USF Health Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine

06/27/2026

ID Podcasts is on TikTok! Dr. Richard Oehler shares his Top 5 infectious disease summer risks and how to stay safe and enjoy summer!
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8GejGLy/

Gompf's ID Pearls
Amoeba-Season.com

06/20/2026

A pediatrician looked at a newborn at a routine checkup, decided something was wrong, and sent the baby straight to the hospital. It turned out to be a deadly brain infection, caught before a single test came back.

Claire Unis, MD is a pediatrician, and this was her first year out of residency.

The mom asked her later, when she came to visit them in the hospital: how did you know? And the honest answer was that she didn't run a test first. She looked at the baby and something snagged. The swelling that isn't quite right, the rash that means something, the child who won't catch your eye and spark back at you. Years of training turn into a kind of vision that registers "this one is sick" before the labs can prove it. She caught an HSV encephalitis, a herpes infection of the newborn brain, on sight.

It is the part of medicine nobody puts on a chart. You spend years learning the science, and somewhere in there your eye gets trained too, until you can walk into a room and know in two seconds whether the person in front of you is in trouble.

When the mother asked how she knew, Claire put it simply:

"We know what sick looks like."

Listen to the full conversation on The Podcast by KevinMD. Link in the comments.

05/08/2026

05/11/2025

The 2025 Philip T. Gompf Award for Excellence in Infectious Diseases

The Philip T. Gompf Award for Excellence in Infectious Disease was established in honor of my son, Philip. In 2009, he lost his fight against amoebic meningitis. Since then, this award has been given to a graduate who exemplifies the qualities that I saw in him. He was intellectually curious, passionate about the greater good, and an outstanding scholar.

The recipient of this year’s award has excelled academically, demonstrating a strong interest and curiosity about infectious diseases, global health, and research from the beginning of medical school. He eagerly sought out opportunities to understand how research could enhance our knowledge of clinical disease and used his medical expertise to contribute to several infectious disease research projects. His work includes coauthoring manuscripts on COVID-19, vector-borne infections, and Staphylococcus aureus drug resistance. He also engaged in a research project on COVID-19 and CKD in Thailand during the summer of 2022 and volunteered at our USF Health Care clinic that serves refugees, where he operated the Food as Medicine program. Joshua is excited and grateful to start his next chapter as a general surgery resident at Louisiana State University of Medicine – New Orleans. In the future, he plans on pursuing a vascular surgery fellowship and returning home to Tampa to practice as an attending surgeon.

This award comes with a $1,000 check from the USF Foundation Philip T. Gompf Memorial Fund. Many thanks to our donor, Raymond C. Rude Foundation, for their generous support.

It is my honor to present the Philip T. Gompf Award for Excellence in Infectious Disease to Dr. Joshua Alvior.

I am very grateful to Dr. Menenzes, his mentor, my esteemed colleague, and faithful supporter of this award, for presenting the award this year on my behalf. 🙏

Sandra G. Gompf MD FACP FIDSA

04/04/2025

It’s that time of year! We’re looking forward to selecting our next Outstanding Infectious Diseases Fellow at VA! Winner to be announced at Graduation in June…☺️

04/04/2025

Podcast Episode · Contagion: An Infectious Diseases Podcast · 04/02/2025 · 43m

07/01/2024

We’re excited to welcome our new Infectious Disease Fellows and extend congratulations to our now-senior Fellows on their first year of extraordinary growth. Here’s to your success and fulfillment on this journey!
Have a great first day!
James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital USF Health Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine USF Department of Internal Medicine

06/07/2024

Happy Pride Month!

Observed each June across the nation and at USF, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, often shortened to Pride Month, affirms the vital roles members of this community play in modern American society. The acronym has grown over time to include the broad spectrum within the group who are Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Q***r.

In contrast to LGBTQ+ History Month, this observance focuses on support and visibility in the present and future. Join us in celebrating Pride at the University of South Florida. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

05/29/2024

Listen to the inaugural USF Health Contagion podcast on water-related infections, introduced by Dr. Richard Oehler, hosted by Drs. Vivian Vega and Jackie Sherbuk! https://is.gd/tFie2Y

05/21/2024

Tens of millions of farm animals cross state lines every year, traveling in cramped, stressful conditions that can facilitate the spread of disease.