Huntington Hospital Wins Award for Anti-Microbial Efforts

 

Huntington Hospital has been designated an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (AS CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Huntington is one of only 35 hospitals nationwide to receive this recognition.

More than 700,000 people die worldwide each year from antimicrobial-resistant infections. The AS CoE program recognizes institutions that have created stewardship programs led by infectious disease physicians and ID-trained pharmacists who have achieved standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC core elements for antibiotic stewardship include seven major areas: leadership commitment, accountability, drug expertise, action, tracking, reporting and education.

“We are honored to have received this prestigious IDSA recognition,” said Nick Fitterman, MD, the hospital’s executive director. “We are committed to fighting antimicrobial resistance through our comprehensive training and educational outreach program with all of our infectious disease specialists and pharmacists. The antimicrobial stewardship program will improve patient care and preserve the integrity of current treatments for future generations.”

Cynthia Ann Hoey, DO and Adrian Popp, MD, infectious disease specialists, worked closely with pharmacists Agnieszka Pasternak, PharmD and Nina Yousefzadeh, PharmD to ensure Huntington Hospital met the rigorous criteria to be recognized by the IDSA. 

The designation is good for two years.

The core criteria for the AS CoE program places emphasis on an institution’s ability to implement stewardship protocols to optimize the treatment of infections and reduce adverse events associated with unnecessary antibiotic use.

Leave a Reply