About Culture Positive: An Infection Prevention Podcast
On Culture Positive, Ally brings her experience in infection prevention, epidemiology and public health to conversations about healthcare, emerging topics, workplace realities, historical outbreaks and everyday moments that shape safer care.
Whether you are in public health or curious about work that is done to improve healthcare and public health in general, pull up a chair and help build a culture that is truly positive.
Have questions or ideas, please send Ally an email at culturepositivepod@gmail.com (mailto:culturepositivepod@gmail.com) or DM @culturepositivepod on Instagram!
In this episode of Culture Positive, we're traveling back to 18th-century Russia to meet Catherine the Great and explore her surprising role in the history of immunization. From the devastating impact of smallpox to the global origins of variolation, we follow the evolution of an early method of smallpox prevention across continents and generations. We'll also explore the journey from variolation to modern vaccination and the incredible public health achievement of smallpox eradication. Because sometimes, the history of infection prevention starts with an empress willing to lead by example!
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9514359/ (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9514359/) https://collections.libraries.indiana.edu/iulibraries/s/smallpox-vaccine-exhibit/page/russian-empire (https://collections.libraries.indiana.edu/iulibraries/s/smallpox-vaccine-exhibit/page/russian-empire) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/catherine-the-great-russian-empress-inoculation-thomas-dinsdale/101405692 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/catherine-the-great-russian-empress-inoculation-thomas-dinsdale/101405692) https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/12/that-time-catherine-the-great-championed-smallpox-vaccinations/ (https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/12/that-time-catherine-the-great-championed-smallpox-vaccinations/) https://historyofvaccines.org/blog/empress-immunization-how-catherine-great-revolutionized-public-health/ (https://historyofvaccines.org/blog/empress-immunization-how-catherine-great-revolutionized-public-health/) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/catherine-the-great-russian-empress-inoculation-thomas-dinsdale/101405692 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/catherine-the-great-russian-empress-inoculation-thomas-dinsdale/101405692) https://historyofvaccines.org/history/vaccine-timeline/overview/ (https://historyofvaccines.org/history/vaccine-timeline/overview/) https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/about/index.html (https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/about/index.html)https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/bioterrorism/index.html (https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/bioterrorism/index.html)
27 Oct 2026
Flu, COVID, RSV, Oh My!
Respiratory season is here, whether we're ready for it or not! 🍂 In this episode of Culture Positive, we're talking all things respiratory season, including influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.
What does respiratory season mean for infection preventionists? From outbreak investigations and isolation precautions to masking, vaccines, and preventing transmission, we'll explore what these infections look like in healthcare settings and what we can do to help protect patients, healthcare workers, and the people around us.
And of course, a friendly reminder from your local IP: wash your hands, stay home when you're sick, and please, please get your flu and COVID vaccines!
https://www.tuftsmedicine.org/about-us/news/your-2026-2027-guide-respiratory-illnesses-what-know-season (https://www.tuftsmedicine.org/about-us/news/your-2026-2027-guide-respiratory-illnesses-what-know-season)
https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/22/health/flu-2026-mutation (https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/22/health/flu-2026-mutation)
20 Oct 2026
Happy IP Week!
For International Infection Prevention Week, we're talking about the things you might not find in an infection preventionist's job description!
I reached out to fellow IPs working across a variety of healthcare settings to share their experiences, unexpected challenges, and favorite parts of the job. From water management and hospital construction to navigating imposter syndrome, working with hospital leadership, and witnessing the incredible care provided by healthcare teams, this episode explores the many sides of infection prevention.
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
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