MOULTRIE — Colquitt Regional Medical Center has received the prestigious platinum designation — the highest honor — from the Georgia Department of Public Health in the Acute Care Antibiotic Stewardship Program Honor Roll.

This recognition underscores the hospital’s commitment to promoting responsible antibiotic use and improving patient outcomes in the acute care setting.

“We are thrilled to receive this platinum designation from the Georgia Department of Public Health,” said Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney. “Patient safety is always our top priority, and this award highlights our commitment to keeping our patients safe through responsible antibiotic use.”

Antibiotic stewardship is a program put into place to measure and improve antibiotic prescribing by physicians and use by patients. Antibiotic stewardship strives to minimize missed or delayed diagnoses that can lead to underuse of antibiotics. It is also crucial to ensure that the right drug, dose, and duration are selected when an antibiotic is needed.

As the hospital began to pursue this designation, it established an antibiotic stewardship committee. This committee began to meet and implement several procedures and measures, including an antibiotic stewardship policy for documenting the indication for antibiotic orders, annually reporting on the impact of the committee’s stewardship activities, and annually educating staff on antibiotic stewardship, among others.

“I commend this team for their efforts in helping our hospital reach this designation,” said Hospital Authority Chairman John Griffin. “Our employees are exceptional, and it is fantastic to see their work recognized at the state level.”

For more information on this designation, please contact the Colquitt Regional marketing department at (229) 890-3552.