How are infection preventionists gearing up for IIPW 2025? In this episode, co-hosts Lerenza Howard and Kelly Holmes welcome guests from APIC’s Communications Committee Michelle Swetky and Tammy Cunningham who share creative tools, engaging activities, and superhero-inspired themes to unite and empower IPs. Join us and Stand UPPP — Unite, Prevent, Protect, Prevail — for infection prevention!
Hosted by:
Kelly Holmes, MS, CIC, FAPIC and Lerenza Howard, MHA, CIC, LSSGB
About our Guests
Tammy Cunningham, MBA, BSN RN, CIC
Tammy Cunningham, MBA, BSN RN, CIC, is the Infection Prevention Manager at AdventHealth Kansas City Region, overseeing the Infection Prevention programs at three acute care hospitals and two free standing Emergency Departments. She worked as an Intensive Care nurse and Neonatal Intensive Care nurse until 2019 when she began her career in infection prevention, just in time for the worldwide pandemic.
Tammy is active in the Greater Kansas City APIC chapter, having served two terms as the chapter Treasurer, and is currently a member of the APIC Communications Committee.
Tammy is board certified in infection control, and is passionate about preventing infections in patients, especially CAUTIs, CLABSIs, and C. difficile infections.
“I always say that infection prevention is a team sport and everyone is involved at every level… all of these resources are meant to bring everyone together with our one common goal of keeping patients and all our healthcare workers safe.”
Tammy Cunningham
Michelle Swetky, MPH, CIC, FAPIC
Michelle Swetky, MPH, CIC, FAPIC, is an Infection Preventionist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA. Michelle has a decade of infection prevention experience in acute and ambulatory care, with extensive experience in an oncology setting. She is passionate about expanding the field of infection prevention into the ambulatory setting and across the continuum of care.
Michelle has served as the Chairman of Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Infection Prevention & Control group (C3IC) from 2021-2023 and is a current member on the APIC Communications Committee.
Michelle received her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Michigan. She has been certified in infection prevention and control (CIC) since 2016 and became an APIC Fellow (FAPIC) in 2023.
“We wanted to create these tools that they can just grab and go and bring it to their frontline staff… every day of the week has a theme associated with one of the words, like Monday’s unite, Tuesday prevent… and every day there’s a message for IPs.”
Michelle Swetky