Let's Talk ID

IDSA CEO Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, FIDSA, hosts IDSA board members Ronald Nahass, MD, MHCM, FIDSA, Wendy Armstrong, MD, FIDSA, and Max Brito, MD, MPH, FIDSA, to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the field of infectious diseases. From defending vaccine science to strengthening the ID workforce and growing membership, the group shares how IDSA is responding to today’s health care challenges and preparing for the future.

Host Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, and guest Rebeca Plank, MD, MPH, return for another Let’s Talk ID draft, this time, sharing infectious diseases “love/hates.” They discuss the tools, tests and clinical strategies that inspire both enthusiasm and hesitation in everyday ID practice, and what these mixed feelings reveal about how the field continues to evolve.

Host Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, is joined by pediatric infectious diseases fellows to explore what it takes to be an effective vaccine advocate, from patient conversations to policymaking. They discuss the importance of clear communication, building trust, and advancing policies that protect equitable access to vaccines.Become an advocate: www.idsociety.org/MAPID/HIV Advocate Learning Series: https://academy.idsociety.org/content/become-idhiv-advocate-learning-series

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, sits down with Patrick Passarelli, MD, a med-peds ID physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and ID editor for theMednet, to explore how clinicians can get expert guidance beyond AI. They dive into the origins of theMednet, what makes a great clinical question, and how this growing community of medical experts is shaping practice.

In a special encore presentation in honor of Black History Month, Let’s Talk ID host and IDSA Board member Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, speaks with HIVMA Chair Allison Agwu, MD, ScM, FIDSA, HIVMA Immediate Past Chair Michelle Cespedes, MD, MS, and Darrell McBride, DO, about their experiences as Black infectious diseases physicians.

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, sits down with infectious disease and critical care physician, Matthew Brigmon, MD, of the University of Texas at San Antonio, to explore his unique path as a double-boarded physician. They discuss the challenges and rewards of combining the two specialties and share guidance for trainees interested in forging a career in ID Critical Care.

Host Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, and former CDC director Demetre Daskalakis MD, MPH, explore the current state of public health. They discuss how political pressures and weakened infrastructure have left the system vulnerable, and how this moment could spark a public health “renaissance."

Let's Talk ID hosts, Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA and Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA reunite live at IDWeek 2025 to share their hottest takes on infectious diseases and public health. They discuss the controversial dismantling of CDC, exciting breakthroughs in treating staph aureus bacteremia, and shifts that could shape the future of the field.

Ana Velez, MD, FACP, joins Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, to share how her passion for art fuels her work in infectious diseases, from teaching through medical illustrations to using her art to give back to the ID community. Dr. Velez reveals the inspirations behind her work and how creativity brings new meaning to medicine. She also discusses her latest series of paintings that she is donating to the IDSA Foundation's Art Auction.Bid now to own one of Dr. Velez's paintings: https://givebutter.com/c/pclXSb/auction

Anna Person, MD, FIDSA, discusses the role of street medicine in improving access to HIV services and opportunities to support SM programs under Medicaid with Nathan Nolan, MD, MPH, MPHE, Founder of Street Medicine STL and Chris Menschner, Director, Complex Care Programs at the Center for Health Care Strategies.

Bruce Gellin, MD, MPH, FIDSA, ID physician and senior advisor at the Georgetown University Global Health Institute, joins Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, to discuss the Vaccine Integrity Project and the importance of ensuring vaccine policy remains grounded in evidence. The two explore strategies for countering misinformation, building public trust, and empowering health care professionals to engage in constructive conversations about immunization.

Judy Guzman-Cottrill, DO, Professor of Pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University, and John Brooks, MD, former CDC medical officer, rejoin Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, to discuss the impact of federal funding cuts, including the return of preventable diseases, the loss of mental health resources, and what can be done to protect the progress made toward health equity.

In this two-part series, Judy Guzman-Cottrill, DO, Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases at Oregon Health and Science University, and John Brooks, MD,  former CDC medical officer and epidemiologist, join Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, to discuss the real-time consequences of federal funding cuts on public health. From dismantled community partnerships to stalled clinical trials, the three examine how these decisions are reshaping pandemic preparedness, and what we risk losing next.

ID physicians Priya Nori, MD, FSHEA, FIDSA, and Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, FACP, FSHEA, FIDSA, join Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, to discuss challenges often faced by ID specialists, including gaslighting and uncompensated labor. The three discuss how physicians can advocate for themselves, set boundaries, and push for meaningful change within their institutions.Are We Being Gaslit? A Primer for Recognizing Corporate Jargon to Overcome Gaslighting for the Infectious Disease Workforce: https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaf097/8056053Minimizing Low-Value, Uncompensated Work in Academic Infectious Diseases: A 6-Step Program: https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/78/6/1656/7610959

Infectious diseases fellow Sam Peterson, MD, shares her unique journey to ID with Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS. The two explore the power of mentorship, the value of storytelling, and what it takes to inspire the next generation of ID specialists. 

John Fangman, MD, discusses threats to the Affordable Care Act and how they could impact people with HIV with JoAnn Volk, MA, research professor, founder, and co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and Tim Horn, Director, Medication Access at NASTAD. 

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, is joined by infectious diseases physicians and international medical graduates, Vidya Sundareshan, MD, and Alfredo Mena Lora, MD, FIDSA, to discuss how international medical graduates (IMGs) can pursue a career in infectious diseases. The trio discuss visa options, job search strategies, and how political change could impact the process.

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, speaks with Adam Ratner, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital and Bellevue Hospital Center, about his book, "Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles" and the rise of vaccine preventable diseases. 

Anna Person, MD discusses threats to the Medicaid program and how they could impact people with HIV with Kate McManus, MD, MSc, FIDSA, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health and Amy Killelea, JD, Assistant Research Professor at the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) and consultant to the HIV Medicine Association.  

IDSA Board Member Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, discusses public health forecasting and response efforts with Lior Rennert, PhD, director of the Center for Public Health Modeling and Response at Clemson University, and Dylan George, PhD, director of CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA). 

IDSA Board Member Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, Former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, FIDSA, and VP of Health Programs at the Carter Center, Kashef Ijaz, MD, MPH, discuss the legacy of Former President Jimmy Carter, his work addressing neglected tropical diseases and the impact and value of public advocacy and political support for these diseases. 

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, is joined by Varun Phadke, MD, and Daniel Minter, MD, co-creators of CID's new series, "Clinical Dilemmas in Infectious Diseases," which guides readers through challenging clinical management decisions in infectious diseases.Click here to learn more about submitting to the Clinical Dilemmas in Infectious Diseases series.Click here to read the first Clinical Dilemmas in Infectious Diseases papers. 

Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, is joined by Sustainabil-ID co-founders, Preeti Jaggi, MD, and Shreya Doshi, MD, to discuss how ID can address issues of sustainability.

IDSA President Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP, discusses the 2024-2025 respiratory illness season with Brendan Jackson, MD, MPH, Director of the Office of Readiness, Response and Operations at the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

From treatment of strep pharyngitis to clinical trials, ID physicians and long-time friends Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, Jason Newland, MD, MEd, FPIDS and Jeffrey Gerber, MD, PhD, give their hot takes.

In 2020, with funding from CDC, IDSA launched the Real-Time Learning Network, a website that provided timely information about COVID-19 pandemic to clinicians and the public. In this episode, medical editors of the Real-Time Learning Network recount their experiences building the project from the ground up and discuss lessons learned for the future.

Recorded onsite at IDWeek 2024 in Los Angeles, the hosts of Let's Talk ID and Febrile discuss what they value most about the conference, including the opportunities to support ID workforce development.

2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the West African Ebola epidemic that took the lives of 11,000 people. In this episode, IDSA President Steven K. Schmitt, MD, FIDSA speaks with Arjun Srinivasan, MD, Deputy Director for Program Improvement in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the CDC, and Angela Hewlett, MD, MS, FIDSA, Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Nebraska and the George W. Orr MD and Linda Orr Chair in Health Security, about their experiences on the frontline.

HIV specialist and former punk rock musician, Eamonn Vitt, MD, joins Paul Sax MD, FIDSA, to discuss running a small private practice in NYC and his efforts to seek lower drug costs for his patients.

More than 200,000 cases of syphilis were reported in the U.S. in 2022, the highest number of cases since the 1950s. In this episode, pediatric ID physician Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, speaks to Laura Bachmann, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer in the Division of STD prevention at the CDC, about attributing factors and what providers can do to address this rising epidemic.

John Fangman, MD discusses opportunities for Medicaid program to cover health-related social needs, such as housing, nutrition and transportation with Katie Garfield, JD, Director of the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School’s Whole Person Care initiative and Michelle Collins-Ogle, MD, Director Montefiore Adolescent & Youth Sexual-health Clinic and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.See the companion Reimagining Medicaid, How Medicaid Can Help Address Social Determinants of Health Fact Sheet.

Anna Person, MD, FIDSA discusses opportunities to work with Medicaid managed care plans to optimize HIV care with Jenny Babcock, Senior Vice President for Medicaid Policy and Director of Strategic Operations at Association for Community Affiliated Plans and, Doug Wirth, President and CEO of Amida Care.Engaging Medicaid Managed Care Plans on HIV Access Helping Medicaid Patients Access Their HIV Medications Fact Sheet. 

John Fangman, MD discusses how providers can engage with their state Medicaid programs to reduce barriers to HIV medications with Kate McManus, MD, MSc, FIDSA, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health and Ryan Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor with the Division of Infectious Disease at the University of Wisconsin and Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist for Communicable Diseases for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. See the companion Helping Medicaid Patients Access Their HIV Medications Fact Sheet. 

Anna Person, MD, FIDSA discusses Medicaid basics and how the program helps people with HIV with Lindsey Dawson, MPP, Associate Director of HIV Policy and Director of LGBTQT Health at KFF, and Wendy Armstrong, MD FIDSA, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Vice Chair of Education and Integration at the Emory University School of Medicine. See the companion fact sheet Understanding Why Medicaid Matters for People with HIV.

IDSA Board member Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, discusses the importance of advocacy, including how IDSA and HIVMA members can get involved, with chair and vice chair of IDSA’s advocacy captain subcommittee, Rachel Bender Ignacio, MD, MPH, FIDSA, and Kinna Thakarar, DO, MPH, FIDSA, as well as IDSA senior vice president of public policy and government relations, Amanda Jezek, and HIVMA executive director, Andrea Weddle. 

As IDSA increases its involvement with state and regional ID societies, IDSA President Steven Schmitt, MD, FIDSA, discusses their value with Immediate Past President Daniel P. McQuillen, MD, FIDSA, President of the Michigan Infectious Diseases Society Anu Malani, MD, FIDSA, and Former President of the Texas ID Society Brad Cutrell, MD, FIDSA. 

Mati Hlatshwayo Davis discusses the latest information on avian influenza with Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Andrew Bowman, DVM, PhD, a veterinarian, epidemiologist and influenza expert at Ohio State University, and Katelyn Jetelina, MPH, PhD, an epidemiologist and data scientist.  *This episode was recorded on May 21, 2024.

ID physician Courtney Harris, MD, FACP, speaks to Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, about her experience job hunting as an ID fellow and provides tips on how to find your dream job in infectious diseases.  

CID editor-in-chief Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, speaks with ID physician Darcy Wooten, MD, FIDSA, about her piece in CID's Voices of ID series, "The Arrivals Gate at Heathrow Airport" and the parallel between rom coms and ID. 

In a new crossover episode with the Febrile podcast, host Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, and Febrile creator and infectious diseases physician, Sara Dong, MD, discuss the power of digital education tools on infectious diseases training.

Host Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, director of health for the city of St. Louis, discusses the clade I mpox response with guests Jennifer McQuiston, DVM, and Agam Rao, MD, FIDSA of the CDC.

Host Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, sits down with filmmaker Michael Graziano to discuss his projects on antimicrobial resistance and the power of film in widening people's perspectives.Holobiome: https://www.small-r.com/holobiome

In honor of Black History Month, Let’s Talk ID host and IDSA Board member Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, talks with HIVMA Chair Allison Agwu, MD, ScM, FIDSA, HIVMA Immediate Past Chair Michelle Cespedes, MD, MS, and HIVMA Board member Darrell McBride, DO, about their experiences as Black infectious diseases physicians.

Host Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, is joined by Libby Hohmann, MD, FIDSA, an ID specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, director of the Fecal Microbiota Transplant Lab and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, to discuss the innovative field of microbiome-based therapy, including the latest therapeutics, efficacy in treating COVID-19 and advice on treating patients with C. diff.

Let's Talk ID is joining forces with the Curbsiders and the Cribsiders to discuss RSV immunizations! In this crossover episode, host Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS shares the latest on RSV immunizations, including mechanisms of action, eligibility criteria, and challenges surrounding finding doses this season. 

Gretchen Arnoczy, MD, speaks to host Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, about her contribution to CID’s Voices of ID series, Mothers Days, which recounts her COVID-19 professional experience through the lens of four consecutive Mothers’ Days. 

IDSA President Steven Schmitt, MD, FIDSA, Vera Luther, MD, FIDSA and Emily Blumberg, MD, FIDSA analyze the results of the recent ID Match and discuss IDSA’s strategies for bolstering the ID workforce. 

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA speaks with Abayomi Agbebi, MD, MPH, CWSP of SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital about his recently published piece in CID's "Voices of ID" series, "Dealing with a Pandemic When You're the Only ID Doctor in Town."

IDSA President Steven Schmitt, MD, FIDSA, Wendy Armstrong, MD, FIDSA, Erin Bonura, MD, FIDSA, discuss the upcoming ID Match, their projections, what it means for the field and how IDSA is addressing ID workforce needs.

In his final President's Podcast, IDSA President Carlos del Rio, MD, FIDSA speaks with Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, Acting Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, about his career path as an infectious diseases physician, how the U.S. can end the HIV epidemic and what he plans to discuss during his Joseph E. Smadel lecture at IDWeek 2023.