Episodes
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In this episode, we talk with John LaRochelle, a long-standing contributor and board member at TIPS, and President of Lighthouse Environmental Infection Prevention.
To gain a deeper understanding of John's impact, I turned to Michael Diamond, who succinctly framed John's journey: 'John has dedicated his career to uplifting those in the least paid positions. His advocacy and development of technologies and programs have not only enhanced environmental cleaning but also empowered and elevated the cleaners themselves.'
John's life and career are fundamentally about empowering and engaging the everyday cleaner.
During our discussion, we explored several key themes:
John's journey and career in the cleaning industry His progression from a cleaner to a manager and eventually an industry leader. Strategies to offer similar growth opportunities to your employees. The importance of respecting cleaners, both as individuals and in their roles, and the impact of making them feel valued. The extensive and varied benefits that arise from this approach.John's narrative is an inspirational tale of discovering one's true calling, climbing the ranks in an industry, and consistently making a meaningful difference in the world.
For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips
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The cleaning industry has long been focused on the concept of contact time. But what happens between cleanings? This question grows increasingly pertinent as we navigate both labor shortages and heightened expectations of cleanliness and safety from customers, guests, and patients.
A potential part of the solution lies in long-lasting disinfection technology.
In this episode, we talk with Jay Denktash and Amit Sehgal from Solvay about the science underpinning long-lasting surface disinfection.
This concept isn't new. Scientists have been exploring it since the late 1990s, achieving some success. The industry has managed to produce long-lasting disinfectants, but their user experience often left much to be desired. They might emit a strong odor, leave a sticky residue, or simply be difficult to use.
When Solvay took on this challenge, they placed a high priority on aesthetics. To truly succeed, they needed to create a product that was both effective and appealing to end-users.
Jay and Amit recount how Solvay harnessed its extensive range of over 2,000 surfactants and polymers, applying its vast expertise to overcome usability issues and develop the innovative Actizone® technology.
The task of creating a product that both cleans effectively and lasts a long time is monumental, and the science behind it is FASCINATING. Jay and Amit break it down in an easily understandable manner. I'm confident you’ll find it as enlightening as I did.
We also delve into how Solvay fostered an internal startup culture to nurture this innovation and discuss the challenges they faced in introducing such a novel product to the market – a process supported by the TIPS Science to Market program.
For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips
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Missing episodes?
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On this episode, we're joined by Shari Solomon, the President of CleanHealth Environmental LLC, and a TIPS Advisory Council member.
Shari's journey in the world of environmental policy and law began with a deep-seated interest in environmental matters. Her desire to influence and effect change led her to study law, which subsequently led her to Capitol Hill, where she dedicated her time to shaping environmental policies. During this period, Shari's fascination with Indoor Air Quality took root, specifically focusing on infection risks posed by microorganisms in the air, such as mold.
Driven by the urge to have a more hands-on and direct impact on these crucial issues, Shari established CleanHealth Environmental nine years ago, and she hasn't looked back since.
Today, Shari brings her diverse perspectives to the forefront, assisting healthcare facilities in comprehending the complex web of laws, rules, and regulations that govern them. She constructs tailored programs and standard operating procedures to ensure effective, efficient, and consistent execution of these regulations.
Done right, or conversely, done wrong, these aspects have a significant influence on the day-to-day operations of healthcare facilities. They play a pivotal role in ensuring patient safety, staff training and safety, and the ability to retain those staff. These aspects can also affect patient satisfaction scores, which, in turn, can impact revenue.
Navigating the intricacies of healthcare requires a nuanced approach, and Shari adeptly breaks down the complexities to show us that achieving excellence in all these areas is not only possible but necessary.
In this episode, we also delve into the updated ICRA 2.0, a Healthcare renovation and maintenance industry standard that helps us evaluate the risks involved in construction or renovation activities within active healthcare facilities. Shari provides insights into what ICRA 2.0 is, who should be concerned, what's new, and how to prepare for it.
Prepare for a comprehensive crash course on Infection Prevention and Industrial Hygiene, guided by someone who is truly making a difference.
For full show notes and links visit https://deepdive.tips
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As an emergency room doctor, John McKeon often recommended allergy and asthma-friendly products to his patients. One patient’s mother, while trying to take in all the details, told him it would be so nice if someone would just put a label on these products so that she could know which ones met his specs. That single comment was enough to ignite the latent entrepreneurial tendencies that John had always had.
Now, John is the CEO of Allergy Standards Ltd (ASL), a company on a mission to help people breathe healthier indoor air. John and his team do this through science (ASL Standards), education (iAIR Academy), and innovation (iAIR Institute).
On this episode, we talk with John about his journey from the expected path of being a medical doctor to his inevitable path as a serial entrepreneur and business leader. This, of course, was not an easy endeavor but John knew there was value in going upstream and addressing health problems at the root cause.
We discuss key learnings along the way, including:
How key partnerships can lend credibility to early-stage companies. The challenges of measuring the ROI of prevention and dealing with its extremely long feedback loop. How to use leading measures or KPIs to support your claims while keeping an eye on the longer-term clinical and economic outcomes. The process and science behind ASL’s certification, verification, and licensing. Finding the intersection of business and health that allows you to do well by doing good. Confronting the realities of economics and resource allocation in healthcare. The psychology of business and behavior change The importance of whole-brain thinking in innovationThis is a wide-ranging conversation and John shared a ton of insights from his journey that will be useful to all of you who are out there innovating, building, and trying to make a difference.
For full show notes and links, visit: https://deepdive.tips
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On this episode, we talk with Michael Justason from McMaster University and the LightBoard Depot about online communication. Specifically, we talk about how to do it better.
Michael has been teaching in person and online for years and he’s learned some tricks that he says, in some ways, have made him more effective online than in person.
Now this was a surprise even to him, and he’s going to explain.
Overall, our goal is to share with you these tricks, plus some tools, that Michael has found along the way. We’ll cover a few basic things you can do with lighting, sound, positioning, etc. that will apply to anyone that spends any time communicating online. That’s pretty much all of us these days.
Then, we’ll show you the LightBoard. This is a tool that allows Michael to interact with his content in new and interesting ways that his students call “next level”.
Some of this is a bit more sophisticated, but not as hard or as expensive as you may think. And it can have a dramatic impact on the effectiveness of your online communications. This is where those of you who do corporate training and education are going to want to listen up.
NOTE: This is typically an audio podcast. But today’s topic calls for something a bit different. Head over to DeepDive.Tips, pull up this episode and there you can find the full interview on video. That’s not necessary for the entire conversation, but it will help tremendously in a few sections of the interview. The first of which (a quick demo of the LightBoard) starts at 10m and 30s.
Learn more:
https://deepdive.tips/
https://www.lightboarddepot.com/
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On this episode we talk with:
Dan Mueller, TIPS Advisory Board Member and Senior Vice President, N. American Sales at Kersia Malachy McGlynn, Head of Operations for Healthcare at KersiaDan and Malachy help us to understand what sustainability really means in the business context and beyond. It’s a nuanced discussion that covers:
How Kersia approaches sustainability for their own business operations What problems Kersia is trying to solve How they identified and prioritized potential solutions How they measure and report on the efficacy of their internal sustainability initiatives What the market is asking for in terms of sustainability and what is driving the ask The major obstacles to initiating sustainability efforts. The tangible business benefits of sustainability efforts How government regulations play into all of thisThis is an informative episode for the listener who hasn’t thought through all the nuances of sustainability.
This is a very tactical episode for anyone actively working on strategic sustainability issues.
For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips
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On this episode we talk with:
Wendy Dietzler, Senior Director of Events and Education for Trade Press Media Group, which produces industry-leading events for facilities, cleaning, and freight rail industries, including the National Facilities Management & Technology Conference, CleanLink Summit, and RailTrends. Corinne Zudonyi, editor-in-chief of Contracting Profits, Sanitary Maintenance, and Facility Cleaning Decisions magazines. as well as the online resource, CleanLink.com.Wendy and Corinne are going to break down the Cleaning Industry Trends you need to know for 2023 in areas such as:
Infection control protocols Cleaning for health and sustainability Employee recruitment and retention New technologies and digital innovations Best practices in cleaning equipment and protocolsWe also discuss The CleanLink Summit which is coming up on March 23, 2023, in Baltimore, MD.
The CleanLink Summit offers a half-day of deep industry education for executive housekeepers, building service contractors, distributors, and facility managers. This year's summit is co-located with the 2023 National Facilities Management and Technology (NFMT) Conference and Expo in Baltimore. Summit registration includes access to the expansive NFMT expo hall filled with facility, maintenance, and cleaning resources.
For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips
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On this episode, we talk with Hector Bremner. Hector is CEO of Avricore Health which is a pharmacy service innovator focused on acquiring and developing early-stage technologies aimed at moving pharmacy forward. For example, its flagship offering HealthTab™ gives community pharmacies a turn-key solution for rapid testing.
The reason they’re doing this is because the scope of services being offered by pharmacies is increasing rapidly.
And that’s happening because our sick-care system, where we wait for folks to develop diseases and then treat them, is becoming unsustainable. It’s too expensive, we have workforce shortages including the potential for massive physician shortages in the coming years, and frankly, it’s just not a smart way to do things.
So, governments are taking steps to move towards a system that is designed to keep people from getting sick in the first place. And looking to do so in a more equitable way.
We discuss all of this today, largely, through the lens of new healthcare policies coming down in Canada. We explore what’s driving it, and what it means for Canadian healthcare spending and for healthcare businesses.
Hector helps us see how these changes create an opportunity for community pharmacies to expand their role, provide a better experience and better outcomes to patients, and to do so in a way that is equitable, good for the pharmacy, good for the pharmacist, and good for the healthcare system as a whole. A win for everyone involved.
For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips
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There is a critical shortage of Clinical Laboratory Scientists across the U.S. According to today’s guest, there’s a nationwide gap of roughly 40% and it’s creating a national healthcare crisis that the public doesn’t quite grasp.
On this episode we talk with Dr. Rodney Rohde, a Regents’ Professor at Texas State University, and the University Distinguished Chair and Professor for Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS). Dr. Rhode helps us better understand what a Clinical Laboratory Scientist does, why they are so critical to healthcare delivery, and why it’s so important to raise awareness of the profession, as well as the risks we face due to the shortage. Dr. Rohde tells us that a big part of who he is today is because he is trying to put a face on this critical function that happens entirely in the background.
Dr. Rohde is not just an educator in academia. Throughout our conversation, and in everything he does, his goal is education. This is evident in each topic we discuss including:
Airdropping vaccines to quell a canine rabies epidemic in Texas. Raising awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Using social media to combat misinformation (and why more scientists need to do this)Beyond all of this, Dr. Rhode is a founding member of TIPS. He was with us from the start and continues to be one of our most impactful board members. We’re grateful for Dr. Rohde’s contribution to TIPS and are thrilled to share his story with you today.
For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips.
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On this episode, we talk with Max Simonovsky, Founder & CEO of Soapy.
Max founded Soapy after an interaction with his young child regarding handwashing. It got him thinking about how environmental triggers and our perceptions of them can impact our behaviors. He followed that thread, and it became Soapy.
Soapy's hand-washing technology educates, validates, and modifies behavior. In the field, Soapy technology has been used to increase hand-wash adherence by up to 98%. Adherence paired with proper technique, which Soapy also teaches, has a chance to significantly reduce hospital-associated infections (HAIs).
It's education, but it's fun and high-tech, and that’s much easier to put in front of a highly intelligent audience than current techniques like asking them to sing happy birthday twice.
Soapy is part of the TIPS Science to Market program. Over the years TIPS has worked with soapy on establishing its science and market entry.
The Science to Market program is core to the TIPS mission statement, as TIPS exists to advance technologies, programs, and ideas that make a difference in global health.
At TIPS we believe that we shouldn’t have to wait years for promising innovations to be vetted and accepted. The TIPS Science to Market program provides the ability to communicate the science and successes and make a difference.
For full show notes and links: https://deepdive.tips
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Dr. Deborah Birx was drawn to science from a very young age. Along with her siblings, and with the full support of her parents, Dr. Birx soldered circuit boards, searched for fossils, and recorded measurements of solar eclipses while other kids her age colored and played hopscotch.
Her early scientific exploration led Dr. Birx to study chemistry in college, where she became fascinated by infectious diseases. That fascination led her to medical school, the bedside, the lab, and eventually a 40+ year career as a public health servant.
Throughout her career, Dr. Birx looked to the data for guidance. The data, she tells us, helps you to understand what is going on. From there, Dr. Birx adds, you’ve got to act. First, by planning your response, and second, by implementing your solution in the community. Dr. Birx tells us the second part is often lacking in the U.S. – “sometimes people in public health forget the first word is public and it really means population. And you have to work with everybody in the public and everybody in the population. So, stop making excuses, stop blaming it on people and fix it.”
On this episode, we explore Dr. Birx's path from childhood scientist, to practicing physician, researcher, director of CDC's Division of Global HIV/AIDS (DGHA), Ambassador-at-Large, and U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator as part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under President Donald Trump (and believe it or not, still much more in-between!).
We also discuss how there are 21st-century tools that are available today that can drastically change our experience with infectious disease and why we are not using them. Dr. Birx tells us “We don't have to accept in the 21st century that we continue to succumb to infectious diseases”.
For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips/
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Dr. Deborah Birx will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming GBAC Symposium on Air Considerations in Chicago on August 16 and 17, 2022. The Symposium is focused on improving the quality of indoor air in non-healthcare settings. Dr. Birx will talk about that in the context of COVID, and Monkey Pox, outlining effective innovations that are available for use today.
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This is the second part of our recent discussion with Daniel Pollack.
Daniel retired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2021 after a 37-year career.
Last time on episode 37 we spoke with Dr. Pollock about his career path at CDC, the launching of the National Healthcare Safety Network, and lessons learned from designing the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance data collection and measurement programs.
Today, on episode 38 Dan reflects on his 37-year career at CDC, the COVID response, and how we can most accurately and effectively record the history of COVID for the benefit of future generations.
For full show notes and links, visit https://DeepDive.tips.
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Daniel Pollock retired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2021 after a 37-year career during which he worked as a medical epidemiologist in the agency's infectious diseases, informatics, injury prevention, and environmental health programs.
From 2004 - 2021, Dr. Pollock led the CDC unit responsible for national surveillance of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use and resistance. This is known as the National Healthcare Safety Network, or NHSN.
In the spring of 2020, he served in CDC's COVID-19 emergency response as Deputy Incident Manager for data and surveillance.
This is the first of a two-part discussion with Daniel.
On this episode, we talk with Dr. Pollock about his career path at CDC, the launching of the National Healthcare Safety Network, and lessons learned from designing the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance data collection and measurement programs.
For full show notes and links, visit https://DeepDive.tips.
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We all know the story of Sir Alexander Fleming’s accidental discovery of penicillin. Similarly, the X-Ray, Insulin, and many more medical and scientific breakthroughs can be traced back to “happy accidents”. Each time the scientist attempted to do something else, found an odd thread and pulled it. Had they not seen it, or decided not to pull it, our modern human experience would have been drastically different.
These types of anomalies and variations happen all the time. But we don’t always embrace them. In fact, many of us go out of our way to avoid them altogether. And when they do occur, we may be reluctant to be “distracted” by them. Much of our culture values focus and simplicity. “Eyes on the prize”, “Keep it Simple Stupid”, and all that.
But how many penicillins, X-rays, and insulins remain undiscovered because of our “efficiency”?
Today’s guest takes a different approach. Anna Dumitriu is an award-winning British artist who works with BioArt, sculpture, installation, and digital media to explore our relationship to infectious diseases, synthetic biology, and robotics. Anna prefers to “reveal the strangeness” of things… to help us confront the unusual and uncomfortable … to acknowledge the complexity and the beauty around us.
Anna’s curiosity and her drive to confront the complexities of our world have taken her on a truly fascinating journey. She’s edited genes with CRISPR, extracted DNA from killed Yesinia pestis bacteria for her Plague Dress, explored the ethics of artificial intelligence, and much more. Anna calls this “unnecessary research” and she believes it creates opportunities for discovery. It puts her and her colleagues in a place where happy accidents are more likely to occur.
We explore why and how Anna does what she does. How her path evolved and led to working side-by-side with scientists in the lab. And why you just might want to consider doing a bit more unnecessary research in your next project.
For full show notes and links, visit: https://deepdive.tips/
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Dr. Mark Hernandez is a registered professional civil engineer and an expert on the characterization and control of bioaerosols indoors and out. He runs a research lab that assesses the efficacy of new disinfection practices for the military, industrial hygiene, and sanitary engineering sectors. He’s the lead inventor on several patents that support various start-up companies. He’s worked side-by-side with some of the greatest minds in the industry throughout his educational career.
But, before all of that, Mark was a street kid whose path could have been much different. In his words, “education saved my life”.
On this episode, we discuss Mark’s journey from street kid to sought-after scientist who’s been making a difference the entire way. And we explore how his background and career have made him a champion of diversity, and a mentor to the underrepresented within the scientific community.
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Jon Adkins is Senior Vice President at ISSA - The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association.
We discuss:
- The mechanics of hosting a large tradeshow during a pandemic.
- Leaning on the GBAC STAR accreditation program to help them pull it off – The Las Vegas Convention Center and cleaning service contractor, United Service Companies are both GBAC STAR accredited. Resort World and the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport are too.
- Driving membership growth in ISSA, which already includes 10,500 members in 105 countries.
- The rapid growth of the GBAC STAR Accreditation program.
- Supporting ISSA members in driving new commercial opportunities and emphasizing the value of clean through a $5 million multi-channel media investment.
Learn more: ISSA - The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association
Or, on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram
This episode was recorded live at ISSA Show 2021 in Las Vegas. Check out all our conversations from the show here: https://deepdive.tips/index.php/2021/11/30/conversations-at-issa-2021/
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Rachel Olsavicky is Regional Marketing Manager, Commercial & Public Interest at Essity
Tom Bergin is Healthcare Marketing Director at Essity Professional Hygiene.
Nancy Farrell is Senior Product Manager for the Tork Vision Cleaning Service.
We discuss:
Tork Interactive Clean Hospital Training: A free, Interactive training for optimal cleaning results in hospital environments. Virtual Reality (VR) Hand Hygiene Training: A free, immersive training based on My Five Moments of Hand Hygiene from W.H.O. The Tork Vision Cleaning Service an IoT facility management solution that helps you track people movement and supply levels throughout your facilities. How real-time usage data helps you better plan and service your facility. How historical data will tell you a new story about your facility and processes over time. Working with customers to give data meaning. Why we need to move away from fire-fighting and get proactive about the future of safe and clean facilities....
Learn more: https://www.torkusa.com/
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This episode was recorded live at ISSA Show 2021 in Las Vegas. Check out all our conversations from the show here: https://deepdive.tips/index.php/2021/11/30/conversations-at-issa-2021/
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Gunner Lyslo is the founder and CEO at Surfacide.
We discuss:
Surfacide Eos™ - a new UVC disinfection modality that is geared primarily outside of the healthcare vertical. A recent University of Iowa study that demonstrated the efficacy of Surfacide’s technology against SARS-CoV-2. Bringing evidenced-based solutions for infection prevention from healthcare to other industries. The new obligation for all organizations to provide a safe environment for their patrons and staff....
Learn more at https://www.surfacide.com/
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This episode was recorded live at ISSA Show 2021 in Las Vegas. Check out all our conversations from the show here: https://deepdive.tips/index.php/2021/11/30/conversations-at-issa-2021/
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Tim Burns is Vice President – Facility Care Corporate Accounts at Ecolab.
We discuss:
Ecolab’s Peroxide Multi-Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant that’s nominated for an ISSA innovation award. It’s a three in one product that can be used as a multi-surface cleaner, a glass cleaner, and a disinfectant. The focus on cost and efficiency for offices operating at low capacities. The current struggles with labor… everywhere. Cleaning in the open because your customers want to see it....
UPDATE: Ecolab Inc.’s Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant was nominated for an ISSA Innovation Award and won the Residential Cleaning Choice Award!
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Learn more: https://www.ecolab.com/
This episode was recorded live at ISSA Show 2021 in Las Vegas. Check out all our conversations from the show here: https://deepdive.tips/index.php/2021/11/30/conversations-at-issa-2021/
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Jim Arbogast is Vice President, Hygiene Sciences & Public Health Advancements at GOJO, makers of PURELL™.
We discuss:
The importance of providing a great user experience with hand sanitizers and surface cleaners. Delivering on the main promise and eliminating trade-offs. Feel, smell, contact time, dry time, residue, etc. are critical in getting people to use products and use them correctly. The experience becomes even more important with the heightened usage of hand sanitizers and surface cleaners during the pandemic. How to integrate guidance like My Five Moments of Hand Hygiene from W.H.O. into our lives to get the maximum protection with the minimum disruption (i.e., you don’t have to wash your hands 1,000 times per day – you just have to wash them at the right moments). Protecting against human norovirus....
Learn more: https://www.GOJO.com/
Facebook, Twitter @PURELL, LinkedIn, or PURELL Brand on YouTube.
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This episode was recorded live at ISSA Show 2021 in Las Vegas. Check out all our conversations from the show here: https://deepdive.tips/index.php/2021/11/30/conversations-at-issa-2021/
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