The ASHE Podcast

By Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of AmericaNews Science Education

The ASHE Podcast episodes

January 20 Episode 27: A Research Agenda For Burn Infection Prevention
Hosted by Dr. Gonzalo Bearman and Dr. Priya Nori, this episode features Dr. Madhuri Sopirala, Dr. Werner Bischof, and Dr. David Weber discussing their recent ASHE publication, A research agenda for burn infection prevention: identifying knowledge gaps and prioritizing future directions. The conversation explores why a dedicated research agenda is needed for burn patients, highlights priority areas with near-term clinical impact, and examines key gaps in our understanding of the burn wound microbiome and biofilms. The episode also looks ahead to how evolving research could shape infection prevention practice, policy, and stewardship over the next five years.
31 min
December 23, 2025 Episode 26: Unraveling Indications for Discharge Antibiotics
Hospital discharge is a critical and often overlooked moment for antibiotic stewardship. In this episode of The ASHE Podcast, hosts Dr. Gonzalo Bearman and Dr. Priya Nori are joined by Dr. David Ha (Stanford University) and Dr. Ritika Prasad (University of California, San Francisco), authors of the recent ASHE article “Unraveling indications for discharge antibiotics: the Devil’s in the details.”

The conversation explores why discharge prescribing is so challenging, the limitations of ICD-10 codes, and how using indication-based fields like the Last Inpatient Indication can more accurately capture clinician intent and improve stewardship at transitions of care.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antimicrobial-stewardship-and-healthcare-epidemiology/article/unraveling-indications-for-discharge-antibiotics-the-devils-in-the-details/00D66BAC14D6C6B878572EB7069C7014
42 min
November 22, 2025 Episode 25: Stewardship Opportunities in Peripartum Infections
In this episode of The ASHE Podcast, host Dr. Priya Nori speaks with Dr. Alexia Foy-Crowder, Dr. Pam Bailey, and Dr. Grace Pazienza about their ASHE paper, “Stewardship opportunities in peripartum infections: a review of quality improvement initiatives and future directions” (September 2025).
They discuss why they focused on the peripartum population, the unique implementation challenges in obstetric care, and key findings from their study—including the high proportion of mother–baby dyads receiving antimicrobials and the striking variability across 199 identified regimens. The authors reflect on guideline discordance, the frequent presence of penicillin allergy labels, and how these issues create opportunities for stewardship intervention.
The conversation also covers practical strategies for engaging obstetric teams, metrics for improving antibiotic use, remaining research gaps, and how stewardship in obstetrics connects to maternal health disparities and global antimicrobial resistance.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antimicrobial-stewardship-and-healthcare-epidemiology/article/stewardship-opportunities-in-peripartum-infections-a-review-of-quality-improvement-initiatives-and-future-directions/BC262D79208E5215F7FF7562B579C6B2#article
42 min
October 27, 2025 Episode 24: Prioritizing Isolation Precautions
In this episode of *The ASHE Podcast*, hosts Dr. Gonzalo Bearman and Dr. Priya Nori are joined by Dr. Emine Alp Meşe, author of "Prioritizing isolation precautions: a patient-centered approach to infection prevention and control," published in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology (Cambridge University Press, June 2025).
Together, they discuss how a patient-centered framework can transform infection prevention and control by balancing the benefits and potential harms of isolation precautions. Dr. Alp Meşe outlines a risk-based approach that considers patient, pathogen, and healthcare system factors; explores how advanced tools like omics-based susceptibility analysis and machine learning can enable personalized infection prevention; and highlights the importance of environmental controls and patient engagement in improving outcomes.
25 min
September 23, 2025 Episode 23: Uniting Disciplines Against Antimicrobial Resistance
In this episode, Dr. Brittany Rodriguez, Dr. Andrea Prinzi, and Dr. Denver Niles discuss their recent ASHE publication, “Uniting disciplines against antimicrobial resistance (AMR): highlights from a multidisciplinary inaugural AMR Summit.” They share key takeaways from the inaugural AMR Summit, held in November 2024, including rapid diagnostics, implementation science, next-generation sequencing, and strategies for engaging hospital leadership. The conversation closes with a call to action and priorities for advancing AMR efforts over the next two years.
30 min
August 20, 2025 Episode 22: Insights from the SHEA Research Network: Advancing SSI Prevention Bundles
In this episode of the ASHE Podcast, we are joined by guests Michael Moran and Aurora Pop-Vicas to explore new survey findings from 42 hospitals in the SHEA Research Network on implementing colorectal surgical site infection (SSI) prevention bundles. While most hospitals consistently use IV antibiotics and CHG-alcohol skin prep, practices like glove changes, separate trays, and oral antibiotics with bowel prep lag behind. The study highlights barriers such as resistant culture, clinician non-compliance, and gaps in audit and feedback—especially in high-volume centers. Our guests share practical strategies and success stories to strengthen adherence and improve SSI prevention.
34 min
June 17, 2025 Episode 21: Can We Rely on AI to Guide Antimicrobial Therapy?
In this special episode of The ASHE Podcast, we explore the potential—and limitations—of artificial intelligence in guiding antimicrobial therapy decisions. The episode features a fully AI-narrated summary of the recent ASHE article, “Can We Rely on Artificial Intelligence to Guide Antimicrobial Therapy? A Systematic Literature Review.” Using DeepSeek, an advanced AI tool, ASHE Editorial Board member Rajalakshmi Arjun transformed this article into an accessible, audio-friendly format—offering listeners a new way to engage with research.
This episode breaks down the current landscape of AI tools in clinical decision-making for infectious diseases. The review critically examines the accuracy, reliability, and clinical integration of AI models designed to recommend or guide antimicrobial use. The episode opens with a brief introduction from ASHE Editor-in-Chief Dr. Gonzalo Bearman, followed by the AI-generated narration of the article.
It’s a first for ASHE—and possibly a glimpse into the future of how research is consumed.
8 min
May 26, 2025 Episode 20: Navigating Ambulatory Stewardship Metrics: HEDIS® and Beyond
In this episode, hosts Gonzalo Bearman an Priya Nori sit down with Dr. Anita Shallal and Dr. Michael Veve to explore performance metrics that guide effective antimicrobial stewardship in outpatient settings. Drawing on their recent review article, the discussion focuses on key measures from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), which assess the quality of antibiotic prescribing—particularly for common upper respiratory tract infections.
Drs. Shallal and Veve walk through the four core HEDIS® measures relevant to stewardship, explain how these metrics are used by organizations like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and share insights on how performance data can drive programmatic goals.
The episode also covers the unique challenges hospitals face in implementing stewardship programs beyond the inpatient setting, and the essential components—personnel, tools, and patient engagement—needed for success.
Tune in for a practical and timely conversation about how healthcare systems can integrate performance measures into clinical workflows, leverage them to improve antibiotic use, and ultimately combat antimicrobial resistance in the community.
35 min
May 14, 2025 Episode 19: Strengthening Infection Prevention: National Strategies, Local Impact
Join hosts Dr. Gonzalo Bearman and Dr. Priya Nori as they explore the vital role of infection prevention and control in healthcare with Dr. Erica Kaufman West and Catriona Hong, authors of the article "National Partnerships Address Critical Needs in Infection Prevention and Control." In this episode, the guests discuss the goals of Project Firstline, a CDC-AMA initiative designed to strengthen IPC practices across the nation. Dr. Kaufman West and Hong delve into how five critical IPC areas were identified, the importance of social determinants of health data, and the impact of burnout among IPC professionals. They also explore strategies for improving IPC training in medical schools, the future of masking policies, and balancing infection control with environmental sustainability. The conversation concludes with a look at the challenges of implementing national IPC strategies and the innovations and policy changes that will shape the future of infection prevention in the next decade.
40 min
January 10, 2025 Episode 18: Sustainable Steps in Infectious Diseases: Tackling the Climate Crisis
Join hosts Gonzalo Bearman and Priya Nori as they dive into the critical intersection of infectious diseases and climate change with experts Dr. Shreya M. Doshi and Dr. Preeti Jaggi. This episode explores actionable steps that infectious diseases professionals can take to address the climate crisis, based on the article, "Ten Sustainable Steps Infectious Diseases Professionals Can Take to Mitigate the Climate Crisis." Our expert guests discuss how global warming exacerbates disease spread and the specific contributions of healthcare activities, from diagnostics and pharmaceutical waste, to greenhouse gas emissions. The conversation highlights strategies for reducing healthcare waste, transitioning from disposable to reusable medical supplies, and balancing infection control needs with environmental sustainability in PPE. Additional topics include optimizing pharmaceutical use to reduce waste, advocating for climate action in healthcare systems, and optimizing telehealth. The importance of tracking and reporting environmental benefits is emphasized, along with an invitation to join a new sustainability interest group. Listeners should note that this submission is part of an ongoing Call for Papers in ASHE on Environmental Sustainability.

Links:
- https://sustainabil-id.com/
42 min

About The ASHE Podcast

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The ASHE Podcast discusses articles recently publishing in the journal, Antimicrobial Stewardship and Healthcare Epidemiology (ASHE). ASHE is the official publication of the Society for Healthcare…