OWENSBORO, Ky. — The Infectious Diseases Society of America has awarded Owensboro Health Regional Hospital the Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence designation. Recognized hospitals have created stewardship programs led by infectious diseases-trained physicians and pharmacists that advance science in antimicrobial resistance.
They also have achieved standards aligned with evidence-based national guidelines, such as the IDSA-Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) joint guidelines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Core Elements. Owensboro Health Regional Hospital is one of 131 programs worldwide to have received the designation since the program’s launch in 2017.
The goal of antimicrobial stewardship is to ensure the most appropriate antibiotic is used for every patient who requires treatment. This includes how much, how long, and how the medicine is given. This leads to better infection treatment and reduced side effects, better use of resources, and, in most cases, decreased costs for both patients and the healthcare system. Additionally, reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance helps ensure the facility will have appropriate options for treating infections in the future.
The CoE program emphasizes an institution’s ability to implement stewardship protocols by integrating best practices. These practices optimize the treatment of infections, reduce adverse events associated with antibiotic use and address other challenging areas related to antimicrobial stewardship. A panel of IDSA member experts in antimicrobial stewardship evaluate CoE applications against high-level criteria established by IDSA leadership for determining merit.
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program includes physicians, pharmacists, nurses, infection prevention specialists, laboratory staff, and clinical educators. Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Dr. Lance Smith and Infectious Diseases Physician Dr. Gary Wilson lead the program, which provides clinical decision support from an interdisciplinary rounding team, dedicated antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist presence within the hospital, ongoing staff and patient education efforts, and continuous monitoring of antimicrobial use to optimize patient care.
To learn more about the IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence program, visit www.idsociety.org/clinical-practice/antimicrobial-stewardship/.
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