Podcast
Stories of Care
Hosted by CDC Project Firstline · EN
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.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Future is Bright: Medical Trainees and IPC Research
Oct 1, 202400:30:12Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Cultivating a Resilient Infection Prevention Team
Sep 3, 202400:37:12Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Small Patients, Big IPC Challenges: IPC in Pediatrics
Aug 20, 202400:27:57Tap to summarizeOn 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.
Transcribe →Rising from the Ashes: Addressing Burnout in Infection Prevention
Jul 9, 202400:30:29Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Less is More: Nurse Driven Protocols to Reduce Infections
Jun 11, 202400:24:19Tap to summarizeResearch 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.
Transcribe →The Long Road: LTACHs and IPC Challenges
May 14, 202400:30:03Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Give Them a Hand: Improving Hand Hygiene to Reduce HAIs
Apr 16, 202400:27:56Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Final Frontier: IPC Challenges in Rural Health Care
Dec 19, 202300:26:13Tap to summarizeApproximately 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.
Transcribe →Healthcare Disparities and Healthcare Associated Infections
Nov 14, 202300:28:52Tap to summarizeStructural 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.
Transcribe →The Flip Side: One Physician's Experience with HAIs
Oct 31, 202300:25:31Tap to summarizeNo 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.
Transcribe →