Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center Receives the IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence Designation

HOUSTON (August 10, 2020) – Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (Baylor St. Luke’s) has been awarded the designation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The designated hospitals have created stewardship programs led by infectious diseases-trained physicians and pharmacists that advance science in Antimicrobial Resistance and 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. Baylor St. Luke’s is one of 101 programs nationwide to have received the designation since the program’s launch in 2017.

“While the world’s attention is rightfully focused on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, drug resistant infections continue. One of IDSA’s top priorities is fighting antimicrobial resistance through research, education, training and policy initiatives. Our Centers of Excellence program honors institutions that have demonstrated leadership in that fight. Baylor St. Luke’s and each of the CoE designees serve a critical role in ensuring that we protect the tools we have against resistant infections, setting a high standard for others to follow,” said IDSA President Thomas M. File, Jr., M.D., FIDSA.

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, and reduce adverse events associated with antibiotic use and 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 for determining merit, developed by IDSA leadership.

The Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Epidemiology (CASE) at Baylor St. Luke’s was initiated in 2006, with the official charter established in 2008. The purpose of this antimicrobial stewardship program is to improve the quality of patient care through the optimization of antimicrobial use, as well as optimize resource utilization while decreasing antimicrobial resistance and adverse events. This is achieved through a focused, evidenced-based, collaborative approach involving all aspects of antimicrobial stewardship. Daily CASE activities are performed by the expert staff of ID-trained clinical pharmacists with integral support from a multi-disciplinary team including the CASE medical director and advisory board.

“I’m very proud of this CoE recognition, which is a testament to our highly-regarded ID-trained physicians and pharmacists and the work they do to positively influence patient outcomes,” said Dr. Mayar Al Mohajer, Medical Director, Infection Prevention, Diagnostic Stewardship and Antimicrobial Stewardship at St. Luke’s Health – Texas Division and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. “Our expert team of infectious diseases clinicians are highly trained to identify and implement best practices to reduce the misuse of antibiotics and the serious adverse effects associated with them in order to provide a better and safer patient experience.”

To learn more about the IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence program and see a complete list of the institutions that have received the CoE designation, visit www.IDSociety.org/COE.

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About The Infectious Diseases Society of America
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) represents over 12,000 physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who specialize in infectious diseases. IDSA’s purpose is to improve the health of individuals, communities, and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health and prevention relating to infectious diseases. www.idsociety.org.

About Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is an 881-bed quaternary care academic medical center that is a joint venture between Baylor College of Medicine and St. Luke’s Health. Located in the Texas Medical Center, the hospital is the home of the Texas Heart® Institute, a cardiovascular research and education institution founded in 1962 by Denton A. Cooley, MD. The hospital was the first facility in Texas and the Southwest designated a Magnet® hospital for Nursing Excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, receiving the award five consecutive times. Baylor St. Luke’s also has two community emergency centers offering adult and pediatric care for the Greater Houston area.