2026 APIC Conference Predictions with Erin McLean and Saskia Popescu

Erin McLean: Hello everyone and welcome to this year's APIC Predictions Conversations. If you're joining us again from last year, welcome back. If not, I am Dr. Erin McLean, a senior scientist with Clorox Healthcare on the Clinical and Scientific Affairs team. And I'm here again with the incredible Dr. Saskia Popescu, Assistant Professor Epidemiologist and CloroxPro spokesperson. And as you guessed it, we are talking about APIC. Which is happening this year in Nashville, Tennessee. So we're gonna talk about all the things that are creating buzz, topics that we wanna hear more about. And of course, we're leaving you with some advice on how to best navigate a conference of APIC’s magnitude. So without further ado, welcome Saskia.

Saskia Popescu: Thanks so much, Erin. It's so good to be back. I cannot believe this is our fourth year doing this. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I saw your name on the program. Are you presenting at APIC this year?

Erin: I am, before I even get into that, I will say this is one of my favorite free APIC things to do, so I'm very happy to be with you again. And yes, I am presenting again this year at APIC. This time it's in the IP Collaboration Lounge, which is in the exhibit hall. And my topic is More is Not Always Better Evidence-Based Approaches to Optimizing Environmental Hygiene. The conference session will take place on Monday, June 15th at 12:30 PM local time. So please mark your calendars and join me. It'll be an exciting time. You all know I'm a researcher at heart, so I'll be discussing and presenting different real world clinical and observational evidence to support standardized workflows to help everyone do their job a little bit easier. So I'm very excited about that. So speaking of topics and sessions, are there any particular topics that you think will really rise to the top at this year's conference?

Saskia: Oh, that's a good question. So I think first and foremost, we've got two outbreaks going on right now, hantavirus and Ebola. So I think that's probably gonna come up a lot. I'm very curious to see how much it dominates the conversation. But definitely we're gonna be talking hantavirus and Ebola. I also think we're gonna be seeing a lot about technology, really, AI specifically and how it's being integrated into healthcare, but also infection prevention. How can we make these resources and technologies work for us? Whether that's surveillance, research, policy writing, but also what are the limitations of it? I think we're gonna be hearing a lot about leadership, resilience, retention, how we are all doing right now, you know, post COVID, but also knowing that healthcare and public health is not easy work. So how are we working with each other and kind of, you know, keeping the community going. But also I think there's gonna be a lot of back to the basics. You know, everything has gotten very complicated. I just mentioned emerging infectious disease outbreaks and AI, but really thinking about our environment of care. Water incursions, ICRAs, ventilation, filtration, you know, I think everything from cleaning and disinfection to also how can we maintain compliance with things like IFU adherence. I think those are gonna be pretty significant talks this year.

Erin: I think those are all really great points. And a lot of what you talked about was mentioned at SHEA this past couple months ago, back in April. In one of those conversations was even the expansion of care beyond traditional acute care settings that was talked about a lot at SHEA and I'm wondering if it'll also be a popular topic at APIC this year. Really just the expansion to outpatient settings and ambulatory care settings. There was something that a speaker mentioned at SHEA and it has stuck with me since I heard it, and it’s pathogens don't care where care is delivered. And I thought that was such a solid reminder of the fact that infection prevention strategies and approaches really have to evolve with wherever patient care is taking place.

Saskia: Yeah, that's kind of like the IP version of, you know, disease knows no borders. I really love that.

Erin: Yeah, absolutely. I even wrote up a blog on it, it's on the Clorox Healthcare website. So there's again, just a lot of conversation, growing conversation around that topic. So nice to know what you're thinking and expecting to hear at APIC this year. So what are some topics that you think have, I don't know, silently faded to the background that you think should still be on people's radars?

Saskia: Yeah, it's tough. I mean, I think with the current landscape, if you would've asked me this two or three weeks ago, I would've said emerging infectious diseases. But now with those two outbreaks I mentioned, I am curious to see how some of the talks get pivoted around that, whether it's novel pathogens or kind of our threat awareness and landscape. But I also think that we're gonna be seeing a lot of conversations on those specific diseases and not necessarily all of the other ones. So I'm hopeful that, we'll, we'll see those pivots, but what I'm, you know, thinking that we may not see enough about are kind of these converging risks. If there's one thing I know about infection prevention If there's one thing I know about infection prevention is that we kind of deal with these really unique, weird situations and we're always having to be really creative in our innovations. So converging risks like travel and those infectious diseases. But also, I was just at a conference a few months ago where we were talking about infection prevention and control and anti-microbial resistance in conflict settings. And really thinking about how to take all these amazing tools we have into resource challenge environments. So we don't often see that in these conversations and at APIC, but I'm hopeful. You know, I think also things that we talk about all the time and probably don't wanna talk about more like C. diff, our number one HAI, and things like vaccine preventable diseases, but also really something I wish we'd talk more about education and training. You know, we have to do so much of this in IPC and yet we're really struggling to get people engaged and compliant and really, you know, hit the mark with that. So I think that this is a space that perhaps will build out more in the future. And I'm hoping I will be wrong and we will see more of it though.

Erin: Those are really great callouts. You mentioned high turnover. Of course, we always have to recognize the significant responsibility that so many IPs have, but I really do hope that despite the high staff turnover and the immense amount of work that everyone has to do, that research doesn't take so much of a backseat. I've seen a lot of research lately about how much time it actually takes to clean patient care areas efficiently. And I think we all work under the assumption that workflows are optimized, but I think there's a big difference between expectation and reality. And within that gap of expectation and reality, I think can lie some risk for pathogen transmission. And so any research that's dedicated to filling in some insight in that gap is something that I'm always excited to learn about. So I'm hoping, again, research is still a top priority. APIC usually comes out great with oral presentations and poster presentations that highlight the research of IPs and epidemiologists. So hopefully we'll see a lot of that this year too. So a little bit beyond the formal conference agenda. Is there anything in your real role today that really causes any challenges for you?

Saskia: Ooh, you know, I think for some time we've definitely been noticing challenges and it's very timely but emerging pathogens. What does continued readiness and hospital bio-preparedness mean with a fatigued and exhausted workforce? And I'm not just talking about IPs, but our healthcare workers, but also a public that's kind of like I don't wanna deal with another outbreak, and how do we communicate that? What does that actually translate to for our readiness and our efforts? So I think that's definitely one, you know, we've mentioned it a few times already, but understaffing and what that means for compliance and communication. But overall, just really improving infection prevention, knowing that we have retention challenges, we have burnout, fatigue, and you know, we're constantly having to reeducate folks. I think another one definitely is also blind spots in HAIs I think about C. diff a lot because C. diff is so reliant on rapid detection and isolation and communication of that. And sometimes that bridge can be somewhat broken. And I think those communication challenges are really more systemic and really reflect some of the hurdles that we face in infection prevention, some of the stuff that we're struggling with every single day. And it's not just about isolation, precautions and risk, but it's also adaptation. And you know, if we're wanting to bring in new technologies or processes, how do we communicate our needs? How do we communicate what those new resources are, both to leadership who have to sign the check, but also to our colleagues and our entire healthcare facility. So this is a space where I'm really leaning into, especially our experts, and I encourage everyone to stop by the CloroxPro booth to talk about some of those emerging texts, but also how to communicate them because I don't know about you if I see an amazing tool that I know is gonna help make my processes more efficient and effective, but I don't always have the best resources for how to communicate making it work and what it translates to really on the front lines. That's a tool I need. So this is a great strategy where your vendors can help support and they can help you communicate how it's going to make everyone's lives easier. Because if we understand it better, we're more likely to use it.

Erin: I think that's really interesting. You bring up really great points about the conference topics, even pivoting for hantavirus making way for C. auris which is always a big deal, but not forgetting about C. diff, which has been and should still be on people's radar. One of the biggest challenges that I've seen lately is how easy it is for workflows to get complicated when there are just way too many products in the mix. I don't know if you've ever seen how many products are actually on an EVS cart, but I was recently shown a few pictures and there were so many products, like I was actually taken aback by how many products were on those EVS carts. And it really made me think how decisions that should be really quick and confidently made can easily turn into something much harder than it has to be. In life, I know we'll have tough decisions to make, you know, but I don't think picking the right product and using it at the right time should be one of those decisions. So for me, I really think it's just important about normalizing and standardizing those workflows, getting people the right product in the right place and using the right process to execute. Well, you know, I could sit and talk to you all day, but I'm trying to respect your time and obviously the time of our viewers. So before we go, I did wanna ask you to share some of your best tips on how to navigate an APIC conference.

Saskia: I mean, APIC is such a fun space because it's an opportunity for all of us to just come together, nerd out together and really fill our cup. So some of the strategies I always employ is, first of all, take it all in, soak it in because you get a few days to just spend time with friends, colleagues, meet new people and learn about some amazing topics. So beyond, you know, soaking it all in, I say come with specific learning objectives. Is there something that you are struggling with this year? Is there a topic that you wanna learn more about and upskill? Are there people you wanna meet? And identify those and really focus on that, but then also make sure you're building some flexibility in. So my strategy is kind of, I pick some high level ones that are mission critical to what I wanna achieve or what I wanna overcome this year. And then I allow some free time. So that is either where I can network and relationship build or I can kind of go based on my mood. Am I feeling maybe I wanna go to an outbreak presentation or do I wanna learn, you know, about a really unique intervention with PPE? It's really, that gives you a little bit of that flexibility. And that's also important time for that relationship building that networking, meeting new people. But I also really encourage people to take advantage of the vendors that you have there because we don't always get the chance as IPs to talk one-to-one and ask about different options and opportunities for the challenges that we're facing, what solutions are available. And you can have that one-to-one time in a really nice environment where you can kind of field test some of the cool resources out there.

Erin: Oh no, that's great. You called out a couple things that I also would say, I think APIC is massive. It's exciting because it's literally one of the largest conferences I've ever been to. So I would absolutely agree meet people. I love that you're saying take time for yourself because it's a packed schedule and you can really get quickly caught up and going to back to back sessions and becoming exhausted. I would also add, this is a preference of mine, but going to those keynote talks that are in the morning, I think they are a great way to start your day. They're motivational, sometimes they're emotional, but they're always impactful and memorable. And I find it as a great way to kickstart my day before I jump into a day long full of sessions. I'm also really big on apps, taking notes in those apps, using AI tools to take notes for me in different sessions because everything is fresh and you know right on your mind when you're there. But when you get back home sometimes it's like, oh yeah, what did they say? I don't remember all the details of it. And I think APIC is just too great of a conference that has way too many gems for you to miss out on anything because you didn't take the right notes. So speaking of leaving the conference, do you have any advice on how to implement what people learn at APIC and how to actually use it when they get back home to their facilities?

Saskia: Yeah, that's such a great question 'cause I think the struggle we all have is you're at APIC and you are just so inspired and I get so many great ideas and then when I get home it's like, oh, now I have to translate them into action. Okay, here comes the hurdle. So I always tell people like, be reasonable about implementation. You know, progress isn't linear. So really a few things are, identify some clear takeaways, two to three, you know, be kind to yourself with this. Identify a timeline. Is it something that you want to implement or operationalize within a few months? Is this a year? Who do you need at the table? Who are your key stakeholders? Is this specific to a certain environment or an entire facility? And what are your KPIs, you know, your key performance indicators for this? Meaning like where do you wanna be in a couple of months with this? Or what is success defined for you? And I also wanna say this sounds very, very heavy and like a big burden on a project and we are all implementing projects. So I know my IPs are gonna be amazing and do it, but this can also be as simple as, I wanna take time every single day and catch up on IPC news or what's going on in the world of public health. It can be something that simple that you just wanna build into practice.

Erin: Oh, that's really good. I should have brought my notepad 'cause you're always giving me something that's like, oh yeah, that's good to know. I would totally agree. I really hope not only selfishly that people attend my IP Collaboration Lounge session, but also because I really am eager to provide practical ideas that they can actually use. A big part of what we do on my team within Clorox Healthcare as a part of the Clinical and Scientific Affairs team is really support infection preventionists with research backed evidence to support them in their day-to-day life. And so I'm really hoping there are some great nuggets that people can pull out of that session and take back with them to their facilities to help standardize their environmental cleaning and disinfection protocols. At the end of the day, I think the goal is so to make the work easier, more consistent and more manageable for everybody, so yeah.

Saskia: Absolutely.

Erin: Well, with that I thank you so much again, Saskia, for joining me for a fourth year in a row. We still look as great as ever. I couldn't have done this without you. Thank you all for attending and watching. Please share your thoughts and comments in the comment section. If you have any predictions, share them with us. We wanna hear about it. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you all in Nashville. If you attend my session, if you see me in passing or if you see me at the Clorox Healthcare booth, booth 1902, feel free to stop by and say hello. Until then, I'll see you in APIC.