We Have the Tools but We're Not Using Them - Dr Deborah Birx
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
Release Date: 08/03/2022
Empowering and Engaging the Everyday Cleaner with John LaRochelle
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
In this episode, we talk with John LaRochelle, a long-standing contributor and board member at TIPS, and President of . To gain a deeper understanding of John's impact, I turned to Michael Diamond, who succinctly framed John's journey: 'John has dedicated his career to uplifting those in the least paid positions. His advocacy and development of technologies and programs have not only enhanced environmental cleaning but also empowered and elevated the cleaners themselves.' John's life and career are fundamentally about empowering and engaging the everyday cleaner. During our discussion,...
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The Science Behind Long Lasting Surface Disinfection with Jay Denktash and Amit Sehgal
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
The cleaning industry has long been focused on the concept of contact time. But what happens between cleanings? This question grows increasingly pertinent as we navigate both labor shortages and heightened expectations of cleanliness and safety from customers, guests, and patients. A potential part of the solution lies in long-lasting disinfection technology. In this episode, we talk with Jay Denktash and Amit Sehgal from about the science underpinning long-lasting surface disinfection. This concept isn't new. Scientists have been exploring it since the late 1990s, achieving some success. The...
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Operationalizing Environmental Regulation in Healthcare w/ Shari Solomon
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
On this episode, we're joined by Shari Solomon, the President of , and a TIPS Advisory Council member. Shari's journey in the world of environmental policy and law began with a deep-seated interest in environmental matters. Her desire to influence and effect change led her to study law, which subsequently led her to Capitol Hill, where she dedicated her time to shaping environmental policies. During this period, Shari's fascination with Indoor Air Quality took root, specifically focusing on infection risks posed by microorganisms in the air, such as mold. Driven by the urge to have a more...
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Helping People Breathe Healthier Indoor Air with Dr. John McKeon
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
As an emergency room doctor, John McKeon often recommended allergy and asthma-friendly products to his patients. One patient’s mother, while trying to take in all the details, told him it would be so nice if someone would just put a label on these products so that she could know which ones met his specs. That single comment was enough to ignite the latent entrepreneurial tendencies that John had always had. Now, John is the CEO of , a company on a mission to help people breathe healthier indoor air. John and his team do this through science (ASL Standards), education (iAIR Academy), and...
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How To Make Engaging Online Content with Michael Justason
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
On this episode, we talk with Michael Justason from McMaster University and the about online communication. Specifically, we talk about how to do it better. Michael has been teaching in person and online for years and he’s learned some tricks that he says, in some ways, have made him more effective online than in person. Now this was a surprise even to him, and he’s going to explain. Overall, our goal is to share with you these tricks, plus some tools, that Michael has found along the way. We’ll cover a few basic things you can do with lighting, sound, positioning, etc. that will apply...
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A Practical Approach to Sustainability with Dan Mueller and Malachy McGlynn
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
On this episode we talk with: Dan Mueller, TIPS Advisory Board Member and Senior Vice President, N. American Sales at Kersia Malachy McGlynn, Head of Operations for Healthcare at Kersia Dan and Malachy help us to understand what sustainability really means in the business context and beyond. It’s a nuanced discussion that covers: How Kersia approaches sustainability for their own business operations What problems Kersia is trying to solve How they identified and prioritized potential solutions How they measure and report on the efficacy of their internal sustainability initiatives What...
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Cleaning Industry Trends for 2023 with CleanLink
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
On this episode we talk with: Wendy Dietzler, Senior Director of Events and Education for , which produces industry-leading events for facilities, cleaning, and freight rail industries, including the National Facilities Management & Technology Conference, CleanLink Summit, and RailTrends. Corinne Zudonyi, editor-in-chief of Contracting Profits, Sanitary Maintenance, and Facility Cleaning Decisions magazines. as well as the online resource, . Wendy and Corinne are going to break down the Cleaning Industry Trends you need to know for 2023 in areas such as: Infection control...
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Expanding the Scope of Service at the Community Pharmacy with Hector Bremner
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
On this episode, we talk with Hector Bremner. Hector is CEO of which is a pharmacy service innovator focused on acquiring and developing early-stage technologies aimed at moving pharmacy forward. For example, its flagship offering ™ gives community pharmacies a turn-key solution for rapid testing. The reason they’re doing this is because the scope of services being offered by pharmacies is increasing rapidly. And that’s happening because our sick-care system, where we wait for folks to develop diseases and then treat them, is becoming unsustainable. It’s too expensive, we...
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Putting a Face on Clinical Laboratory Sciences w/ Dr. Rodney Rohde
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
There is a critical shortage of Clinical Laboratory Scientists across the U.S. According to today’s guest, there’s a nationwide gap of roughly 40% and it’s creating a national healthcare crisis that the public doesn’t quite grasp. On this episode we talk with Dr. Rodney Rohde, a Regents’ Professor at Texas State University, and the University Distinguished Chair and Professor for ). Dr. Rhode helps us better understand what a Clinical Laboratory Scientist does, why they are so critical to healthcare delivery, and why it’s so important to raise awareness of the profession, as well...
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The Future of Hand Washing with Max Simonovsky
The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS)
On this episode, we talk with Max Simonovsky, Founder & CEO of . Max founded Soapy after an interaction with his young child regarding handwashing. It got him thinking about how environmental triggers and our perceptions of them can impact our behaviors. He followed that thread, and it became Soapy. Soapy's hand-washing technology educates, validates, and modifies behavior. In the field, Soapy technology has been used to increase hand-wash adherence by up to 98%. Adherence paired with proper technique, which Soapy also teaches, has a chance to significantly reduce hospital-associated...
info_outlineDr. Deborah Birx was drawn to science from a very young age. Along with her siblings, and with the full support of her parents, Dr. Birx soldered circuit boards, searched for fossils, and recorded measurements of solar eclipses while other kids her age colored and played hopscotch.
Her early scientific exploration led Dr. Birx to study chemistry in college, where she became fascinated by infectious diseases. That fascination led her to medical school, the bedside, the lab, and eventually a 40+ year career as a public health servant.
Throughout her career, Dr. Birx looked to the data for guidance. The data, she tells us, helps you to understand what is going on. From there, Dr. Birx adds, you’ve got to act. First, by planning your response, and second, by implementing your solution in the community. Dr. Birx tells us the second part is often lacking in the U.S. – “sometimes people in public health forget the first word is public and it really means population. And you have to work with everybody in the public and everybody in the population. So, stop making excuses, stop blaming it on people and fix it.”
On this episode, we explore Dr. Birx's path from childhood scientist, to practicing physician, researcher, director of CDC's Division of Global HIV/AIDS (DGHA), Ambassador-at-Large, and U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator as part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under President Donald Trump (and believe it or not, still much more in-between!).
We also discuss how there are 21st-century tools that are available today that can drastically change our experience with infectious disease and why we are not using them. Dr. Birx tells us “We don't have to accept in the 21st century that we continue to succumb to infectious diseases”.
For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips/
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Dr. Deborah Birx will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming GBAC Symposium on Air Considerations in Chicago on August 16 and 17, 2022. The Symposium is focused on improving the quality of indoor air in non-healthcare settings. Dr. Birx will talk about that in the context of COVID, and Monkey Pox, outlining effective innovations that are available for use today.