Integrated Hospital Activities
Division faculty continue to act as leaders in programs within Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford (LPCH) in a coordinated effort to improve the quality of pediatric patient care. Among the internal groups led by Pediatric Infectious Diseases faculty:
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP)
In the face of rising rates of multidrug resistance, there has been a growing recognition that antimicrobial effectiveness must be regarded as a limited resource. The Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health is charged with ensuring that antimicrobials are used appropriately, in an effort to optimize clinical outcomes, while minimizing potentially harmful unintended consequences. Dr. Hayden Schwenk, ASP Medical Director, and Drs. Laura Bio and Lauren Puckett, ASP Pharmacists, are responsible for ensuring the judicious use of antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and have developed a program centered on audit and feedback, formulary restriction, and prescriber education to achieve this aim. The ASP Program is also responsible for the review and approval of all orders, order sets, and clinical pathways that include antimicrobial agents. The program also works closely with the Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Center for Quality and Clinical Effectiveness on quality improvement work related to antimicrobial use. More information on the ASP program can be found at asp.stanfordchildrens.org
Infection, Prevention & Control (IPC)
Division faculty are at the forefront of the hospital’s infection, prevention and control (IPC), working with hospital staff to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, IPC Medical Director, and Dr. Roshni Mathew, IPC Associate Medical Director, work closely with the IPC nurse specialists to oversee the infection prevention work that happens on a daily basis at the hospital. IPC team members are involved in surveillance for HAIs throughout the hospital and work to develop procedures to prevent HAIs such as central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI), catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and surgical site infections (SSI). The IPC team members work on identifying and managing any exposures to infectious agents that might occur in the hospital setting. IPC also collaborates with the hospital and county disaster groups to plan for infectious disease emergencies. IPC also insures safe construction and renovation practices at the hospital and other affiliated sites and is involved in education of the staff regarding infection control practices and explores new innovations that might prove helpful in reducing HAIs.
Integrated Infectious Disease Program (IIDP)
LPCH’s Integrated Infectious Disease Program (IIDP) is a multidisciplinary committee that is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the Stanford Microbiology and Virology Laboratories, LPCH Infection Prevention and Control Program, and LPCH Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Key stakeholders from each of these disciplines meet monthly to maintain the degree of communication and collaboration necessary for the delivery of integrated infectious disease care to patients at LPCH. The program is currently led by Drs. Hayden Schwenk and Desiree LaBeaud, with active participation from attendings and fellows from the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Among its duties, the IIDP program provides oversight to and intellectual support for Stanford Laboratories as they pertain to pediatric patients, assists in the development of the annual LPCH antibiogram, develops recommendations for the appropriate use of antimicrobials in children, formulates recommendations for the appropriate use of perioperative antimicrobials, supports the work of and provides guidance for the LPCH Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, and assists in the development of infection control policies, including the management of emerging infections.
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Program for Immunocompromised Hosts (PIDPIC)
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Program for Immunocompromised Hosts (PIDPIC) is Co-Directed by Drs. Hayley Gans and Sharon F. Chen. PIDPIC is a comprehensive program involving collaborations between infectious diseases and clinical team members who care for immunocompromised children with the goal of improving patient care and accelerating scientific knowledge. The mission of PIDPIC is to provide programmatic support to develop up-to-date clinical protocols and best-practices and to conduct clinical studies that improve the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in the immunocompromised population.