Vermont Business MagazineThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Burlington-based Vermont Oxford Network (VON) have announced a partnership to improve patient safety and raise the quality of neonatal care.Recognizing the dangers presented by increased antibiotic resistance, the CDC has developed core elements for hospital-based antibiotic stewardship programs designed to promote appropriate use.VON, a nonprofit voluntary collaboration of neonatal healthcare professionals, is partnering with the CDC to incorporate these core elements into its upcoming quality improvement collaborativeiNICQ 2016: Choosing Antibiotics Wiselycurriculum which deeply engages neonatal teams in achieving measurable outcomes.
This year's collaborative will focus on areas that include improved communications, increased monitoring of infections and antibiotic use, implementation of best practices for the prevention of infections, and the establishment of appropriate prescription, dose and duration for antibiotics.Participating teams will implement neonatal antibiotic stewardship programs with VON providing leadership via expert faculty, coordination of efforts via its online learning management system, video conferences and The Choosing Antibiotics Wisely Toolkit. Intensive collaborative members will meet at a face-to-face Quality Improvement Summit where the teams will share their learnings with the greater neonatal community.Learn More.
About Vermont Oxford Network:Vermont Oxford Network is a nonprofit voluntary collaboration of health care professionals working together as an interdisciplinary community to change the landscape of neonatal care.Our mission is to improve the quality and safety of medical care for newborn infants and their families through a coordinated program of research, education, and quality improvement projects.Learn more at:https://public.vtoxford.org/about-us/
About the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works to keep Americans safe and healthy where they work, live and play. Scientists and disease detectives work around the world to track diseases, research outbreaks, respond to emergencies of all kinds, and use what they learn from this work to develop and advocate public health policies that strengthen America′s health and resilience. Learn more at:http://www.cdc.gov/about/24-7/savinglives/
SOURCE Vermont Oxford Network 11.19.2015