Culture Positive: An Infection Prevention Podcast

Ally Hunt
  • 4.8 (16)
  • Education

On Culture Positive, Ally brings her experience in infection prevention, epidemiology and public health to conversations about healthcare, emerging topics, workplace realities, historical outbreaks and everyday moments that shape safer care. Whether you are in public health or curious about work that is done to improve healthcare and public health in general, pull up a chair and help build a culture that is truly positive. Have questions or ideas, please send Ally an email at culturepositivepod@gmail.com or DM @culturepositivepod on Instagram!

  1. 2d ago

    The Royal Jab

    In this episode of Culture Positive, we're traveling back to 18th-century Russia to meet Catherine the Great and explore her surprising role in the history of immunization. From the devastating impact of smallpox to the global origins of variolation, we follow the evolution of an early method of smallpox prevention across continents and generations. We'll also explore the journey from variolation to modern vaccination and the incredible public health achievement of smallpox eradication. Because sometimes, the history of infection prevention starts with an empress willing to lead by example! https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9514359/ https://collections.libraries.indiana.edu/iulibraries/s/smallpox-vaccine-exhibit/page/russian-empire https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/catherine-the-great-russian-empress-inoculation-thomas-dinsdale/101405692 https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/12/that-time-catherine-the-great-championed-smallpox-vaccinations/ https://historyofvaccines.org/blog/empress-immunization-how-catherine-great-revolutionized-public-health/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/catherine-the-great-russian-empress-inoculation-thomas-dinsdale/101405692 https://historyofvaccines.org/history/vaccine-timeline/overview/ https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/about/index.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/bioterrorism/index.html

  2. Oct 27

    Flu, COVID, RSV, Oh My!

    Respiratory season is here, whether we're ready for it or not! 🍂 In this episode of Culture Positive, we're talking all things respiratory season, including influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. What does respiratory season mean for infection preventionists? From outbreak investigations and isolation precautions to masking, vaccines, and preventing transmission, we'll explore what these infections look like in healthcare settings and what we can do to help protect patients, healthcare workers, and the people around us. And of course, a friendly reminder from your local IP: wash your hands, stay home when you're sick, and please, please get your flu and COVID vaccines! https://www.tuftsmedicine.org/about-us/news/your-2026-2027-guide-respiratory-illnesses-what-know-season https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/22/health/flu-2026-mutation

  3. Oct 20

    Happy IP Week!

    For International Infection Prevention Week, we're talking about the things you might not find in an infection preventionist's job description! I reached out to fellow IPs working across a variety of healthcare settings to share their experiences, unexpected challenges, and favorite parts of the job. From water management and hospital construction to navigating imposter syndrome, working with hospital leadership, and witnessing the incredible care provided by healthcare teams, this episode explores the many sides of infection prevention.

  4. Oct 13

    Lessons from the grave

    Happy spooky season! Check out this week’s episode to learn how soil from a priest’s grave in Northern Ireland is contributing to research on antimicrobial resistance! Who knew a grave site could hold clues that might help tackle one of today’s biggest public health challenges? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10311-023-01651-w  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/astonishing-medical-potential-soil-northern-ireland-graveyard-180973741/  https://icars-global.org/what-we-do/threat-of-amr/  https://www.healthdata.org/news-events/insights-blog/acting-data/among-superbugs-mrsa-forefront-antimicrobial-resistance  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21655-antibiotic-resistance https://historyireland.com/the-healing-clay-of-boho/  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-46651702  https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Irvine_Valley_College/IVC_Microbiology_Lab_Manual/21%3A_ANTIBIOTIC_PRODUCING_MICROBES_IN_SOIL

  5. Oct 6

    Ringworm in the OR?! Featuring Justin McKay

    Can lead aprons be as dirty as a gas station pump? Welcome Justin McKay to Culture Positive! Justin is the CoFounder and VP for RadCare and after a firsthand health incident exposed just how inadequate traditional lead-apron care can be, he turned that personal experience into an industry-wide safety mission. Check out the episode to learn more! Clean Those Leads Webpage: https://radcareservices.com/clean-those-leads/ Clean Those Leads Films: https://radcareservices.com/clean-those-leads/campaign-films/ Justin McKay’s Bio Page: https://radcareservices.com/justin-mckay-bio/ RCS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/radcare-services/?viewAsMember=true Scientific Studies on Lead Apron Safety: https://radcareservices.com/scientific-research/

  6. Sep 29

    Case Files: The Kissing Cough

    In this Case Files episode of Culture Positive, we’re investigating pertussis, better known as whooping cough. Ally walks you through the basics of this highly contagious respiratory illness, including how it spreads, what symptoms can look like, and why pertussis can be difficult to recognize early on. But this episode is also personal to Ally's work in infectious diseases. She shares the story of a real pertussis investigation, including what happened when cases were identified among college students and how public health worked to understand the situation and prevent further spread. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2026/08/24/fighting-measles-is-expensive-see-what-it-cost-contain-10-cases/  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whooping-cough/symptoms-causes/syc-20378973  https://publichealth.jhu.edu/ivac/2026/whooping-cough-vaccination-coverage-remains-below-targets  https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2171/  https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-R0.aspx  https://publichealth.jhu.edu/ivac/2026/whooping-cough-vaccination-coverage-remains-below-targets  https://www.nyas.org/ideas-insights/blog/whooping-cough-is-surging-in-the-u-s-what-you-need-to-know/

  7. Sep 22

    Jalapeños and the Chicken Disease

    Why does it feel like foodborne illness outbreaks are everywhere in 2026? From Cyclospora and Salmonella to E. coli, this summer has brought several major outbreaks and plenty of questions about the safety of our food supply. In this episode of Culture Positive, GI Jane is reporting for duty again! We're breaking down recent foodborne illness outbreaks and exploring how public health funding, workforce shortages, food safety oversight, traceability, and surveillance may influence our ability to prevent and respond to outbreaks. https://time.com/article/2026/08/26/e-coli-salmonella-cyclospora-is-the-u-s-seeing-a-surge-in-foodborne-illnesses-/  https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026  https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-jalapeno-august-2026  https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o145h28-frozen-blueberries-july-2026  https://www.wired.com/story/why-salmonella-cyclospora-make-americans-sick/  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/16/us-law-foodborne-illness-delay  https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-regulation-food-and-dietary-supplements/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma

  8. Sep 15

    Incision, Infection, Prevention

    Surgery has come a long way—but infection prevention has been part of that journey every step of the way. In this episode of Culture Positive, Ally takes a look at the history of surgery, what surgical site infections are, the signs and symptoms, and—most importantly—what we can do to prevent them. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05160-8  https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-history-of-surgery-timeline-3157332  https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/surgical-site-infections  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/surgical-wound-infection  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1743919121002843#tbl3  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12229807/  https://www.jointcommissionjournal.com/article/S1553-7250(24)00259-9/fulltext

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

On Culture Positive, Ally brings her experience in infection prevention, epidemiology and public health to conversations about healthcare, emerging topics, workplace realities, historical outbreaks and everyday moments that shape safer care. Whether you are in public health or curious about work that is done to improve healthcare and public health in general, pull up a chair and help build a culture that is truly positive. Have questions or ideas, please send Ally an email at culturepositivepod@gmail.com or DM @culturepositivepod on Instagram!

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