Antibiotic use and resistance have an impact on almost all aspects of my various roles. As a clinician, I see patients with increasingly more antibiotic-resistant infections that become more difficult to treat as the bugs evolve. As a hospital epidemiologist, I deal with antibiotic use and resistance on a larger scale by creating healthcare system programs to prevent, monitor, and respond to antibiotic resistant organisms and disease outbreaks within our Veteran patient population. And finally, I help our state health department strategize and implement ways to prevent, detect, and respond to the most highly drug-resistant organisms (including one called CRE) statewide. Thus, the issues of optimizing antibiotic use to maximize effect while minimizing drug-resistance are near and dear to my heart!
- Christopher Pfeiffer, MD, MHS. Section Chief and Hospital Epidemiologist, VA Portland Health Care System, Medical Director of the Oregon's “DROP-CRE" Network
As an infectious diseases pharmacist and an antimicrobial steward, I focus on the appropriate use of antibiotics. I help design processes to optimize the use of anti-infectives and perform interventions to guide prescribers in determining when antibiotics are needed, what agent(s) to use, how to dose, what route, and what duration to give to ensure they will treat the infection safely and effectively. Antibiotic resistance is ubiquitous in my day-to-day work and influences every aspect of this.
- Jeremy Tigh, PharmD, BCIDP, Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist, Samaritan Health Services
As a pediatric infectious disease physician, many of my patients have serious infections that require antibiotics to cure their disease. Antibiotic resistance can make our treatment plans much harder when we have fewer antibiotic options.
- Judy Guzman-Cottrill, DO; Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at OHSU
When a new high-priority multidrug-resistant organism (HP-MDRO) is identified, we work quickly as a team to provide support, education, testing, and guidance to the facility where the patient or resident is. Our primary goal is to ensure that the resistant germ doesn't spread to other patients.
- Therese Phin, RN, CIC, LTC-CIP, MDRO Infection Preventionist at Oregon Health Authority
Our team works to track antibiotic use and stewardship activities across different healthcare settings care settings, provider types, and patient populations in Oregon to identify where stewardship interventions can have the biggest impact. Additionally, we get to engage in outreach and education with the community and healthcare professionals in a variety of settings.
- Liz Breitenstein, PharmD, Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist at Oregon Health Authority
I studied Microbiology during my undergraduate training at Oregon State University. It was this work that led me to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology and focus my research on antimicrobial stewardship and antibiotic-resistant infections. Early in my carrier, I studied risk factors and outcomes attributed to multi-drug resistant infections. Now, my research group focuses on supporting optimal antibiotic use across healthcare settings through research and education.
- Jessina C. McGregor, PhD, Professor, Oregon State University College of Pharmacy