In response to an increase in reported outbreaks of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in facilities and pockets within facilities, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) began participating as a pilot site in the Public Health Foundation’s (PHF's) Antibiotic Stewardship Program. With the Public Health Antibiotic Stewardship Driver Diagram as a framework for the initiative, Maine CDC sought to reduce transmission and acquisition of CDI through effective collaboration with healthcare partners.

Using surveillance data, Maine CDC identified the long-term care facilities (LTCs) with the highest rates of CDI. PHF’s Senior Quality Advisor, Jack Moran, was onsite to help Maine CDC use quality improvement tools like the Fishbone (or Cause and Effect) Diagram to identify barriers to preventing transmission and acquisition of antibiotic resistant disease within LTCs. Then, Maine CDC worked with each LTC to pinpoint and correct specific barriers. After identifying target facilities, Maine CDC created an effective healthcare and public health partnership to track intervention protocols and infection rates using a regional, multi-facility “cluster” approach. When additional funding becomes available, Maine CDC plans to contact physicians statewide to improve antibiotic prescribing practices, expand the pilot program to other regions of the state, and monitor additional types of resistant organisms. Read the full story here.

For more information about this initiative, please contact Micaela Kirshy at [email protected] or phone at (202)218-4410.