How do infection prevention strategies vary across the globe? In this episode, Kelly Holmes and Lerenza Howard talk with infection control experts Dr. Filippo Medioli from Italy and Dr. Tatiana Izakovic from Slovakia. They explore how cultural attitudes, institutional policies, and limited resources shape infection control efforts worldwide. The conversation also compares how hospitals in different countries train and staff their infection prevention teams. Key topics include antimicrobial stewardship, the lasting impact of COVID-19 on protocols, and how innovations like AI and diagnostic stewardship are transforming the fight against healthcare-associated infections. Don't miss this vital conversation!

Hosted by:

Kelly Holmes, MS, CIC, FAPIC and Lerenza L. Howard, MHA, CIC, LSSGB

About our Guests:

Filippo Medioli, MD

Born in Milan, Dr. Filippo Medioli is an Infectious Diseases Specialist at Humanitas Research Hospital in Italy and a PhD Candidate at the same institution. His expertise extends to antimicrobial stewardship and clinical infectious diseases, reflected in his role as an ad hoc member of the ESGAP Executive Committee.

Dr. Medioli has broadened his international experience through a clinical observership at Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (HUVM) in Seville, Spain, from May to July 2024. Additionally, he serves as the Network Officer for the Trainee Association of European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases or ESCMID, beginning in April 2024, fostering collaboration among early-career infectious disease specialists.

In his free time, he enjoys expressing his creativity through painting and drawing.

Tatiana Izakovic, MD, MHA, CIC

Tatiana Izakovic, MD, MHA, CIC is an experienced hospital epidemiologist and infection control specialist. She is currently a PhD candidate at Comenius University School of Medicine, where she also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Hygiene.

Dr. Izakovic has held leadership roles in infection prevention and hospital epidemiology, including serving as a hospital epidemiologist at Hospital Bory and as an infection control consultant. She is an active member of international professional organizations, including ESCMID and APIC, where she sits on the Communications Committee. Her research and presentations focus on hospital-associated infections, patient safety, and epidemiological strategies.

Dr. Izakovic holds an MD from Comenius University, an MHA from the University of Iowa, and a CIC certification from CBIC.