This package includes the CE evaluations and CE credits for each individual podcast episode. You can register for the individual episode evaluations if you plan to complete fewer than three.
Forget everything you ever read in a textbook when it comes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and sepsis complications – because they rarely play by the rules. They evolve, adapt, and strike before it’s too late. While classic symptoms like fever, tachycardia, and hypotension are well known, the real challenge lies in recognizing the unexpected to reduce your mental list of those unknown, unknowns.
Hosted by Critical Care RN & CNS Author Nicole Kupchik, The Sepsis Spectrum is an exploration of real-world patient cases, expert insights, and clinical deep dives to unravel the most complex presentations facing modern medicine. Through gripping stories and in-depth interviews, Nicole examines diagnostic challenges, cutting-edge treatments, and the growing threat of AMR.
Designed for healthcare professionals at every level, The Sepsis Spectrum is about leaving you with more than compelling stories—it’s a vital resource in podcast form. Whether you’re at the bedside or in the classroom, you’ll finish each episode with practical, life-saving knowledge—and earn free CE Contact Hours for nurses along the way.
The fight against sepsis and AMR starts with recognition — because the most dangerous threats are the ones you don’t see coming.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the series, the learner should be able to:
Identify the public health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and describe the relationship between infection prevention, AMR, and sepsis;
Assess the interconnections between humans, animals, and the environment in relation to AMR and sepsis;
Apply recommendations for recognizing, diagnosing, and treating AMR and sepsis in outpatient and pre-hospital settings;
Analyze the consequences of healthcare-acquired infections involving multi-drug-resistant organisms and discuss strategies for their prevention;
Describe the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration among infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and sepsis teams in enhancing early detection, appropriate treatment, and improved outcomes in infectious disease management;
Explore innovations in AMR and sepsis diagnostics and treatments, with a focus on how they aim to personalize patient care;
Evaluate how quality improvement and patient safety practices address healthcare-acquired infections, multidrug-resistant organisms, and sepsis;
Implement best practices for care coordination and transitions of care discharge planning, with an emphasis on AMR and antimicrobial stewardship in post-sepsis patient care;
Consider specific care needs and best practices for managing AMR and sepsis in specialty populations, including pediatric, maternal, and immunocompromised patients.
Target audience:
All healthcare professionals and healthcare students including nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, infectious disease and prevention specialists, scientists, and researchers, sepsis coordinators, sepsis data & quality professionals, healthcare executives and leadership, nursing and medical school deans & faculty, professional healthcare organizations, healthcare advocates, government, and industry.
Episode 1 of The Sepsis Spectrum: Microbial Mysteries Podcast.
Unpack the critical links between infection, antimicrobial resistance, and sepsis with host Nicole Kupchik, and learn how together, they’re placing intense strain on public health systems, communities, and the broader social factors that shape health and well-being. Joined by sepsis and infection prevention leaders Pat Posa and Dr. Cindy Hou, this episode explores how preventing infections before they happen remains one of the most effective strategies to reduce AMR and decrease sepsis risk across all care settings—from hospitals to home-based care. Major global health events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, have dramatically reshaped the landscape, exposing weaknesses in infection control and accelerating AMR challenges. As these challenges grow, education and public awareness have become essential tools. Essential for clinicians, sepsis coordinators, infection preventionists, and anyone across the continuum of care focused on quality improvement and reducing patient harm.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner should be able to:
Describe the interconnected burden of infection, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and sepsis on public health, population health, and social determinants of health
Describe how infection prevention serves as a critical strategy in sepsis prevention across the healthcare continuum
Analyze the impact of global health events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on antimicrobial resistance and sepsis outcomes
Identify the challenges healthcare professionals face in addressing sepsis, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), and AMR
Restate the importance of education and awareness tools, such as podcasts, in bridging gaps in healthcare knowledge and promoting actionable change related to sepsis, AMR, and health equity.
Target Audience:
Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.
Guests:
Pat Posa RN, BSN, MSA, CCRN-K, FAAN
Quality and Patient Safety Program Manager
UH/CVC, Michigan Medicine
Pat Posa, RN, BSN, MSA, CCRN, FAAN, is the Quality and Safety Program Manager for the Hospital Medicine Safety Consortium (HMS) providing clinical oversight for the quality improvement work. She most recently was the Quality and Patient Safety Program Manager for the Adult Hospitals at Michigan Medicine. In her role, she was responsible for development, measurement, and sustainability of the Adult Hospitals’ Quality and Patient Safety program.
Pat has been involved in the development and implementation of sepsis programs in multiple hospitals, was faculty for the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, Sepsis on the Wards Collaborative, and was part of the team that worked with the CDC to develop the Core Elements for Hospital Sepsis Programs.
Cindy Hou, DO, MA, MBA, FACOI, FACP, FIDSA
Infection Control Officer and Medical Director of Research
Jefferson Health – New Jersey
Cindy Hou, DO, MA, MBA, CIC, CPHQ, CPPS, FACOI, FACP, FIDSA, FAPIC, is the Infection Control Officer and Medical Director of Research for Jefferson Health – New Jersey and an Infectious Diseases specialist. She has expertise in sepsis, antibiotic stewardship, infection control, patient safety, clinical quality, equity, and language access.
Dr. Hou is the Chief Medical Officer of Sepsis Alliance and a member of its Board of Directors. She earned her M.B.A. and M.A. from Boston University, a D.O. from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, and her B.S. from Yale University.
Dr. Hou is the principal investigator for an Office of Minority Health grant to reduce inequities in those with limited English proficiency. She is the co-editor of the book, “COVID-19 Viral Sepsis: Impact on Disparities, Disability, and Health Outcomes.”
Dr. Hou has a Certification in Infection Prevention and Control, is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, and is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety. Dr. Hou is a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists, American College of Physicians, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
CE Information:
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17068 for 0.9 contact hours.
Other healthcare professionals will receive 0.75 participation contact hours for this episode.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information on or available through this site is intended for educational purposes only. Sepsis Alliance does not represent or guarantee that information on or available through this site is applicable to any specific patient’s care or treatment. The educational content on or available through this site does not constitute medical advice from a physician and is not to be used as a substitute for treatment or advice from a practicing physician or other healthcare professional. Sepsis Alliance recommends users consult their physician or healthcare professional regarding any questions about whether the information on or available through this site might apply to their individual treatment or care.
Episode 2 of The Sepsis Spectrum: Microbial Mysteries Podcast.
Can standard sepsis protocols catch what the gut already knows? In this conversation, Nicole sits down with Dr. Laura Kahn to explore how the microbiome could transform our understanding of sepsis, antimicrobial resistance, and upstream prevention. They dive into One Health thinking, gut-brain signaling, dysbiosis as an early disease marker, and why your patient’s toilet might someday replace lab work. A provocative look at the limits of protocolized medicine and the potential power of microbial diagnostics.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner should be able to:
Define the One Health concept;
Describe the relevance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the One Health framework;
Identify key health challenges that arise at the interface of human, animal, and environmental health, including shared risks and solutions;
Evaluate how implementing One Health best practices contributes to combating AMR at local and global levels;
Analyze the role of One Health in the prevention, identification, and management of infections and sepsis across different populations and settings;
List practical strategies that can be applied within one’s own clinical practice, organization, or community to support One Health and mitigate the threat of AMR.
Target Audience:
Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.
Guest:
Laura Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP, FACP
Co-Founder
One Health Initiative
Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP, FACP is a physician, policy researcher, educator, and author. For 17 years, she was a research scholar in the Program on Science and Global Security at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. Her education and training encompass nursing, medicine, public health, and public policy.
In April 2006, she published Confronting Zoonoses, Linking Human and Veterinary Medicine in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases which helped launch the One Health Initiative, a global movement promoting the health of all species by increasing communication and collaboration between human, animal, plant, environmental, and ecosystem health professionals.
Princeton University awarded her course, Hogs, Bats, and Ebola: An Introduction to One Health Policy, with a 250th Anniversary Fund for Innovation in Undergraduate Education. She converted the course into a free, online Coursera course, Bats, Ducks, and Pandemics: An Introduction to One Health Policy that enrolled over 9000 students from around the world from 2020 to 2023. It is now available on YouTube.
Dr. Kahn is the author of several books. The first, "Who's in Charge? Leadership during epidemics, bioterror attacks, and other public health crises", was originally published in 2009 by Praeger Security International. In 2020, a second edition was issued with a new preface discussing leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her second book, "One Health and the Politics of Antimicrobial Resistance", was published in June 2016 by Johns Hopkins University Press. Her third book, "One Health and the Politics of COVID-19", was published in October 2024 by Johns Hopkins University Press. She has written online columns for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and has published in many peer-reviewed journals.
A native of California, Dr. Kahn holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from UC Los Angeles, a doctorate in medicine from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, a master's degree in public health from Columbia University and a master's degree in public policy from Princeton University. Dr. Kahn is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. In 2007, the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Physicians awarded her with their highest honor, the Laureate Award. In 2014, the American Association of Public Health Physicians awarded her with a Presidential Award for Meritorious Service, and in 2016, the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (AVES) awarded her with their highest honor for her work in One Health: the K.F. Meyer-James H. Steele Gold Head Cane Award.
CE Information:
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17068 for 0.9 contact hours.
Other healthcare professionals will receive 0.75 participation contact hours for this session.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information on or available through this site is intended for educational purposes only. Sepsis Alliance does not represent or guarantee that information on or available through this site is applicable to any specific patient’s care or treatment. The educational content on or available through this site does not constitute medical advice from a physician and is not to be used as a substitute for treatment or advice from a practicing physician or other healthcare professional. Sepsis Alliance recommends users consult their physician or healthcare professional regarding any questions about whether the information on or available through this site might apply to their individual treatment or care.
Episode 3 of The Sepsis Spectrum: Microbial Mysteries Podcast.
Can pre-hospital teams catch sepsis before the hospital even sees it coming? Nicole sits down with EMS thought leader Eric Bauer to break down how tools like capnography, lactate testing, and passive leg raise are transforming early sepsis care. They dig into why respiratory rate matters more than we think, what end-tidal CO₂ can really tell us, and why protocols don’t have to mean tunnel vision. It’s a smart, field-tested look at sepsis, before the IV even starts.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the episode, the learner should be able to:
Identify key clinical signs and risk factors for recognizing infection and sepsis in pre-hospital settings, including outpatient and EMS environments;
Evaluate the role and limitations of point-of-care diagnostics and treatment modalities in supporting early sepsis recognition and antimicrobial decision-making in pre-hospital care;
Analyze the implications of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the pre-hospital setting and how emergency and transport personnel can contribute to antimicrobial stewardship;
Compare the challenges and clinical priorities across different pre-hospital care contexts—including 911 emergency response, interfacility transport, and post-discharge patient handoffs—to improve communication and care continuity for patients with suspected infections.
Target Audience:
Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.
Guest:
Eric Bauer, MBA, FP-C, CCP-C
Executive Director
FlightBridgeED
Eric Bauer, MBA, FP-C, CCP-C, is the guiding force behind FlightBridgeED, LLC. As CEO, he humbly brings over three decades of experience in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). His journey, especially in the Helicopter EMS (HEMS) space over the last 20 years, has been a path of quiet dedication. Eric has authored two best-selling books and delivered 90 national/international lectures and speaking engagements on emergency medical and critical care, hoping to shed light on complex topics for audiences worldwide.
Eric's voice reaches many through his writing and his podcast, which has been downloaded over 6 million times. His efforts have been acknowledged with a few industry awards, like the 2017 EMSWORLD Innovation Award for his work on ventilator management and the 2018 John Jordan Award for Excellence from the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association. In a unique honor, he was named an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Air & Surface Transport Nurses, marking a special moment as the first paramedic accorded this honor. Other recognitions include the 2023 NAEMT/JONES & Bartlett Learning Public Safety Group EMS Educator of the Year and the 2024 recipient of the Tim Hynes Award by the International College of Advanced Practice Paramedics.
Eric focuses on improving education and practices in EMS and critical care, striving to make a lasting, positive impact in the field.
CE Information:
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17068 for 0.6 contact hours.
Other healthcare professionals will receive 0.5 participation contact hours for this session.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information on or available through this site is intended for educational purposes only. Sepsis Alliance does not represent or guarantee that information on or available through this site is applicable to any specific patient’s care or treatment. The educational content on or available through this site does not constitute medical advice from a physician and is not to be used as a substitute for treatment or advice from a practicing physician or other healthcare professional. Sepsis Alliance recommends users consult their physician or healthcare professional regarding any questions about whether the information on or available through this site might apply to their individual treatment or care.
Episode 4 of The Sepsis Spectrum: Microbial Mysteries Podcast.
Hospital-onset sepsis presents a complex and urgent challenge at the intersection of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and clinical decision-making. Nicole welcomes Dr. Jennifer Gienstra and Dr. Emi Minejima to examine how HAIs contribute to both AMR and the development of sepsis within hospital settings—and why these cases often carry higher risks and worse outcomes. Together they'll explore key insights from recent literature, including the need for clearer definitions, refined metrics, and improved alignment with antimicrobial stewardship efforts. They will also dive into how diagnostic uncertainty, delayed recognition, and treatment hesitations can turn manageable infections into life-threatening events.
Learning Objective:
At the end of the session, the learner should be able to:
Describe the epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and how they contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the development of hospital-onset sepsis (HOS)
Analyze the key findings from the June 2024 CHEST publication on HOS and it’s relevance to infection control and antimicrobial stewardship strategies;
Evaluate the clinical implications of diagnostic and treatment delays, such as delayed rapid response activation or antibiotic administration in the progression of HAIs and HOS
Describe how to identify risk factors, interpret clinical data, and propose evidence-based interventions including antimicrobial stewardship for a clinical scenario involving HAIs, multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), and HOS.
List best practices to prevent, identify, and manage HAIs, MDROS, and HOS across different roles and while leveraging Antimicrobial Stewardship principles within the healthcare continuum.
Target Audience:
Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.
Guests:
Jennifer Gienstra, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences & Critical Care Medicine
University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus
Jennifer Ginestra, MD, MS received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2015, and completed her internal medicine residency training and pulmonary and critical care fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. During her time at Penn she obtained a Masters in health policy and patient outcomes research, and was a fellow in the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Safety. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine. She practices as an intensivist in the medical ICU at the University of Colorado Hospital, and is also health services researcher with funding from the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute. Her research aims to identify ways to improve care delivery and outcomes for patients who develop sepsis and respiratory failure in the hospital.
Emi Minejima, PharmD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy
Emi Minejima, PharmD, received her degree from University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy in 2005 and completed both her residency training in pharmacy practice and infectious diseases pharmacotherapy at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, Ca. After residency, she joined the faculty at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences where she is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy. Her clinical practice is based at Los Angeles General Medical Center where she helps run the antimicrobial stewardship program and is the director for PGY2 infectious diseases pharmacy residency program. Her research interests include S. aureus infections and optimizing the use of antibiotics to improve care for the medically underserved population.
CE Information:
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17068 for 0.6 contact hours.
Other healthcare professionals will receive 0.5 participation contact hours for this episode.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information on or available through this site is intended for educational purposes only. Sepsis Alliance does not represent or guarantee that information on or available through this site is applicable to any specific patient’s care or treatment. The educational content on or available through this site does not constitute medical advice from a physician and is not to be used as a substitute for treatment or advice from a practicing physician or other healthcare professional. Sepsis Alliance recommends users consult their physician or healthcare professional regarding any questions about whether the information on or available through this site might apply to their individual treatment or care.
