Jason Yamaki, PharmDHoag Memorial Hospital has been awarded the Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The CoE program recognizes organizations that have created stewardship programs led by infectious diseases physicians and infectious diseases pharmacists who are of the highest quality and have achieved standards aligned with evidence-based national guidelines from IDSA, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, and the Centers for Disease Control. Hoag Hospital is one of only 78 programs nationwide to have received the designation since the program’s launch in 2017.

The efforts in antimicrobial stewardship at Hoag Hospital have been led by Jason Yamaki (right), PharmD, Ph.D. and Philip Robinson, MD who have educated, worked with, and empowered clinical pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and laboratory staff in various disciplines within the hospital, in order to optimize antimicrobial use. The concerted effort has led to a decrease in Clostridioides difficile rates, decreases in broad-spectrum antimicrobial use such as fluoroquinolones and carbapenems, and successful implementation of numerous rapid diagnostic assays, all of which benefits Hoag hospital patient care.