The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a new antimicrobial stewardship resource for small and Critical Access Hospitals that was guided by providers in these settings and is designed to address their unique challenges. The resource was developed using the CDC Core Elements of Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Program as a framework.
The CDC, along with several partners (The Pew Charitable Trusts, the American Hospital Association, and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy), met with hospital representatives to get their feedback, gain a more in-depth understanding of the challenges, and develop resources uniquely tailored to their setting and the patients they serve.
SDAHO member hospitals are actively working on antimicrobial stewardship efforts through their quality efforts as part of the Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks (HIINs).
The HIIN hospitals have set a goal to achieve an additional 20 percent decrease in overall patient harm and a 12 percent reduction in 30-day hospital readmissions.
Questions on our Compass HIIN efforts can be directed to Kristen Bunt at kristen.bunt@sdaho.org or Jennifer Kok at jennifer.kok@sdaho.org.
