Stories of Care: Recent Episodes
CDC Project Firstline
Through the voices of health care experts and frontline personnel, this podcast explores the intersection of infection control, and equity and examines how access plays a key role. Stories of Care is hosted by Megan Srinivas, MD, MPH, an infectious disease physician and translational health policy researcher at the University of North Carolina, who resides and practices in Iowa. The daughter of two Indian immigrants, Dr. Srinivas grew up in rural Iowa. Her research focuses on social determinants of health and leveraging public policy to overcome health inequities.
A CDC Project Firstline Podcast from the AMA.
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 mentor, about their roles and experiences in implementing this unique curriculum. Learn how early exposure to QI concepts and real-world projects prepares medical students to identify and address gaps in healthcare delivery, and how effective mentorship fosters their development. Discover the impactful projects led by students, the comprehensive stepwise curriculum, and insights on scaling these practices to other institutions.
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, the importance of perseverance, and the need for professional fulfillment to mitigate burnout. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on building a thriving, resilient healthcare team.
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 infections in children and shares his wealth of experience ensuring effective infection prevention in pediatric settings.
In this episode of Stories of Care, host Megan Srinivas, MD, MPH, is joined by Susy Hota, MD, MSc, 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 delves into the effects of the pandemic on burnout, the need for resilience, and the importance of creating sustainable health care systems.
Research shows that nurse-driven protocols can reduce HAIs. In this episode of Stories of Care, we discuss what 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, such as managing patients with complex health needs and preventing the spread of multi-drug resistant organisms.
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 patient perspective on hand hygiene. She emphasizes the importance of hand hygiene in preventing infections and encourages health care professionals to be open to considering opportunities for improvement.
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 disconnects between local needs and upper-level mandates. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Michael Stevens, a Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and West Virginia University Health System's System Healthcare Epidemiologist. Listen as Dr. Stevens addresses these challenges and celebrates the resiliency of infection prevention in rural facilities.
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. In 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 patients for 35–40% of quality measures evaluated. Recent studies have looked at whether health care-associated infections (HAIs) are also affected by a patient’s race and ethnic background. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California San Diego. Listen as Dr. Abdul-Mutakabbir discusses her passion for examining racial disparities in health care associated infections and why it’s important to encourage more researchers to look through this lens.
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 HAIs, have higher morbidity and mortality than those who don’t. These preventable infections impact patients and families alike. Dr. Tuan Ta, an infectious diseases physician, shares how his family was impacted when his premature son developed an infection in the NICU. Focusing on improving infection prevention and control measures can ensure that other families don’t have to suffer through this same experience.
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Amina Ahmed, Pediatric Hospital Epidemiologist and Division Chair of Infectious 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 patients and their families. Listen to how Dr. Ahmed approaches infection control related to TB treatment using empathy and education.
To earn CME for listening, visit amafirstlinestories.org and click on the title of this episode to complete the quiz.
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 Family 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 masks, limiting her ability to read lips and hear her patients. She discusses her struggles and shares her ultimate message of how physicians can truly be inclusive while not sacrificing the safety of patients and themselves.
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, in general, dialysis patients are 100 times more likely than other patients to get Staph aureus bloodstream infections. They also found that despite a lower rate of central venous catheter use, Hispanic dialysis patients had the highest risk of developing infection. Race, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors also affected infection rates and distribution. Dr. Novosad joins us to discuss the details of this report and its implication for patients and physicians.
Environmental Services (EVS) workers are often expected to clean and disinfect rooms in which various infectious agents are present: Clostridium difficile, 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 thrust into the spotlight as people debated about aerosolization and proper cleaning products. Pam Toppel, manager of environmental services for OSF Healthcare, joins us to discuss the vital role that EVS professionals play as members of the care team.
COVID-19 changed the ways 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 hospitals where patient beds were stacked in hallways. We spoke with Dr. Joshua Leu, an emergency medicine resident at St. Louis University, about how the pandemic shaped his medical education and views on infection control.
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. Jonathan Grein, director of hospital epidemiology and the special pathogens unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He discusses how to prepare for special pathogens and how Ebola readiness translates to readiness for other events.
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 mpox 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 identity has dire consequences, undermining the public health response to the detriment of patients and healthcare personnel alike. What can we learn from past epidemics that have affected the gay and bisexual community? This episode examines the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the mpox response, and how we can use these experiences to further combat stigma in healthcare.
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’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) organizations.
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, UIOs are better equipped to serve both patients and health care professionals in their field. Additionally, we will examine the unique role UIOs play in serving the diverse indigenous diaspora in the United States.
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-fitting PPE and what the change is or is not happening to address these issues.
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 patients alike.
Megan Srinivas, MD, introduces a CDC Project Firstline Podcast from the AMA: Stories of Care.