Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy hosted the seventh annual Middle Tennessee Antimicrobial Stewardship Symposium on May 19 in the Janet Ayers Academic Center. The event attracted over 125 pharmacists, nurses, physicians, epidemiologists, infection preventionists, residents and students from across Tennessee and the Southeast Region to learn and discuss ways to work together as a medical community to improve appropriate antimicrobial use and mitigate risks. Featured speakers represented the Southeastern Region, and Duke University’s Jillian Hayes gave the keynote presentation.
Dr. Hayes, PharmD, BCIDP, is a clinical pharmacist in infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship at Duke University Hospital. Her keynote, “Selling Stewie: Optimizing Social Sciences to Influence Antibiotic Prescribing,” reviewed the basics of implementation science, discussed recruitment of key team players (such as nurses) to perform antimicrobial stewardship, and introduced strategies for how to create an effective business plan to augment new stewardship initiatives.
Dr. Kelly Byrge, assistant professor with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, noted the importance of the Symposium and its contribution to the field of antimicrobial stewardship. “The dynamic and diverse podium presentations from this year’s symposium provided strategies and knowledge applicable to all stewardship programs alike, regardless of size, longevity, location or affiliation. We are proud to offer content that will continue to lift up the growing field of antimicrobial stewardship.”
The event was planned and hosted by Byrge; Wiyanna Bruck, clinical coordinator/infectious diseases clinical pharmacist with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital; Dr. Christopher Evans, pharmacist with the Tennessee Department of Health; Dr. Kathryn Dambrino, assistant professor with Belmont School of Nursing; Dr. Athena Hobbs, clinical manager with Post Acute Medical; Dr. Shaefer Spires, assistant professor of medicine with Duke University; and Laura Hyde, continuing pharmacy education administrator at Belmont.
Morning lectures featured a lineup of experts from Vanderbilt and Duke. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Assistant Professor Milner Staub, MD, MPH, presented “Practical Approaches to Starting an Outpatient Stewardship Program,” and Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology Assistant Professor and Medical Director of the Molecular Infectious Diseases Laboratory David Gaston presented “Gram Staining to Sequencing: Emerging Diagnostic Advancements in Clinical Microbiology.” Rebekah Moehring, associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, presented “Using Spectrum Score Metrics to Aid in Antimicrobial Stewardship Assessments.”
During the afternoon, participants attended roundtable and poster sessions led by pharmacists, physicians and nurses, allowing them the opportunity to discuss topics in a small group format. Planning committee member Dr. Kathryn Dambrino said she is proud this year’s symposium offered programming that highlights the interdisciplinary approach to antimicrobial stewardship.
“After last year’s meaningful panel discussion, we were excited to bring back a new interdisciplinary panel of antimicrobial stewardship experts representing physicians, pharmacists and nurses from different healthcare institutions in Middle Tennessee,” she said. “Antimicrobial stewardship teams require team members to offer role expertise and engage in strong collaboration across multiple disciplines in order to work effectively, and this panel demonstrates what that looks like in real practice.”
View the photo gallery from the symposium.
