Covenant Health Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP)

Dr. Holly Hoang, Dr. Shahileen Remtulla, Karen Zurek, Dr. Morgan Schultz, Hiromi Kiroyama-McKenzie, Zainab Suleman, Vivian Wen

During the past year, the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) team played a critical role in streamlining communication within Covenant regarding treatment options for COVID-19. They provided timely education to colleagues on COVID-19 management and patient access to emerging COVID-19 therapies through participation in clinical trials. 

Partnerships beyond the organization bolstered the impact and reach of ASP in 2021. The team also worked with colleagues at the University of Alberta Hospital to study antimicrobial stewardship interventions in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and developed newsletters in collaboration with Alberta Health Services.  Through educational documents, committee meetings, and presentations, rapidly evolving guidance was communicated in a clear, concise, and timely manner.

Although physically located in Edmonton, ASP remotely supports all rural acute care Covenant Health sites.  Regular multidisciplinary team meetings are a platform for ASP to share vital information on antimicrobial use in the rural sites. And through audits and feedback, each site is able to see their antimicrobial usage and make actionable changes coached by this team.