Eight 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 eight awarded institutions have created stewardship programs led by infectious diseases-trained physicians and pharmacists that advance science in antimicrobial resistance. The institutions also have achieved standards aligned with evidence-based national guidelines, such as the IDSA-Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America guidelines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Core Elements. A total of 195 programs nationwide have received the designation since the program’s launch in 2017.

“Solving the next public health emergency starts with addressing the threat of antimicrobial resistance at every level,” said IDSA President Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP. “By recognizing and honoring these eight institutions that have achieved high standards in their stewardship programs, we are taking necessary steps to protect life-saving antimicrobials at U.S. health care facilities.”

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:

Danbury Hospital
Danbury, CT

East Alabama Medical Center    
Opelika, AL

James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital
Tampa, FL

Lincoln Medical Center    
Bronx, NY

Northern Westchester Hospital     
Mt. Kisco, NY

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center    
Pomona, CA

St. Mary’s Medical Center    
Huntington, WV

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital    
Glendale, CA