Hospitals across the country are facing a growing challenge: infectious disease specialists are increasingly difficult to recruit — especially in rural communities. At the same time, expectations around antibiotic stewardship and responsible antibiotic use continue to rise.
For many hospitals, maintaining consistent infectious disease oversight while managing antibiotic utilization and pharmacy spend requires a new approach.
One community hospital in the Northern Great Plains region found a solution through teleInfectious Disease and Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) support.
When the hospital lost its on-site infectious disease physician, the facility partnered with Access TeleCare to implement a virtual infectious disease consult service alongside structured stewardship oversight. The program introduced regular case reviews, collaboration with hospitalists and pharmacy teams, and evidence-based prescribing guidance.
The results were significant, including substantial reductions in antibiotic utilization and pharmacy spend while strengthening stewardship oversight.
Later, when the hospital reintroduced teleInfectious disease services after a period of in-person coverage, antibiotic costs dropped even further—demonstrating the sustainability of the model.
