Author Archives: dd

Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (CASP) is carrying out intensive stewardship in the realm of COVID-19. The work is a natural extension of its mission to improve the use of antimicrobials (which include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics). In addition to CASP’s daily stewardship to ensure patients receive antimicrobials only when needed, with the right drug, right …

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The advent of COVID-19 catalyzed a still-evolving and radical shift in healthcare delivery, especially in hospitals that were already on the front lines of caring for the sickest patients. In March, as University of North Carolina Hospitals’ non-critical employees were sent to work from home, Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (CASP) Medical Director Nikolaos Mavrogiorgos knew …

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In the first COVID-19 case series of tocilizumab in the United States, CASP’s Jonathan Parr, MD…

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHQI) announced its 2020-2021 Improvement Scholars Program this week. The Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program congratulates member Renae Boerneke, PharmD, BCPS, CPP on the selection of her project with co-lead Mildred Kwan, MD, PhD: Reducing the Healthcare Utilization of Broad Spectrum Antibiotics: Implementation of …

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On January 23, 2019, Dr. David Weber presented at the UNC School of Medicine Grand Rounds on the continuing threat of multidrug resistant pathogens. Dr. Weber’s research interests include hospital-associated (nosocomial) infections especially antibiotic-resistant pathogens, surveillance, disinfection and sterilization, nosocomial pneumonia, hand hygiene, and outbreak investigations. Other research interests include new and emerging infectious diseases, …

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The Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program 2019 Annual Newsletter features updates on its efforts, including: Renewed recognition from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services: NC DHHS renewed UNC Medical Center’s Advanced Level 2 Antibiotic Stewardship STAR Partner Facility rating for a second year, in recognition of its comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program. UNCMC is …

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UNC Health Care’s annual Quality Expo was held October 16-17, 2019. The annual event is hosted by UNC Performance Improvement and Patient Safety (PIPS), and this year’s theme was Quality is our Business. The mission of UNC PIPS is to enable higher quality and safer patient care by partnering with healthcare professionals to drive process …

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UNC’s OPAT and Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Teams presented five academic posters at the annual ID Week Conference. ID (Infectious Diseases) Week is a joint conference of the Infectious Disease Society of America, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the HIV Medical Association, and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. This year’s conference was held October 2-6 …

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The University of North Carolina Medical Center (UNCMC) was awarded Advanced STAR Partner Status for antimicrobial stewardship as part of the STewardship of Antimicrobial Resources (STAR) Partners Initiative through the State of North Carolina Surveillance for Healthcare-Associated Infections and Resistant Pathogens Patient Safety (NC SHARPPS) Program. UNCMC is the only hospital in the Triangle region …

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Antibiotic Awareness Week is November 12-18, 2018. This is an annual one-week observance to raise awareness of the importance of appropriate antibiotic use to combat the threat of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health, and antibiotic stewardship is critical to combat the spread of resistance and …

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UNC’s Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program has partnered with UNC Medical Center’s Infection Prevention Program to join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Challenge. “The AMR Challenge is a way for governments, private companies, and non-governmental organizations worldwide to make formal commitments that further the progress against antimicrobial resistance,” according the CDC. …

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