Saint Joseph Hospital Receives Distinction as IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence - Archived

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David McArthur, Senior Manager
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Saint Joseph Hospital Receives Distinction
as IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence
Facility recognized for achieving highest standards in infectious disease healthcare

Lexington, Ky. (July 2, 2018) – Saint Joseph Hospital, part of KentuckyOne Health, has been named an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The hospital is now the only healthcare facility in Kentucky to receive this distinction. This program recognizes institutions that achieve standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for antimicrobial stewardship programs led by infectious diseases (ID) physicians, ID-trained pharmacists and infection preventionists.

“IDSA is committed to infectious diseases-led antimicrobial stewardship programs as an essential component in the fight against antimicrobial resistance that leads to more than 23,000 deaths per year and over $20 billion in unnecessary health care costs. The IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence program recognizes institutions who lead in establishing highly effective antimicrobial stewardship programs that help clinicians give their patients optimal anti-infective therapies,” said IDSA President Paul Auwaerter, MD, MBA, FIDSA.

The core criteria for the IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence were developed by a workgroup of infectious diseases (ID) physicians and ID-trained pharmacists, and build upon the criteria detailed in the CDC’s  Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs. The CoE program places particular emphasis on an institution’s ability to implement stewardship protocols, using their electronic health record (EHR) system, as well as provide ongoing education to its medical staff.  

The goals of the program are to not only recognize those who have achieved high standards in their stewardship programs, but also highlight the value of stewardship over our valuable but vulnerable drug supply.

The Saint Joseph Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP), in collaboration with the Department of Infection Prevention and Control, is tasked with developing evidence-based policies and procedures that improve antibiotic use and reduce rates of resistance. Core team members include Dr. Charles Kennedy, ASP Chair and Hospital Epidemiologist; Russ Judd, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist; and Dana Stephens, Market Director of Infection Prevention and Control.  

“Saint Joseph Hospital is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards for its antimicrobial stewardship program, and we are honored that this facility has been recognized by the Infectious Diseases Society of America,” said Bruce Tassin, CEO, KentuckyOne Heath. “By upholding the criteria analyzed by this organization, we are able to offer our patients the best possible care.”

To learn more about the CoE designation and its criteria, visit www.idsociety.org/ascoe.

About Saint Joseph Hospital
Saint Joseph Hospital, part of KentuckyOne Health, is a nationally recognized tertiary medical center located in Lexington, KY.  The 433-bed hospital primarily serves central and eastern Kentucky with a full range of services including distinguished awards for cardiology, orthopedics and stroke care. Saint Joseph Hospital is Lexington’s first hospital. Founded in 1877, by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky, the hospital’s original mission was to provide compassionate care to the poor and underserved – a tradition still carried out today.

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health, part of Catholic Health Initiatives, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth, and includes hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies in Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is dedicated to bringing wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved.

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