Antibiotic Stewardship Honor Roll
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One Health Antibiotic Stewardship
Minnesota Antibiotic Stewardship
Long-term Care Honor Roll
Improving the use of antibiotics in healthcare to protect patients and reduce the threat of antibiotic resistance is a national priority. Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications in nursing homes, with up to 70% of residents in a nursing home receiving one or more courses of systemic antibiotics when followed over a year. Similar to findings in hospital settings, studies have shown that 40-75% of antibiotics prescribed in nursing homes may be unnecessary or inappropriate. Antimicrobial stewardship programs facilitate the responsible use and protection of all antimicrobials and in turn, improve patient safety, reduce health care costs, and potentially impact rates of antimicrobial resistance.
The Minnesota Antibiotic Stewardship Honor Roll was designed to recognize antibiotic stewardship programs and the associated organizational commitments to improving antibiotic use and prescribing practices.
This Honor Roll Program aims to:
- Encourage AS commitment from the highest level of administration to prescribers and caregivers,
- Share AS activities with health professionals and the public, with the aims of highlighting new ideas and encouraging facility-to-facility engagement,
- Provide incentive for AS program improvement in individual facilities and statewide through mentorship, and
- Publicize the importance of antibiotic responsibility.
The Minnesota Department of Health, Leading Age Minnesota, Care Providers of Minnesota, Stratis Health, Minnesota Hospital Association, Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), and the Minnesota One Health Antibiotic Stewardship Collaborative invite facility partners to apply for recognition on the Honor Roll.
Application Process
Application
- Long-term care facilities will be eligible for one of three levels of recognition (bronze, silver, gold).
- Facilities may submit materials at any time, and updates to the Honor Roll will be made quarterly.
- Honor roll membership will be renewable every two years.
Step 1: Collect your information
- Download the Minnesota Antibiotic Stewardship Long-term Care Honor Roll Application (PDF).
Use this document as a guide to help you collect the information you need for your application.
NOTE: This document is for your planning purposes only. This is not a fillable form, and is not intended to be turned in with your application.
Step 2: Fill out the application
- Fill out the Minnesota Antibiotic Stewardship Long-term Care Honor Roll Application.
This application mirrors the document from Step 1.
NOTE: Applicants are now able to save and return to their application if they need to complete it at a later time.
Renewal Process
- Honor Roll membership will be renewable every two years. Renewal applications will be sent out two year after the initial online application was completed.
- Renewal applications contain the responses from the initial application. Those renewing will review the initial information for accuracy and add all renewal application information on the same form.
NOTE: Applicants are now able to upload their letters of commitment and antibiotic stewardship policies directly into their application.
Current honorees are listed below.
Gold Level
- Gold Level facilities are recognized for looking beyond their facility to practice antibiotic stewardship in a formal collaborative way.
Collaborative activities are highlighted below. - Gold Level facilities have also achieved Bronze and Silver Level requirements for commitment and action.
Gold Level Honorees
- Antibiotic Stewardship Leaders:
- Nursing Leader: Brittany Schmidt, RN
- Physician Leader: Dr. Lussenhop, MD
- Pharmacist Leader: Jenny Konrad, PharmD
- Highlighted Antibiotic Stewardship Action: Dr. Buffy LLoyd-Krejci toured Bethany on the Lake to provide feedback and audit the infection control process. She is noted to be America's foremost authority on nursing home infection control and owns the company IPCWell, which is devoted to infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship.
- Highlighted Collaborative Activity: All admissions to Bethany on the Lake are looked at for any isolation needs, charting, and any other infectious diseases that might need PPE. Bethany on the Lake gives a SBAR report to all receiving facilities (hospital transfers and or AL transfers) to ensure nothing is missed when it comes to infectious disease.
Bethany on the Lake has worked with MDH on a candida exposure case after a resident was exposed at a hospital prior to admission. MDH provided the kit to perform the culture and ensure this resident was negative.
- Antibiotic Stewardship Leaders:
- Nursing Leader: Deborah Morell, RN
- Physician Leader: Jeff Scrivner, MD
- Pharmacist Leader: Sara Eliof, PharmD, RPh, PIC
- Highlighted Antibiotic Stewardship Action: Bigfork Valley has implemented a ‘Watch and Wait’ procedure before asking the doctor for an antibiotic. As a result, 7 antibiotics were prevented from being prescribed in the past quarter. Bigfork Valley LTC has infection numbers far below the national average.
- Highlighted Collaborative Activity: Bigfork Valley LTC works closely with the hospital, assisted living, and clinic within the health system. Allowing the LTCF to have a seat at the table with hospital and clinic staff. Bigfork Valley Hospital is on the Acute Care and Critical Access Honor Roll and provides support, education, and oversight. Reports r/t ASP are reported at the quarterly meetings and opportunities for improvement are identified. The findings are shared with LTC staff during morning meetings and at monthly QAPI. Education and training are ongoing.
When receiving or transferring a resident, a review on infection history and antibiotic usage is conducted. Information is shared with the receiving facility by sending pertinent records and performing a nurse-to-nurse interview.
- Antibiotic Stewardship Leaders:
- Nursing Leader: Melanie Schoenfeld, ASN
- Physician Leader: Bryan Petersen, MD
- Pharmacist Leader: Richard Hauver, PharmD
- Highlighted Antibiotic Stewardship Action: GlenFields Living with Care (formerly Glencoe Regional Health Center, LTC) tracks resident infections and antibiotic use to identify trends. The facility pharmacy consultant reviews antibiotic use and provides feedback to prescribing providers when necessary. Findings are discussed during bimonthly QAPI meetings and with prescribing providers. This facility adheres to the McGeer criteria for infection surveillance prior to initiating antibiotics. With each antibiotic prescribed, an antibiotic time-out is conducted to ensure its appropriateness. An educational brochure is provided on Antibiotic Stewardship to all new residents on admission. Antibiotic Stewardship education is given to providers, nurses and NARs upon hire and annually.
- Highlighted Collaborative Activity: GlenFields Living with Care collaborates with Glencoe Regional Health to maintain a robust Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) and ensure best practices are being followed. Through this collaboration, regular meetings are held to ensure implementation of the Antibiotic Stewardship Core Elements. These meetings are used to improve our facility's stewardship program and ensure we continue to support a culture of safety around antibiotic prescribing. GlenFields Living with Care has shared some antibiotic stewardship tools and tracking measures with local skilled nursing facilities.
- Antibiotic Stewardship Leaders:
- Nursing Leader: Julie Phalen, RN, PHN, BS
- Physician Leader: Dr. Allen Grillo
- Pharmacist Leader: David Simmons, Pharm D, BCPS
- Highlighted Antibiotic Stewardship Action: LifeCare Medical Center utilizes reporting and tracking functions in Epic software to assist in tracking antibiotic use and infections in acute care. This information is shared with LTC for residents that have been hospitalized. LTC currently tracks infections and antibiotic use manually, other means of tracking this data, such as reporting functions in our EMR, are being investigated.
Staff receives education on infection definitions, allowing for better reporting of infections with accurate description of symptoms. Lifecare Greenbush Manor prioritizes infection prevention and control including hand hygiene, perineal care, increasing fluid intake, and urinary catheter care to prevent UTI. - Highlighted Collaborative Activity: During antimicrobial stewardship week, LifeCare Medical Center Acute Care and LTC collaborated on staff and visitor education on appropriate antibiotic use. LifeCare Medical Center Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee approves infection definitions that are used in acute care and LTC. Data from LTC is reported and reviewed quarterly by LifeCare Medical Center Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. The Annual Antibiotic Use Antibiogram is developed by pharmacists from LifeCare Medical Center and LTC and is shared during committee meetings and with medical staff.
- Antibiotic Stewardship Leaders:
- Nursing Leader: Julie Phalen, RN, PHN, BS
- Physician Leader: Dr. Allen Grillo
- Pharmacist Leader: David Simmons, Pharm D, BCPS
- Highlighted Antibiotic Stewardship Action: LifeCare Medical Center utilizes reporting and tracking functions in Epic software to assist in tracking antibiotic use and infections in acute care. This information is shared with LTC for residents that have been hospitalized. LTC currently tracks infections and antibiotic use manually, other means of tracking this data, such as reporting functions in our EMR, are being investigated.
Staff receives education on infection definitions, allowing for better reporting of infections with accurate description of symptoms. Lifecare Roseau Manor prioritizes infection prevention and control including hand hygiene, perineal care, increasing fluid intake, and urinary catheter care to prevent UTI. - Highlighted Collaborative Activity: During antimicrobial stewardship week, LifeCare Medical Center Acute Care and LTC collaborated on staff and visitor education on appropriate antibiotic use. LifeCare Medical Center Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee approves infection definitions that are used in acute care and LTC. Data from LTC is reported and reviewed quarterly by LifeCare Medical Center Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. The Annual Antibiotic Use Antibiogram is developed by pharmacists from LifeCare Medical Center and LTC, and is shared during committee meetings and with medical staff.
Silver Level
- Silver facilities practice the following antibiotic stewardship actions:
- A minimum of two actions are required- one for resident/family/public education about antibiotic use, and at least one additional intervention action implemented to improve antibiotic use.
- Optional action: C. difficile tracking.
- Silver Level facilities have also achieved Bronze Level requirements for commitment.
No current Silver Level honorees.
Bronze Level
- Bronze Level facilities have demonstrated facility-wide commitment to antibiotic stewardship by submitting:
- A facility antibiotic stewardship policy or similar document.
- Description of antibiotic use protocols (in line with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service Requirements of Participation).
- Description of system to track antibiotic use (in line with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service Requirements of Participation).
- Letter from CEO/COO/other administrative leader.
- Statement of commitment and policy or similar document.
- Names of stewardship leaders and positions of team members.
- Description of (at minimum) yearly education for prescribing staff and prescribing providers, including date(s) of recent/upcoming training, targeted staff, and attendance rate (attendees/target group size).
No current Bronze Level honorees.
The Minnesota Antibiotic Stewardship Long-term Care Honor Roll is supported by the Minnesota Department of Health, Leading Age Minnesota, Care Providers of Minnesota, Stratis Health, Minnesota Hospital Association, Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), and promoted on behalf of the Collaborative Healthcare-Associated Infection Network (CHAIN).
Last Updated: 03/19/2024