Hackensack Meridian Southern Region Hospitals Receive N.J. Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Awards

Ocean Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center recognized for dedication to antimicrobial stewardship at New Jersey Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative Annual Conference

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs at Hackensack Meridian Health southern region hospitals were recognized by the New Jersey Department of Health for their dedication to antimicrobial stewardship at the New Jersey Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative Annual Conference Thursday, December 5. The 2019 Gold Steward, the highest level an organization can achieve, was awarded to Ocean Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center. Jersey Shore University Medical Center was awarded Bronze Steward status. Less than 25 N.J. hospitals achieved recognition.

The hospitals’ antimicrobial teams promote the appropriate use of antimicrobials, chemical agents used to inhibit bacteria, to improve patient safety, reduce microbial resistance and decrease the spread of infections caused by multidrug resistant organisms. “We are proud of our work to establish leading edge Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in the fight against antimicrobial resistance,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, southern market, Hackensack Meridian Health.   “These recognitions demonstrate our dedication to provide high quality, safe care to our patients and paves the way for similar innovative programs that improve patient outcomes and experience.”

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Recognition Program acknowledges health care facilities and physician practices that demonstrate, through written documentation, they have met or exceeded minimum expectations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Core Elements of Antimicrobial Stewardship. The N.J. Antimicrobial Stewardship Recognition Awards, launched this year, is a voluntary, incentive program that encourages health care facilities to assess how well they are applying the CDC’s core elements, a set of key principles to guide efforts to improve antibiotic use, advance patient safety and improve outcomes. Based on the level of difficulty of stewardship programs’ interventions, hospitals are awarded either the Gold, Silver or Bronze Antimicrobial Stewardship status.