U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week 2023
Go Purple for U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week 2023!
We are excited to celebrate U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) this year during November 18-24! USAAW is an annual observance to raise awareness to the threat of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of appropriate antimicrobial use. This year focuses on the connection between appropriate antimicrobial prescribing and use and health equity. Health inequities resulting from less-than-optimal antimicrobial prescribing practices may impact health outcomes, resulting in an increase in drug-related adverse events or an increase in antimicrobial resistance (Health Equity and Antimicrobial Resistance(PDF)). This year, we encourage you to #GoPurple to show your support for USAAW 2023!
This year for U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week 2023, we asked healthcare facilities to share a video response to the questions, “What does antimicrobial stewardship mean to you?” and “How are you #AntimicrobialAware?”
Check out the compilation videos below!
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Video 1 (Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego)
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Video 2 (Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and Loma Linda University Medical Center)
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Video 3 (Desert Regional Medical Center and San Mateo Medical Center)
How are healthcare facilities across California celebrating #USAWW23?
There are so many incredible ways to celebrate U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week 2023! Check out the list below to see how facilities across the state are spreading the important message to #BeAntibioticsAware.
Education
Riverside Community Hospital, The Sequoias SF, Gramercy Court Nursing, Rancho Seco Care Center, and Kindred Hospital San Diego will be providing antimicrobial stewardship (AS) education, including optimizing the use of diagnostic testing, and choosing the right antimicrobial, at the right dose, for the right duration, and at the right time. Kindred Hospital San Diego will be highlighting hand hygiene and the importance of preventing antimicrobial resistance during their huddles throughout the week.
Digital Signage and Screensavers
Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Torrance Memorial, and Rady’s Children Hospital, San Diego will be displaying digital signage throughout their hospitals or on computer screensavers.
Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital will also be displaying a digital slideshow on “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together” in their fitness center.
Flyers
Sutter Medical Center Sacramento and Kindred Hospital San Diego will be posting AS education flyers throughout their facility.
In Service
Woodside Healthcare Center will be providing AS-focused in-service to their healthcare personnel.
Social Media
Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Torrance Memorial and Eisenhower Health will be utilizing their social media channels to post AS graphics and videos.
Internal Websites
Desert Regional Medical Center will be launching a website on their facility's intranet for their AS program (ASP), allowing their AS content and updates to be readily accessible to providers and hospital employees.
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego will have an AS spotlight on their facility’s internal webpage.
Banners
Enloe Medical Center will be placing a celebratory banner in their hospital.
Forums
Cottage Health will be hosting an antimicrobial awareness forum event to kick off U.S. Antibiotic Awareness week/month.
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital will be hosting an antimicrobial awareness forum for clinical professionals at their hospital, including ASP-related lectures and open Q&A with the audience.
Community Outreach
Kaiser Permanente (KP) South Sacramento is hosting a farmer’s market for both KP& employees and the public. Their table includes a spinning wheel, mini basketball hoop, Ball/Bacteria Toss game with candy or prizes, and handouts for the flu and other infectious disease materials. Their theme is that every department is just as important and valuable in helping spread antimicrobial awareness, including environmental services , volunteers, pharmacy, nursing, top leaders, and ID physicians.
Local News
Eisenhower Health has scheduled a local TV news channel interview focusing on AS with Dr. Massoud Dezfuli, Chairman, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program for November 2023.
Newsletters
Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Torrance Memorial, and San Mateo Medical Center will all be publishing newsletters focused on AS. Loma Linda’s newsletter is titled, “Save Lives. Be Antimicrobial Wise” and San Mateo Medical Center’s newsletter aims to educate staff of the importance of antimicrobial stewardship in all its forms, such as screening, placing proper transmission-based precautions, obtaining cultures prior to giving the correct and appropriate antimicrobials, including narrowing them as quickly as possible when the source of infection is initially unknown.
Videos
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego filmed a video to increase stewardship awareness, highlighting their Handshake Stewardship pilot project.
Other
Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital will also be distributing “Kudos from LLUCH Antimicrobial Stewardship” candy to clinicians who utilize antimicrobials appropriately.
Handouts and Educational Materials
CDPH Resources
Other Resources