In this engaging podcast episode our guests, Heather Dixon, Mathea Schaefer, and Dr. Mohamed Yassin, discuss their article about the automated traffic monitoring of the Neurosurgical Operating Room. Listen to get insights on their research, professional journeys, and innovative techniques used in the study.
Guests
- Mohamed Yassin, MD, PhD, Infectious Disease Physician, and Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- Mathea Schafer, MPH, Infection Preventionist, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- Heather Dixon, MSN, RN, CPHQ, CIC, Director of Quality, Safety, and Infection Prevention, University of Pittsburg Medical Center
Article Link: https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(24)00055-5/abstract
Dr. Mohamed Yassin
Dr. Mohamed Yassin is an Infectious Diseases physician who graduated with honors from Cairo University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Michigan State University and his Infectious Diseases fellowship at Case Western Reserve University. With over 10 years of experience in infection prevention and hospital epidemiology, Dr. Yassin has a special interest in endoscope disinfection, burn infections, and various hospital-associated infections. He has authored over 200 manuscripts and scientific abstracts and has delivered numerous scientific presentations at the APIC national conference and other national and international conferences.
Heather Dixon
Heather Dixon, MSN, RN, CPHQ, CIC is the Director of Quality, Safety, and Infection Prevention at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Mercy in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. She received her BSN from Franciscan University and MSN from Waynesburg University.
Ms. Dixon is a member of the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) test committee and APIC. She began her career as a nurse leader and progressed into healthcare quality. She now oversees the hospital’s quality program, including infection prevention, patient safety, experience, and regulatory programs, leading a team of twenty professionals. Under her leadership, the hospital earned a Leapfrog Safety Grade A from 2019 to 2021. She has developed mentoring models for nursing and public health students, is a site director and course instructor for the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and has published works on healthcare quality, infection prevention, and mentorship.
Mathea Schafer
Mathea Schafer, MPH, graduated in 2021 from Creighton University with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, with minors in Biology and Public Health. Originally from Nebraska, she moved to Pittsburgh to pursue her graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh. At the School of Public Health, she earned her Master of Public Health in Infectious Disease and Microbiology, concentrating on Pathogenesis, Eradication, and Laboratory Practices. In 2022, Mathea began working at UPMC Mercy as a student in Infection Prevention, conducting her thesis research on infection prevention during surgical procedures in the operating rooms. After obtaining her MPH, she joined UPMC Mercy as an Infection Preventionist, focusing on surgical areas and high-level disinfection.