News & Announcements

May 2021

Please read our May edition of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Newsletter (PDF). It includes information about MRSA PCR testing, new Epic enhancements, and more!

September 2020

Covid-19 Response

In response to the pandemic, the Houston Methodist antimicrobial stewardship team has been engaged in caring for COVID-19 patients and participating in research to find novel therapies for the virus. Members have served as part of research teams for numerous investigational therapies for COVID-19, including remdesivir, favipiravir, tocilizumab, convalescent plasma, and others. Results from these trials are helping to enhance understanding of the treatment of COVID-19. These studies include publications describing Houston Methodist’s initial experience with convalescent plasma and Remdesivir in COVID-19 patients, on which Antimicrobial Stewardship Program members served as authors:



In addition to involvement in clinical trials, the team continues to provide frontline care for patients with COVID-19 and other infectious disease states. This includes continuation of existing antimicrobial stewardship efforts and expansion to coverage of COVID-19 acute care units.

October 2019

The Houston Methodist Antimicrobial Stewardship Program team presented best practices and research findings at IDWeek 2019 in Washington D.C.:


  • Experience and Challenges with Vancomycin Monitoring by AUC
    Presented by William L. Musick, PharmD, BCIDP
  • Oral Fosfomycin for Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections due to Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase and Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae
    Presented by Katherine K. Perez, PharmD, BCIDP — View Poster #2261 (PDF)
  • Impact of an Electronic Antibiotic Timeout on the Utilization of Frequently Prescribed Antibiotics in Hospitalized Patients
    Presented by Katherine K. Perez, PharmD, BCIDP — View Poster #1038 (PDF)
  • Prevalence and Characteristics of Self-reported Antibiotic Allergies across a Multi-hospital Healthcare System
    Presented by Clare N. Gentry, MD, & Katherine K. Perez, PharmD, BCIDP — View poster (PDF)

IDWeek 2019™ is the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS). IDWeek features the latest science and bench-to-bedside approaches in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology of infectious diseases, including HIV, across the lifespan.

July 2019

VigiLanz recognizes Pharmacy and Infection Prevention with two 2019 Vigi Awards

  • Katherine Perez, PharmD, BCIDP, was awarded the Pharmacy 2019 Standing Ovation Vigi Award for integrating rapid diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship to improve patient outcomes across Houston Methodist.
  • Lindsay Bruchlaus, MSN, RN CPHQ, received the Infection Prevention 2019 Rising Star Vigi Award for effective cross-departmental use of a VigiLanz tool at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital. The solution can now be used throughout Houston Methodist.

Houston Methodist Hospital Receives the IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence Designation

The IDSA launched the program in 2017 to recognize institutions that have created antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) led by infectious diseases physicians and ID-trained pharmacists that are of the highest quality and have achieved standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CoE designation means these institutions serve as the “gold” standard for executing novel antimicrobial stewardship principles and demonstrate commitment to decreasing antimicrobial resistance. The recognition is the first among Houston Methodist entities and one of only a few hospitals that have earned the designation in the state of Texas. Congratulations to the team for their hard work and dedication to improving patient care!

Congratulations to the Houston Methodist Hospital ASP Medical Director, Clare Gentry, MD (not pictured here) and to the HMH ID Pharmacy Team! Left to right: Chase Janak, PharmD; Judy Ikwuagwu, PharmD; Katherine Perez, PharmD; William Musick, PharmD

To learn more about the designation, read "Going for the Gold: A Description of the Centers of Excellence Designation by the Infectious Diseases Society of America." Ravina Kullar, Jerod Nagel, Susan C Bleasdale, Sarah H Sutton, Snezana Naumovski, Andres Rodriguez, Cheryl Smith, James Leggett, Ellie J C Goldstein, “Going for the Gold: A Description of the Centers of Excellence Designation by the Infectious Diseases Society of America,” Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 68, Issue 10, 15 May 2019, Pages 1777-1782.


Read more about Houston Methodist's COE Designation

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