Seven Institutions Receive the IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship 
Center of Excellence Designation
 

The Infectious Diseases Society of America announced today the recipients of its Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence designation. The seven awarded institutions have created stewardship programs led by infectious diseases-trained physicians and pharmacists that advance science in fighting antimicrobial resistance. The institutions also have achieved standards aligned with evidence-based national guidelines, such as the IDSA-SHEA guidelines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Core Elements. A total of 163 programs nationwide have received the designation since the program’s launch in 2017.

“While all eyes were focused on COVID-19, we witnessed an increase in antimicrobial-resistant infections,” said Carlos del Rio, MD, FIDSA, president of IDSA. “Antimicrobial stewardship programs are critical to stemming this tide. By honoring these institutions that have achieved high standards in their stewardship programs, we are building a community fighting antimicrobial resistance. As IDSA advocates for passage of the PASTEUR Act and the establishment of a grant program to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals and long-term care facilities, we continue to rely on each of these Centers of Excellence institutions to showcase the value and strength of antimicrobial stewardship.”
 
The core criteria for the CoE program place emphasis on an institution’s ability to implement stewardship protocols by integrating best practices to slow the emergence of resistance, optimize the treatment of infections, reduce adverse events associated with antibiotic use and address other challenging areas related to antimicrobial stewardship. A panel of IDSA member experts in antimicrobial stewardship, including ID-trained physicians and ID-trained pharmacists, evaluate CoE applications against high-level criteria established by IDSA leadership for determining merit. 

The institutions recently awarded the CoE designation are:

Jackson North Medical Center
Miami, FL

Jackson South Medical Center
Miami, FL

Mayo Clinic Arizona
Phoenix, AZ

Riverside Regional Medical Center Virginia
Newport News, VA

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia, PA

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Cleveland, OH

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Clements University Hospital
Dallas, TX