Premier Health Becomes First Urgent Care Operator in U.S. to Earn Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation

BATON ROUGE, La. - July 23, 2019 - PRLog -- Consistent with its commitment to being a leader in the urgent care industry, Premier Health is proud to announce it is the first urgent care operator in the U.S. to earn the prestigious "Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation."

The Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation program was created by the Urgent Care Association and College of Urgent Care Medicine to recognize those urgent care operators that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to responsible prescribing practices of antibiotics.

According to the CDC, each year in the U.S. as many as two million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and at least 23,000 people die as a result of antimicrobial resistance. This program sets the parameters for healthcare providers to prescribe the right drug, in the right dose, for the right duration.

"Premier Health is excited to have been one of the first nationwide urgent care operators to beta test this critically important initiative and is proud to be the first organization to earn the Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation", according to Chief Medical Officer, Kevin DiBenedetto, M.D. "Urgent care clinics are really the first line of defense in battling the inappropriate use of antibiotics because so many of the patients that visit our clinics with obvious viral infections believe antibiotics will make them feel better. The Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation program gives urgent care providers the clinical and educational support necessary to address patients' concerns and avoid prescribing antibiotics that are clearly not necessary."

Premier Health CEO Steve Sellars adds, "Premier fully supports the UCA when it says antibiotic resistance is a serious threat across the entire healthcare industry.  We feel like our urgent care providers do a good job of monitoring antibiotic use in our clinics, but we can always do better. We think leading the way with an industry-wide initiative like this is clear evidence Premier takes its role as a responsible provider of urgent care very seriously."

Kris Sanchez, R.N. is Director of Compliance and Clinical Development at Premier Health and led the team that spearheaded Premier's Antibiotic Stewardship efforts.   She says, "I'm so proud of the team that put in the hard work to earn this very important designation for Premier.  We're all excited to be first, but more importantly, I think it says a lot about one of Premier's core values, which is to provide excellent clinical care across our network of urgent care centers."

The Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation Program requires urgent care centers to provide information demonstrating their compliance with the Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC program provides a framework for antibiotic stewardship in the outpatient setting focused on four key elements:

• Commitment: Demonstrate dedication to and accountability for optimizing antibiotic prescribing and patient safety
• Action for Policy and Practice: Implement at least one policy or practice to improve responsible prescribing and assess its efficacy with an Antibiotic Stewardship Quality Plan
• Tracking and Reporting: Monitor antibiotic prescribing and offer regular feedback to clinicians
• Education and Expertise: Provide educational resources to clinicians and patients on antibiotic prescribing and ensure access to needed expertise on optimizing prescribing practice.  

About Premier Health:

Specializing in joint-ventures primarily with hospitals and health systems for more than 20 years, Premier Health is recognized as one of the leading urgent care and occupational health companies in the country. No other operator has been in the urgent care joint-venture space longer. Premier Health partners with some of the nation's top health systems including the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, HCA, Ascension Health, IU Health, St. Joseph's/Candler Health System, and Ardent Health Services. With 60+ centers in 7 states and Puerto Rico, a top industry publication ranks Premier Health in the top 10 of "Private Urgent Care Operators" nationally.

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