelligence, commu...
2025-11-0115 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastBug of the Month: I'm Older Than Empires
Bug of the Month helps educate readers about existing and emerging pathogens of clinical importance in health care facilities today. Each column explores the Bug of the Month's etiology, the infections it can cause, the modes of transmission, and ways to fight its spread. The pathogen profiles will span bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic species. We encourage you to use Bug of the Month as a teaching tool to help educate health care personnel and start a dialogue about microbiology-related imperatives.
Find more Bug of the Month articles on www.infectioncontroltoday.com!
2025-10-3103 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastNDM-CRE Surge Demands Stronger Infection Prevention and Testing Strategies, Study's Author SaysIn the second part of our conversation with Danielle Rankin, PhD, MPH, CIC, epidemiologist with the CDC, she expanded on the infection prevention strategies and surveillance needs surrounding the rise of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE). She is the lead author of a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Rankin emphasized that early infection control measures are critical when a case is detected. “It’s really important that IPs work with their state and local health care-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance programs to prevent spread,” she said. Patients hospitalized with NDM-CRE should be placed...
2025-10-3107 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastAt IDWeek, Dr Tom Frieden Urges a Simple Formula to Tackle Outbreaks and Drug Resistance: “See. Believe. Create.”Amid the bustle of IDWeek in Atlanta, Georgia, held from October 19 to 22, 2025, former CDC director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, now president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, laid out a crisp playbook for infectious-disease professionals: a 3-step formula he says can prevent outbreaks, reverse drug resistance, and save “millions of lives.”
In a conversation with Infection Control Today, before the conference, Frieden previewed the themes of his new book, The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives, Including Your Own, and the talks he gave at the meeting. “I’ll be talking in a couple o...
2025-10-3107 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastClean Hospitals Day 2025: A Discussion With Alexandra Peters, PhD, the New CEO
Join the Movement: Clean Hospitals Day is October 20, 2025
On October 20, hospitals around the world will pause to spotlight a truth we all know but rarely celebrate out loud: Environmental hygiene saves lives. Clean Hospitals Day 2025 is your chance to rally teams, thank the environmental services (EVS) professionals who keep care spaces safe, and set new habits that last long after the balloons come down.
Infection Control Today® (ICT®) spoke Alexandra Peters, PhD, CEO of Clean Hospitals and a member of ICT's Editorial Advisory Board. Speaking of environmental hygiene quality throughout the world, "If we raise the le...
2025-10-1717 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastRising Threat of NDM-CRE: CDC Epidemiologist Highlights Urgent Infection Prevention PrioritiesCarbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) carrying New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) are on the rise across the US, posing a growing challenge for hospitals, infection preventionists, and public health officials. In a recent interview, Danielle Rankin, PhD, MPH, CIC, an epidemiologist with the CDC, discussed her recently published study, which underscored the scale of the problem and the need for coordinated action.
“NDM is a type of carbapenemase, which is an enzyme that can inactivate carbapenems and other beta-lactam antibiotics,” Rankin explained. “Carbapenemase, like NDM, can share [its] genetic code with other bacteria, even if they were previously susceptible, rapidly spreadi...
2025-10-0716 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastEvidence, Trust, and Prevention: David J. Weber, MD, MPH, on CDC Leadership and Public HealthThe sudden departure of the CDC director with several other top leaders has raised urgent questions about the stability of the nation’s leading public health agency and its ability to provide consistent, evidence-based guidance. In an interview with Infection Control Today®(ICT®), David J. Weber, MD, MPH, president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, and the medical director of the Department of Infection Prevention at UNC Medical Center, emphasized why strong leadership, scientific integrity, and prevention-focused strategies are essential for protecting both patients and communities.
“The Centers for Disease Control in the United States has been n...
2025-09-0933 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastSharps Safety Starts with Us: Why Infection Preventionists Must Lead the ChargeInfection prevention personnel are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change in sharps safety, but only if we recognize and act on our critical role. Sharps injuries are not only a personal threat to health care workers; they also represent a preventable infection risk, a systems failure, and a missed opportunity for proactive intervention.
In the interview, available in its entirety here, with Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, perioperative educational consultant for Periop Anew and supervisor of education for surgical services at WakeMed in Cary, North Carolina, she discusses the issues and the need for education about sharps safety.
2025-07-2826 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastAll About APIC’s New Guide Tackles All Catheter-Associated Bloodstream InfectionsAssociation for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology’s (APIC’s) latest guide marks an important evolution in infection prevention by expanding beyond the traditional focus on central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSIs) to address all catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CABSIs). In this conversation with DJ Shannon, MPH, CIC, VA-BC, FAPIC, infection prevention manager and patient safety advocate for Community Health Network, a key contributor to the guide, Infection Control Today® (ICT®) explores why this broader approach matters, how it redefines patient safety priorities, and what infection preventionists (IPs) should take away as they work to reduce bacteremia risks across all vascular access...
2025-07-1510 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastKeeping Classrooms Cleaner: Infection Preventionists Step into SchoolsAs seasonal viruses surge and recent outbreaks like measles highlight vulnerabilities, infection prevention experts are extending their reach into schools, recognizing that healthy classrooms are essential to healthy communities.
2025-07-1013 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastClean Bite: Think Twice Before Closing Your Lips Around That Little Suction ThingDo you know not to wrap your lips around the suction tube the dentist puts in your mouth? You will when you finish this podcast.
2025-05-1903 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastThe Rising Threat of Fungal Infections and the Urgent Need for New TreatmentsInfectious diseases have long been a major concern for global health. While much attention is given to bacterial and viral infections, fungal diseases remain an underappreciated and growing threat. With limited treatment options and rising resistance to existing antifungal drugs, the world is facing a silent crisis that could have devastating consequences. David Angulo, MD, an infectious disease specialist and the president and CEO of SCYNEXIS, sheds light on the urgent need for new antifungal treatments and the challenges in combating fungal resistance in this interview with Infection Control Today® (ICT®).
Understanding the Scope of Fungal Infections
2025-03-1146 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastFrom Shortages to Security: How Reusable Health Care Textiles Can Transform Infection PreventionThe Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) plays a vital role in supporting the health care industry and critical infrastructure by providing hygienically clean health care contact textiles (HCTs) and personal protective equipment (PPE). Representing a $50 billion industry with over 200,000 employees across 2,500 facilities, TRSA ensures that essential supplies, including isolation gowns, scrubs, bed linens, flame-resistant clothing, and safety items, are available to hospitals, first responders, laboratories, and food processing facilities. However, the US health care system relies heavily on disposable HCTs, leading to dangerous supply shortages during public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, over 90% of HCTs used...
2025-03-0705 minICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastThe Future of Reusable PPE in Healthcare: A Sustainable and Cost-Effective SolutionThe conversation around reusable personal protective equipment (PPE) is gaining traction, especially in the wake of the pandemic-induced shortages. Infection Control Today’s interview with Joe Ricci, CEO of Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), and Diane Troxel, MSN, RN, the director of clinical education at Handcraft Linen Services, shed light on the benefits and challenges of shifting toward reusable health care textiles. The experts cover key findings from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine workshop on reusable personal protective equipment (PPE), addressing misconceptions about reusable linens, and current state policy issues.
The Case for Reusable PPE
2025-03-0534 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastBeyond Hand Hygiene: The Five Critical Moments for Environmental Disinfection in Health CareInfection prevention has long focused on hand hygiene, but what about the surfaces patients and healthcare workers touch throughout the day? Jim Gauthier, MLT, CIC, alongside coauthors Carol Calabrese, RN, BS, CIC, and Peter Teska, MBA, introduced the concept of Targeted Moments of Environmental Disinfection (TMED)—a structured approach identifying 5 critical moments for cleaning high-touch surfaces in patient care areas, published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
In this interview, Gauthier discusses the importance of real-time disinfection, the hidden dangers of overlooked surfaces, and practical strategies to integrate TMED into daily health care practices, ultimately aim...
2025-02-0638 min
ICTalk: Infection Control Today PodcastDeborah Birx, MD, Unveils Urgent Insights on Avian Flu: What Infection Preventionists Must KnowIn an exclusive interview with Infection Control Today, Dr. Deborah Birx, MD, shared crucial updates on the ongoing threat of avian influenza (H5N1) and its implications for public health. With the H5N1 strain spreading globally and showing concerning cross-species transmission, Dr. Birx stressed the importance of strong infection prevention strategies, including improved surveillance, strict biosecurity measures, and cross-sector collaboration. She also highlighted the risks of viral mutations, the potential for human-to-human transmission, and the urgency of preparing healthcare systems for emerging threats. Her insights provide infection preventionists with actionable recommendations to tackle the evolving challenges posed by avian...
2025-01-1036 min