VRSA Case Reported in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting today that a patient at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital has acquired vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) most likely from a lack of antibiotic stewardship. The patient, who had been on dialysis, was transferred from another state and did not acquire the resistant pathogen at Penn, hospital officials say.
The report on Philly.com quotes Neil Fishman, MD, president of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiologists of America (SHEA) and an infectious disease physician at Penn, as saying that about 11 cases of VRSA have been reported nationally, that the infection is not particularly virulent, and that this strain of the Staph bacteria is susceptible to existing antibiotics. To read the news item, CLICK HERE.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
