To manage the dual challenges of prescribing antibiotics appropriately and preventing unnecessary usage, VHAN launched a new Antibiotic Stewardship Program.

The American Migraine Foundation found that fewer than 5% of patients who suffer from migraines have been seen by a health care provider, received an accurate diagnosis and obtained appropriate care.

According to a 2017 study in Annals of Internal Medicine, 20-30% of medication prescriptions are never filled, and about 50% of medications for chronic disease are not taken as prescribed.

Coordinated care provides multiple touchpoints to ensure that no symptom goes untreated, and no patient falls through the cracks. At Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network (VHAN), clinical pharmacists, social workers and nurse care navigators collaborate to deliver proactive, timely care to patients who need it most. 

For Population Health Clinical Pharmacist Lauren Cook, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, VHAN’s cooperative approach means staying alert for complications that may arise unexpectedly with patients. Cook’s vigilance recently helped a 64-year-old blind patient avoid a potentially catastrophic health event.

On December 6, VHAN experts Jacky Bradley, PharmD, MBA, and Sophie Katz, MD, facilitated a Learning Exchange for network members to share best practices and learn how to leverage the resources from VHAN’s new Antibiotic Stewardship Program.

As 2022 comes to a close, we at VHAN are reflecting on this 10th year in service as a clinically integrated network. To thank our members for their contributions, VHAN worked with the legendary Hatch Show Print Company in Nashville to create a commemorative poster. Read the full article to see footage of VHAN’s poster being printed at Hatch Show Print in Nashville.

When the team followed up with the patient, they were able to confirm that the patient was tolerating both medication changes well.

This flu season has been one of the worst in recent years, with approximately 8.7 million flu illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations, and 4,500 flu-related deaths reported across the United States. Flu vaccines remain the best defense against this year’s flu, along antiviral medications like Tamiflu, handwashing and plenty of rest. Your patients likely have plenty of questions about treating flu symptoms or avoiding flu altogether. In this article, we address some commonly asked questions with input from clinical experts.

Antibiotics prevent millions of deaths each year, fighting bacterial infections that could otherwise lead to serious complications or even death. But after years of overuse and inappropriate prescription, various bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. To ensure optimum use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), a team of physicians and pharmacists created the Vanderbilt Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (VASP). Learn more about the program’s successes in this case study.