Kaiser Permanente to Share Expertise at White House Event Kicking Off National Plan to Fight the Growth of Superbugs

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Jun 02, 2015, 09:27 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., June 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente's success over the past decade in the fight against stubborn antibiotic-resistant bacteria, widely known as superbugs, will be part of a day-long forum taking place at the White House today. The event will address the need to reduce prescription of antibiotics in both humans and animals.

The largest private integrated health system in the world will join more than 150 organizations at the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship to announce ongoing public and private commitments to slow the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

"Kaiser Permanente is highly committed to fighting the growth of superbugs. Our commitment is demonstrated by our utilization of clinical data to identify highly effective targeted areas in all care settings," said Patrick Courneya, MD, Kaiser Permanente executive vice president, Hospitals, Quality and Care Delivery Excellence. "Proper management of antibiotic use protects not only the health of our members and patients, but that of the community as a whole."

For more than 10 years, Kaiser Permanente has had a successful and widely emulated program in place to control both community and hospital-acquired infections of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the hospital setting, including C. Difficile, a stubborn infection that has grown steadily in recent years. Antibiotic stewardship is one pillar of a program that has seen Kaiser Permanente roll back infection rates of this bacteria to 2006 levels. The other pillars of the program include testing and rapid identification and isolation of patients who have the infection; rigorous disinfection of rooms and equipment used by those infected, and a comprehensive regimen of hand hygiene among health-care providers and hospital visitors.

"As part of our efforts, we are using advanced technology to guide prescribing practice, support appropriate therapy and maximize the impact of effective antibiotic use of commonly over-treated conditions," said Stephen Parodi, MD, infectious disease specialist and associate executive director for The Permanente Medical Group.

Dr. Parodi has been invited to discuss the health care organization's plans to prevent and contain outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant infections, preserve the efficacy of existing antibiotics and implement next-generation diagnostics, vaccines and other therapies.

Earlier this year, the White House released its National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which outlines steps the U.S. government will take to improve prevention, detection and control of resistant pathogens over the next five years.

To learn more, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/live for a live stream of the opening session from 8:00 – 9:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 2.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.

Contact:
Marc Brown, (510) 271-6328

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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente