Voice for Infection Prevention

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Elyse Fritschel, an Infection Prevention leader whose career path brings such a unique blend of public health, hospital epidemiology, leadership, and even a little bit of aerospace safety into the conversation. 

Elyse’s journey into Infection Prevention didn’t begin in a hospital. Her background started in epidemiology and public health, inc...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Jennifer Cox, an Infection Prevention leader whose career journey is such a great example of how this field often finds people gradually — and then continues to challenge and shape them over time. 

Jennifer’s path into Infection Prevention started with an early interest in microbiology, then grew through bedside nursing, small hospital exper...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Linda Dickey, a longtime Infection Prevention leader whose career reflects just how much this profession has evolved over the years — and how much of its success still comes down to relationships, curiosity, and a willingness to keep growing. 

Linda’s journey into Infection Prevention wasn’t something she planned from the beginning. Sh...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Maureen Spencer, a longtime leader in Infection Prevention whose career has spanned decades of change across healthcare, from the early days of hospital infection control to corporate leadership, consulting, education, and beyond.

Maureen’s story is especially unique because she entered the field at a remarkably young age, helping build an Infection Pr...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today’s episode is a little different from the conversations we usually have, and I’m really excited to share it with you. Instead of focusing on one individual career journey, this episode is centered on a practical resource and a broader effort to support Infection Preventionists across the country. 

I’m joined by Alisha Sheffield and Lauren Musil, two Infecti...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today, I’m joined by Lerenza Howard, an Infection Prevention leader whose career journey brings such a thoughtful and encouraging perspective to the field.

Lerenza came into Infection Prevention from a microbiology background, and her story is a great example of how valuable non-nursing pathways can be in this profession. From clinical labora...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today, I’m joined by Michele Pedrani, an Infection Prevention leader whose career journey offers such an honest and practical look at growth, resilience, and what it really takes to build a long-term career in this field.

Michele began her career in nursing and spent many years in clinical and education roles before eventually finding her way...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Eileen Sherman, a longtime Infection Prevention leader whose career path offers such a thoughtful and encouraging perspective on growth in this field.

Eileen’s story is especially compelling because she entered Infection Prevention from a clinical microbiology background at a time when that path was far less common. Over the course of her career, she h...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today I’m joined by Jenay Beshears, a seasoned leader whose career in Infection Prevention is a powerful example of long-term growth, adaptability, and servant leadership.

Jenay’s journey is especially unique because she has spent nearly three decades growing within the same organization, evolving from bedside nursing into system-level ...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! This is your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today, I’m joined by Madelaine Flynn, an Infection Prevention leader whose career journey brings a truly unique global perspective to the field.

Originally from Australia, Maddie began her career as a registered nurse before finding her way into Infection Prevention early on. What started as an opportunity to make a broader impact through...

This is Jacob Hutcherson, CEO of Clutch Recruitment and host of the Voice for Infection Prevention podcast. Today, I’m joined by Dr. David J. Weber, who has spent decades working in healthcare epidemiology and Infection Prevention. He has led Hospital Epidemiology at UNC Hospitals for more than 35 years, currently serves as President-Elect of SHEA, and has published extensively on healthcare-associated infections and disinfec...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today I’m joined by an incredible leader in the field, Melissa Bronstein, whose career journey showcases just how dynamic and evolving Infection Prevention has become.

Melissa’s path started in quality control nursing, but a chance assignment to an infection control training course completely changed her career trajectory. Since then, s...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Jessica Swain, whose career journey is a great example of how diverse backgrounds can bring unique strengths to Infection Prevention.

Jessica started in laboratory science, working in anatomic pathology, microbiology, and research before making the leap into Infection Prevention. She shares how a colleague introduced her to the field, and how she navigated b...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, we have an incredible conversation with Maimuna Jatta, whose journey into Infection Prevention is truly inspiring. From starting her career as a nurse in The Gambia to becoming a System Director of Infection Prevention in the United States, Maimuna’s path is a testament to resilience, leadership, and continuous learning.

Maimuna’s transition into Infection Preventio...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today we’re joined by the incomparable Connie Cutler—a pioneer with more than 40 years in Infection Prevention and a career that spans rural hospitals, major academic centers, and multi-hospital systems.

Connie’s path into Infection Prevention is anything but typical. Armed with a master’s in biology, she began her healthcar...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today we have an incredible guest who has made a lasting impact in the field of Infection Prevention.

Christine Lacerna started her journey in a way many of you can likely relate to—stumbling into Infection Prevention without knowing just how vast and complex it really is. From navigating construction-related infection control early in her ca...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today we’re diving into an inspiring conversation with Angel Mueller, a leader who has shaped Infection Prevention at both the hospital and system-wide levels.

Angel’s journey into Infection Prevention started with a strong background in microbiology and public health, but it wasn’t until an epidemiology course and internship expe...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today I’m sitting down with Krystal Robinson, a dynamic leader in Infection Prevention with over 15 years of experience in the field.

Krystal’s journey began in public health and health disparities research, with an initial goal of working in healthcare policy. But after shadowing an Infection Preventionist, she discovered a career that...

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! This is your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today I’m joined by Kelly Zabriskie, whose career journey is a perfect example of how taking chances and continuous learning can lead to leadership in Infection Prevention.

Kelly started her career in microbiology and, with no prior hospital experience, took a leap of faith into Infection Prevention when a nurse leader saw her potential a...