Antibiotic Stewardship / HAIs

Members of the advisory group for the Kansas Healthcare-Associated Infections & Anti-microbial Resistance Program

Antimicrobial Stewardship and HAI Prevention

Antibiotics save lives, but any time antibiotics are used, they can cause side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 47 million antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessarily given in doctors’ offices and emergency rooms across the U.S. each year, which makes improving antibiotic prescribing and use a national priority. The CDC also reports that drug-resistant bacteria cause 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses each year.

KHC partners with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to advance its Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program statewide. Antimicrobial Stewardship also has been a focus in recent KHC hospital-based patient safety initiatives.

A variety of learning opportunities and resources are available in support of efforts by hospitals, clinicians, and others who are leading this important work.

#UseAntibioticsWisely campaign

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is creating a major threat to public health: antibiotic resistance. We are all part of the problem—and the solution. Antibiotics only work on bacteria, not viruses that cause colds or flu. Taking an antibiotic when it’s not needed will not help you recover faster. However, doing so does contribute to antibiotic resistance.

KDHE and KHC have developed a statewide campaign to spread the word about what patients and providers can do to help. We invite health care providers and the public to participate within their facilities and communities.

Posters for clinics and hospitals
→ "Know the Facts" poster (11x17 .pdf)
→ "Know the Facts" Spanish poster (11x17 .pdf)
→ Kansas organizations may customize the "Know the Facts" posters with your own logo: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will send you a customized PDF for your organization to use freely.

#OneHealthKS Pledge

KHC is part of the Kansas Quality Improvement Partnership (KQIP), a group of leading Kansas health care organizations dedicated to improving quality and eliminating or reducing duplication of effort by Kansas providers. 

Among its current priorities, KQIP has established a goal that all Kansas healthcare settings and providers, animal and human, will actively promote the appropriate use of antibiotics through their antibiotic/antimicrobial stewardship programs and activities.  

We challenge all Kansas healthcare providers to take the #OneHealthKS Pledge and commit to working on this effort within your organization. 

   → Download #OneHealthKS Pledge to Act form
   → Take the #OneHealthKS Pledge to Act on KQIP's website

Antimicrobial Stewardship contact at KDHE

• Bryna Stacey, Program Director, KDHE Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program
  (785) 296-4090 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Antimicrobial Stewardship contact at KHC

• Mandy Johnson, Program Director of Quality Initiatives, Kansas Healthcare Collaborative
  (316) 681-8200 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.