Infectious Diseases Society of America awards excellence designation to 14 institutions

A total of 14 organizations earned the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s (IDSA) Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence designation last week, for programs advancing science to better fight antimicrobial resistance. 

The program emphasized these institutions’ abilities to deploy stewardship protocols built on best practices for slowing resistance, optimizing infection treatments, reducing the adverse effects of antibiotic use, and tackling other antimicrobial stewardship issues. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance contributes to almost 5 million deaths from bacterial infections annually and is now one of the top public health threats. 

Antimicrobial resistance has been primarily driven by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in medical situations, as well as the larger food production industry. This is also concerning given the reliance of modern medicine on antimicrobials – without effective versions of these drugs, increased risks would face any infections, and surgery could become increasingly fraught.

“As we enter U.S. Antibiotic Awareness week, we’re reminded that drug-resistant infections continue to increase,” Dr. Steven Schmitt, IDSA president, said. “As IDSA continues to advocate for passage of the PASTEUR Act and the establishment of a grant program to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals, the Centers of Excellence program recognizes hospitals that are joining us in that fight. We continue to count on each of these Centers of Excellence institutions to showcase the critical value of antimicrobial stewardship. We honor those institutions that have shown innovation and leadership in fighting antimicrobial resistance.”

The COE program is led by a panel of experts on antimicrobial stewardship, who worked together to evaluate applications and determine their merit. Recipients included: 

1. Atrium Health Cabarrus – Concord, NC
2. Inova Fairfax Medical Campus – Falls Church, VA
3. Mary Greeley Medical Center – Ames, IA
4. Mayo Clinic Mankato – Mankato, MN
5. Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall – Newburgh, NY
6. Plainview Hospital – Plainview, NY
7. Sanford Medical Center Fargo – North Fargo, ND
8. Terrebonne Genera – Houma, LA
9. The Queen’s Medical Center – Honolulu, HI
10. Virtua Marlton Hospital – Voorhees, NJ
11. Virtua Mount Holly Hospital – Voorhees, NJ
12. Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital – Voorhees, NJ
13. Virtua Voorhees Hospital – Voorhees, NJ
14. Virtua Willingboro Hospital – Voorhees, NJ