Want to stay updated on the latest in infection prevention and control? Join hosts Nicki Shore and Jessica Swain in the “Science into Practice” podcast brought to you by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. In their most recent episode, they welcomed Dr. Jose Cadena and Ms. Delvina (Mimi) Ford to talk about their recent research on Hospital-Acquired Candida Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The guests unraveled their experiences, shared concerning insights on the increased incidence of candidemia due to extended ICU stays during the pandemic, and discussed the shift in species detected and the challenges posed by multidrug-resistant strains. Tune in as they dive deeper into the intersection of infection control and COVID-19. Get inspired and find areas for your own research!
Guests
- Delvina (Mimi) Ford, MPH, BSN, CIC, CPHQ, CCRN-k, Quality Management Consultant, VISN 17Angela Gray, BA, BSN, RN, CIC, Infection Prevention Specialist for Aspirus St. Luke’s
- Dr. Jose Cadena, MD, Infection Prevention and Control Medical Director, South Texas Veterans Healthcare System
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Delvina (Mimi) Ford, MPH, BSN, CIC, CPHQ, CCRN-k
Mrs. Ford comes to us with over 29 years in healthcare, eighteen years as an RN. Delvina currently has a master’s in public health from American Public University and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from University of Texas at Arlington. She has an extensive critical care and infectious disease background; she is a board-certified infection preventionist who has been in infection prevention for over eight years. She also holds certifications in Healthcare Quality with a CPHQ and in critical care with a CCRN designation.
She has specialized in infectious disease prior with Tuberculosis care with the Texas Center for Infectious Disease. She has been an adjunct educator and Pilot tester for Heartland National TB Center for TB infection control. And has done professional review and pilot testing for the CDCs “The Core Curriculum on Tuberculosis: What the Clinician Should Know”.
She has authored a peer-review article in the American Journal of Infection Control and has authored or co-authored numerous poster abstracts submitted and accepted by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and ID Week with the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
Delvina has been an IP program manager for Infection Prevention at South Texas Veterans Healthcare System, where she started her career with the VA in 2017. Since then, she has received the Under Secretary for Health’s National VA Linda Danko Infection Prevention Award for 2021 for excellence in infection prevention & control and currently is a Quality Management consultant for VISN 17 working as a consultant with focus on infection prevention for VISN 17 as a regional position for the VA facilities within Texas.
Dr. Jose Cadena, MD
Dr. Jose Cadena is an Infectious disease physician with South Texas Veterans Healthcare System and the current infection prevention and control medical director with particular interest in the prevention of healthcare associated infections, antimicrobial stewardship and novel therapeutics. A Medical School graduate from the CES University in Colombia and completed internal medicine residency, infectious diseases fellowship and a year of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. He has been the Medical Director for Infection Prevention and working closely with infection preventionists. He has worked in the field of infection prevention and has published papers related to infection control, process improvement to increase compliance with influenza vaccination, tuberculosis prevention and control among healthcare workers, treatment, and epidemiology of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridioides difficile. He has also worked on phase 2 and 3 trials of therapeutics and vaccines for E. coli, C difficile and therapeutic trials for Candidemia and diabetic foot osteomyelitis. He has been part of the CREATE research network within the VA and participated in infection control trials to evaluate surgical site infection prevention, hand hygiene compliance improvement strategies among others.
He has a particular interest in TB prevention and management over the years and published a multicenter trial summarizing the characteristics of patients admitted with TB to 5 healthcare systems in Texas, and the risk factors to miss the diagnosis resulting in potential exposures. He has worked on a review regarding the association between TB and DM. He has also authored the TB chapter for TB prevention in healthcare settings for APIC and has performed quality improvement projects on TB screening protocols in healthcare settings. He routinely manages and treat patients with latent TB infection as well as other infectious diseases.
He is the medical director of the infection prevention at South Texas Veterans healthcare system and has provided infectious disease guidance during the covid-19 pandemic and has participated in the care, development and implementation of infection prevention protocols and therapeutics for COVID-19 patients. He is also working on evaluating the role of convalescent plasma in the COVID-19 therapeutics may be key to improve management of COVID-19 patients.