DALTON, Ga. (December 31, 2024) – Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) was recently recognized on the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Antibiotic Stewardship Honor Roll, Platinum level. HMC is one of only 44 Georgia hospitals to achieve platinum status.

The distinction is in recognition of implementing an antibiotic stewardship program to improve patient care, prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance and appropriately use antibiotics critical to preserving these drugs for future generations.

Since the release of the original Antibiotic Stewardship Honor Roll, several initiatives led by federal agencies have been introduced to further enhance antimicrobial stewardship in the inpatient settings.

The Joint Commission (TJC) issued antimicrobial stewardship accreditation standards which went into effect in 2017. The standards require hospitals, critical access hospitals and nursing care centers to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs that align with current evidence-based practices. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule in 2016 requiring hospitals and critical access hospitals to demonstrate adherence to nationally recognized guidelines.

Due to these regulations, the Georgia Honor Roll for Antibiotic Stewardship was revised to encourage acute care facilities to build sustainable programs or enhance their existing programs with evidence-based practices.