CMS Town Hall Meeting: The Opioid Epidemic
You are invited – CMS Town Hall Meeting The Opioid Epidemic: Approaches to Adolescents and Honored Elders ….highlighting the importance of collaboration among clinicians and community members to address the opioid crisis Thursday, September 6, 2018 12:00...
Section 2 of the CDC’s Antibiotic Stewardship Training Series Available
In February, the CDC’s Office of Antibiotic Stewardship launched the first section of a four-part, web-based training course on Antibiotic Stewardship. This course launched on the heels of CDC’s Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart Use, Best Care educational effort –...
Good Bacteria versus Bad Bacteria: Value a Healthy Microbiome
The human body needs both good and bad bacteria to defend against illness and maintain health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investing in projects to further understand the impact of antibiotics on this community of naturally-occurring germs...
Alternatives to Antibiotics: Home Care for Common Viruses
Whether a skeptic or a fanatic, home remedies and miracle treatments for everything from weight loss to cancer is at our fingertips. Healthcare professionals carry the burden of educating the consumer on fact versus fiction, especially when it comes to managing...
Endangered Prescriptions: Preventing the Growth of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Penicillin was the first commercialized antibiotic and was hailed as a “miracle drug.” Antibiotics are now in danger of losing their effectiveness. Along with being the most commonly prescribed drugs in human medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
Study Finds Nurses are the Missing Link in Strengthening Hospital-Wide Antimicrobial Stewardship
On June 13, News Medical reported that Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) are more effective when nurses are educated about antimicrobial stewardship and buy in to the cause, according to a recent study conducted at Jefferson Health in New Jersey. “Our findings...
Addressing the Opioid Crisis – The REACH OUT Act
On June 19, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5796, the REACH OUT Act by unanimous consent. This bipartisan legislation introduced by Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), accesses the nation’s Quality...
Spreading the Word for a Healthy Community: Huron’s Team Approach to Antibiotic Stewardship
From allergy season to flu season and beyond, the common symptoms of a stuffy nose, cough and sore throat lead many individuals to their local clinic in search of relief. The presence of a fever increases the possibility of a bacterial infection; but most often the...
The Power of Community, Collaboration and Networking
Nebraska healthcare professionals have been privy to two exceptional learning opportunities earlier this month. Great Plains QIN – Nebraska hosted the 15th Annual Nebraska Healthcare Quality Forum on June 7 and the first Annual Nebraska Antimicrobial Stewardship...
Pharmacy Point-of Care Testing Impacts Community Health
Shane’s Pharmacy in Fort Pierre, SD, recently implemented in-pharmacy rapid strep and influenza testing allowing patients to receive results and necessary medications at one location within minutes. “Pharmacy point-of-care testing like this is less expensive, faster,...