In this episode of Beyond the Surface, Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner shares what it was like to spend 14 hours as a patient in a busy hospital emergency department. From observing cleaning practices to noticing gaps in infection prevention and staff training, Gavin offers a rare dual perspective—both as a healthcare safety expert and as someone receiving care. Together with host Linda, they discuss the unseen risks patients and families should be aware of, the importance of environmental services in infection control, and how a culture of safety must extend beyond patients to include staff, equipment, and the built environment.

In this episode, we sit down with Iris Verdi, Director of Strategic Accounts for Healthcare at KBS, to explore the critical role of environmental services in patient safety.

With more than 25 years of experience in hospital operations and EVS leadership, Iris shares how the focus in healthcare has shifted from “looking clean” to ensuring true disinfection and compliance. She opens up about the ongoing challenge of balancing patient flow with thorough cleaning, her personal experience as a patient in an unclean hospital environment, and why empowering frontline staff is key to infection prevention. From operating rooms to emergency departments, Iris highlights the need for better training, leadership engagement, and investment in cleaning as part of quality care.

Whether you’re a healthcare professional, facilities leader, or patient advocate, this candid conversation underscores why clean environments save lives.

In this insightful conversation, Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, trained epidemiologist and senior director of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), joins Linda to explore the critical gap between regulatory compliance and real-world cleaning practices.

From navigating FDA requirements to addressing on-the-ground challenges in hospitals, Gavin shares stories from the front lines—including a transformative project in Fiji that reduced hospital-acquired infections through practical, measurable solutions. The discussion also dives into the complexities of cleaning medical devices, mattresses, and other high-touch surfaces, and how shifting from a culture of fear to a culture of safety can drive lasting change in infection prevention.

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Biofilm may be invisible, but its impact on patient safety is anything but. In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Rodney E. Rohde returns to discuss how biofilm forms, why it's so resilient, and the critical role surfaces play in infection prevention. From bulletproof microbial communities to overlooked environmental factors like drywall and fabric, this conversation dives deep into the science—and the solutions—behind safer healthcare environments. Plus, learn why no single disinfectant is enough, and how collaborative, multimodal strategies are key to protecting patients, families, and staff.

What does it take to truly validate cleaning in healthcare? Join Linda Lybert and KleenMark COO Mike Staver as they reveal how real-world data and rigorous protocols are raising the bar for infection control and patient safety. This eye-opening episode dives into the science and strategy behind effective healthcare cleaning, spotlighting KleenMark’s rigorous case study and the critical role of data-backed practices in transforming outcomes.

Cleaning and disinfecting medical devices and patient care equipment is challenging at best. In this segment, Barbara Strain and Linda Lybert discuss the case study “Surface disinfection incompatibility with medical devices creates potential patient risks.” This deep dive provided key insights and gaps that need to be addressed.

Did you know that 1 in 20 people who seek medical care will acquire an infection completely unrelated to what they sought care for? In this podcast, Jeanine Thomas, shares her HAI survivor story after battling multiple life-altering infections. She has taken her experience and turned it into advocacy as a founder of the MRSA Survivors Network.

Glossary of Terms:
• HAIs, or Healthcare Associated Infections, are infections that a person acquires entirely unrelated to the original reason for seeking treatment.
• C. difficile - Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a bacterium that can lead to diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. It is a common cause of diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - infection is caused by staph bacteria that has become resistant to many antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections.

Understanding basic microbiology is critical in the battle against Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs). Join Linda Lybert and Dr. Rodney Rohde as they discuss the acquisition and transmission of microbes.

Additional Resources:

• Why Surface Materials Matter
• Saving Lives in the Shadows of Healthcare | Rodney E. Rohde | TEDxTexasStateUniversity
• Hear more from Dr. Rodney E. Rohde
• Publications from Dr. Rodney E. Rohde