Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll

CHI Mercy Hospital Valley City

Action: Mercy Hospital collaboration within multiple departments lead to improved evidenced-based use of procalcitonin testing and urinalysis reflexing to culture in their facility.  The hospital also required indication when ordering a urinalysis and updated C.diff standing orders.

Collaboration: Mercy Hospital worked with a local pharmacy to share resources relating to bronchitis to decrease antimicrobial prescribing to this condition.  They also published about bronchitis in the local newspaper. 

Essentia Hospital Fargo

Action: Expanded automatic ID consults to include meropenem and micafungin to ensure appropriate use of these medication and prevent resistance.

Collaboration: This facility is partnering with community pharmacies and outside facilities to improve transitions of care from the emergency department. They are working on providing microbiology updates and communication to facilities on treatment plans. 

Sanford Health Fargo

Action: Created a de-escalation protocol for atypical coverage in community acquired pneumonia. They also updated urinalysis reflex criteria, vancomycin dosing, and set up parameters for remdesivir prescribing to align with evidence-based usage.

Collaboration: This facility has partnered with other acute care hospitals in the state to improve antibiotic used by being part of the North Dakota Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative and they are educating future pharmacist in stewardship by hosting NDSU students in their antimicrobial stewardship rotation.

Altru Grand Forks

Action: Collaborated with numerous departments to update antibiotic recommendations for surgical prophylaxis, with an emphasis on the use of cefazolin in patients with a reported penicillin allergy history. They also decreased meropenem use by implementing a new ordering process to help decrease carbapenem resistant organisms.

Collaboration: Altru worked with a critical access hospital to expand meropenem ordering restrictions at this site.