How can hospitals stop the spread of Candida auris before it starts? In this episode, infection prevention experts from Mount Sinai share how an expanded screening protocol helped detect cases early and prevent outbreaks. Learn about the challenges of screening, patient isolation, and facility-wide collaboration. With real-world insights and a touch of humor, this episode is a must-listen for anyone battling superbugs in healthcare

Guests:

  • Aaron Cheng, MPH, CIC, Infection Surveillance Officer, Mount Sinai Brooklyn
  • Karen Brody, MSN, RN, GERO-BC, CIC, Associate Director of Infection Prevention, Mount Sinai Manhattan 
  • Waleed Javaid, MD, MBA, MS, Hospital Epidemiologist and Director of Infection Prevention and Control, Mount Sinai

Article Link: https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(24)00714-4/abstract

Aaron Cheng, MPH, CIC,

Aaron Cheng is currently an Infection Surveillance Officer at Mount Sinai Brooklyn. He has been dedicated to the field of public health, having over eight years of research and field experience working in local and international settings. Some of his past experiences include working on infant and young child feeding programs, nutrition program evaluations, and hospital quality improvement projects. He graduated with his MPH in 2018, specializing in epidemiology and biostatistics, before attaining his CIC in 2024.

Karen Brody, MSN, RN, GERO-BC, CIC

Karen Brody is currently the Associate Director of Infection Prevention at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and was the Assistant Director of Infection Prevention at Mount Sinai Brooklyn during the writing of this paper. She has been an RN since 2008 with a focus on the acute elderly population before moving into infection prevention in 2016 and achieving her CIC and MSN in 2018. Over her career, she has managed infection prevention in various settings including acute care, long term care, behavioral health, and dialysis units in New Jersey and New York City. She is actively engaged in the Greater New York APIC chapter and currently serves as the President-elect for 2025.

Waleed Javaid, MD, MBA, MS

Dr. Waleed Javaid is a Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, serving as Hospital Epidemiologist and Director of Infection Prevention and Control. With over a decade of experience, he has led initiatives that significantly reduced healthcare-associated infections and improved patient safety. Dr. Javaid actively contributes to national organizations, including the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and is a recognized expert in infection control and antimicrobial resistance.