bioMérieux and Tampa General Hospital Establish Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Stewardship

SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 29, 2022) – Tampa General Hospital has been named a Center of Excellence in antimicrobial stewardship by bioMérieux, a world leader in in vitro diagnostics.

The increasing and inappropriate use of antibiotic treatment for both human and animal medicine is fueling the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria around the world. Common infectious diseases are becoming more and more difficult to treat, which is alarming for the entire healthcare community.

A recent report by The Lancet estimates 1.27 million people die from AMR each year. If no action is taken, AMR could lead to 10 million people dying every year by 2050, according to the World Health Organization. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is key to fighting resistance and sustaining antibiotic efficacy for future generations as it allows patients to get the right drug, at the right dose at the right time.

bioMérieux and Tampa General have a shared vision for the future of managing AMR and improving AMS initiatives. Through this Center of Excellence designation, Tampa General has become a partner of choice for bioMérieux to further define and demonstrate data-driven best practices, to improve interventions and identify new diagnostic solutions in combatting antimicrobial resistance.

“We are thrilled to formalize and elevate our long-standing partnership with Tampa General Hospital as bioMérieux’s first Center of Excellence in the United States,” said Meghan Thelen, senior director, value-based healthcare at bioMérieux. “bioMérieux and TGH share a synonymous appreciation for the value laboratories can drive for health systems and their patients when diagnostic results inform timely, optimal patient management. We look forward to supporting TGH in continuing to advance that vision.”

bioMérieux provides its expertise in advanced diagnostic technologies, IT and lab automation, as well as training and quality management support. A dedicated team is accompanying Tampa General Hospital to support its AMS initiatives to optimize the use of antibiotics and fight against the transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs).

With bioMérieux’s comprehensive range of diagnostic solutions and deep knowledge on data generation for and beyond the lab, bioMérieux will directly support frontline AMS stakeholders, including clinicians and pharmacists, with timely, integrated diagnostic insights to support patient therapy and stewardship intervention.

“Our program excels because we actually make sure we have the appropriate tools to analyze the test results and apply that information to maximize patient outcomes versus just running tests. We also identify genetic related antimicrobial resistant organisms to control their spread,” said Dr. Suzane Silbert, scientific director of esoteric testing, research and development and microbiology laboratories at Tampa General. “These results make a real difference inside and outside the hospital and as technology improves, the outcomes will only continue to improve.” 

bioMerieux also partnered with 12 other hospitals globally as antimicrobial stewardship Centers of Excellence, with formalized agreements established in China, France, India and Morocco earlier this year.

ABOUT BIOMÉRIEUX
Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics since 1963, bioMérieux is present in 45 countries and serves more than 160 countries with the support of a large network of distributors. In 2021, revenues reached €3.4 billion, with over 90% of sales outside of France.

bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (systems, reagents, software and services) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are mainly used for diagnosing infectious diseases. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in
agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

www.biomerieux.com.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL 

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America’s Best Employers for Women and third out of 100 Florida companies in the 2021 America’s Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2020, provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Toweroutpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

Contacts

Media Relations

bioMérieux

Liza Deckelbaum
Tel.: 919-645-0782
Lizad@seeztoday.com