Tori Whitacre Martonicz

Introducing the Infection Control Today®'s (ICT®'s) Editorial Advisory Board members—a diverse group of professionals dedicated to advancing infection prevention and control practices. This series highlights each member's unique expertise and contributions to the field.

If you thought COVID-19 was scary, wait until you see what filmmakers have unleashed. From zombie daughters to infected water supplies, these new movies prove outbreaks make for edge-of-your-seat drama.

Without stable, science-driven leadership at the CDC, patient safety and public trust hang in the balance. Infection preventionists must demand accountability and champion evidence-based guidance now.

Infection prevention is not an expense, it’s an investment,” the study authors stressed, urging C-suite leaders to address burnout, recognize IP contributions, and build hospital-wide collaboration.

A joint statement from leading medical and public health groups calling for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s resignation underscores the urgent need for infection preventionists to defend science-driven care and safeguard community health.

Experts say AI tools can forecast outbreaks and guide staffing, but limitations remain; technology cannot capture unpredictable tasks or reduce the heavy baseline workload of infection preventionists.

With Florida becoming the first state to eliminate all vaccine mandates, infection preventionists face mounting challenges in safeguarding communities against vaccine-preventable outbreaks.

Infection prevention is too often the first program cut when budgets tighten, but experts warn that underfunding leaves hospitals vulnerable. Stronger policies, bigger rewards, and robust vaccination programs are critical to protecting patients and communities.

Infection prevention isn’t one-size-fits-all. Regional disparities, from rural staffing shortages to California’s strict regulations, demand tailored strategies, stronger collaborations, and targeted funding to protect patients everywhere.

Fewer than 14% of infection prevention departments receive staffing support from other hospital units, leaving infection preventionists stretched thin. Experts warn that this lack of collaboration undermines patient safety and strains already limited resources.

This installment of the interview with study authors, survey data reveal rising hours and responsibilities for infection preventionists, with staffing shortages fueling burnout risks and threatening the safety of both patients and health care workers.

Infection preventionists emerged from the COVID-19 crisis carrying heavier workloads, broader responsibilities, and fewer resources. A new study reveals the toll and the urgent need for support.

As hospitals turn to UVC technology to combat health care-associated infections, a new FDA mandate is changing the game—requiring formal authorization for devices that claim to reduce microbial contamination. For infection preventionists and health care leaders, understanding this regulatory shift is now essential to protecting patients and ensuring compliance.

Behind every skilled infection preventionist is an educator who lit the spark. If you know someone who’s shaping the future of safety—1 glove, 1 lecture, 1 student at a time—nominate them now for ICT’s 2025 Educator of the Year.

Clear communication is not just important in a pandemic—it’s everything. In a preview of his upcoming Health Watch USA presentation, William Schaffner, MD, shares lessons from COVID-19 on building trust, keeping messages simple, and acknowledging uncertainty.

If you’ve led projects that measurably improved infection prevention and control, it’s time to showcase your impact. The Advanced Leadership Certification in Infection Prevention & Control (AL-CIP) recognizes experienced professionals whose vision, innovation, and expertise have made a difference locally, nationally, or globally.

A group of experts highlight their infection control model, which highlights 5 key moments for disinfecting high-touch surfaces in patient care, aiming to reduce health care–associated infections and improve patient safety.

Are your UV-C disinfection systems FDA-compliant? Infection preventionists play a crucial role in ensuring devices meet regulatory standards. A simple conversation with your legal or compliance team today could prevent costly missteps tomorrow and help safeguard patient safety.

Infection prevention starts long before exposure; it begins with what we put into our bodies. This article series explores how key vitamins and nutrients like D, C, zinc, and more can strengthen immune defenses, reduce respiratory illness severity, and empower infection preventionists with evidence-based strategies to support overall health from the inside out.

At APIC 2025, Metrex Research marked a major milestone—4 decades of partnering with infection preventionists. Infection Control Today caught up with Senior Marketing Manager Cheryl Collins, MPH, and clinical advisor Sharon Ward-Fore, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC, to talk legacy, innovation, and why supporting IPs will always be at the heart of what Metrex does best.

Unauthorized UVC disinfection devices are quietly entering hospitals, bypassing FDA clearance and basic safety standards, putting patient safety and institutional compliance at serious risk.

The FDA’s new mandate requiring clearance for UVC disinfection devices is reshaping the infection prevention landscape, ensuring only proven, science-backed technologies are used to protect patients.

Sharps injuries remain a silent but serious threat in health care that infection preventionists are uniquely equipped to confront. With underreporting widespread and safety devices underused, it’s time for IPs to step into a leadership role, using their expertise in systems thinking, education, and policy to build a culture where staff protection is as prioritized as patient care.

Sharps safety isn’t just an operating room issue—it’s a system-wide concern that demands stronger policies, consistent reporting, and cross-departmental collaboration to truly protect health care workers.

Sterile processing departments are facing a new standard: clean is not clean unless you can see it. At HSPA 2025, experts emphasized that updated IFUs and borescope inspections must be built into routine workflows, not as extra tasks, but as core components of quality control and infection prevention.

Despite decades of progress in health care safety, a quiet but dangerous culture still lingers: many health care workers remain afraid to report sharps injuries, fearing blame more than the wound itself.

At the 2025 HSPA Annual Conference & Expo, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, highlighted critical flaws in manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFUs) for orthopedic and neurosurgical instruments. From contradictory directions to unrealistic cleaning expectations, these IFUs often fail under real-world conditions, jeopardizing both patient safety and sterile processing workflows.

Sharps safety in health care isn’t just about knowing the rules—it’s about changing the culture. In a recent interview with Infection Control Today®, perioperative educator Amanda Heitman shares how fostering a supportive, informed environment can turn safety standards into daily practice.

From unsterilized surgical tools in Colorado to a years-long methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) outbreak in Virginia and a surging measles crisis in Canada, recent headlines reveal the fragile front lines of infection prevention and the high stakes when systems fail.

Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, a perioperative nurse with over 20 years' experience and member of Infection Control Today® Editorial Advisory Board, has dedicated her career to patient safety and surgical excellence. Learn more about her path to where she is now.