WVU Medicine United Hospital Center (UHC) is honored to announce that its United Transitional Care Center (UTCC) has been awarded the platinum level of the MEDALS (Maximizing Efforts Dedicated to Antimicrobial Leadership and Stewardship) Program. This is the highest level of achievement in the program granted by the West Virginia Department of Health, as the initiative was launched in 2024 by the Department of Health’s Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services.
“UHC is committed to the principles of sound antimicrobial use to promote best practices and implement the highest standards of care,” said Jonathan E. Stanley, DO, UHC Infectious Diseases. “The goal is to prevent or slow the emergence of resistance among microorganisms that is well documented with the overuse of antibiotics, while at the same time reducing patient length of stay, adverse drug events, morbidity, mortality, and associated costs.”
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria evolve and adapt to survive antibiotic treatment. The overuse of antibiotics is the leading cause of antibiotic resistance.
The MEDALS Program is designed to recognize long-term care facilities that demonstrate exemplary efforts in infection prevention and the appropriate use of antibiotics. Participating facilities are evaluated based on specific criteria across various levels of achievement, with a focus on their dedication to implementing effective strategies for infection control and antibiotic stewardship. This structured approach not only encourages continuous improvement but also sets a benchmark for excellence within the healthcare community.
“Earning platinum level with regard to antibiotic stewardship highlights UHC’s commitment to providing quality care,” said Ericka Shipley, BSN, RN, CNOR(E), CIC, manager of Infection Prevention at UHC. “This recognition reflects the tremendous amount of work that our stewardship team has accomplished and will continue to do so.”
UTCC is a hospital-based skilled nursing facility that bridges the gap between high-tech hospitalization and family home care. The focus is on improving the patient’s health skills and ability to function within the community. Because the hospital-based skilled nursing facility is affiliated with an acute-care hospital, each patient receives optimal care from the full range of health care disciplines. Medicine, nursing, respiratory therapy, and other departments contribute to the patient’s progressive restoration to the highest achievable level of functioning.
“Antibiotic stewardship is an opportunity for physicians and pharmacists to work together to choose the correct antibiotic, at the correct dose, for an appropriate duration for each unique individual patient,” said Kevin Pritt, PharmD, at UHC. “It was pioneered by Dr. Mark Povroznik a few decades ago, but has only grown and expanded to reach new heights.”
For more information about the MEDALS Project, including eligibility criteria and participation details for nursing homes, please visit the project webpage at https://oeps.wv.gov/au/Pages/medals.aspx.
Jonathan E. Stanley, DO
UHC Infectious Diseases
Ericka Shipley, BSN, RN, CNOR(E), CIC
UHC Manager of Infection Prevention
Kevin Pritt, PharmD
UHC Pharmacy
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