Carolinas Antimicrobial Stewardship Effort History (CASE)
CASE (Carolinas Antimicrobial Stewardship Effort) officially held their first conference in 2001. The CASE organization is comprised of medical professionals and public health officials from North and South Carolina and also the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), in Atlanta, GA. CASE members include but are not limited to the Carolina’s larger academic medical centers including Wake Forest University School of Medicine (NC), Medical University of South Carolina School of Medicine and College of Pharmacy (SC), Duke University School of Medicine(NC), University of North Carolina School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy(NC), Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (NC), University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Pharmacy (SC) and North and South Carolina’s Department of Public Health.
Members of CASE are the leaders and decision makers of the antimicrobial stewardship efforts in the Carolina’s. They collaborate information and ideas to establish the most effective and efficient standards for the antimicrobial stewardship. Members consist of: clinical microbiologists, infectious disease pharmacist, infectious disease health care providers (MD, PA and RN), infection control physicians and nurses, quality control hospital administrators, public health care officials (state and national) and pharmaceutical representatives whose companies are interested in the preservation of antibiotics and the development of new antibiotics to replace the ones which no longer are effective due to antibiotic resistance.
The first five CASE conference's attendance averaged approximately 30 to 35 attendees and not a Continuing Medical Education certified event. This past year’s conference was the 8th Annual CASE Conference held in Pinehurst, NC. Two years ago the CASE planning committee, which is approximately 12 of the founders of the CASE organization, decided it was time to expand its efforts and reach out to community hospitals and medical facilities of both North and South Carolina who need to implement effective antimicrobial stewardship efforts in their facilities. We also have clinical rapid diagnostic exhibitors and the pharmacutical industry exhibits now participating in the conference as well. A Continuing Medical Education workshop is held on Friday afternoon before the evenings reception and keynote guest dinner speaker. This year’s attendance totaled 65+ attendees. The 9th Annual CASE Conference will be held in Charleston, SC April 24 -25, 2009. For more information about the upcoming conference follow this link, http://www1.wfubmc.edu/CME/Calendar/ to register, or you may contact Michelle Wallis in the section of infectious disease at 336-716-6342 or email: mwallis@wfubmc.edu, Roger White, PharmD whiterl@musc.edu or Christopher Ohl, MD at cohl@wfubmc.edu