Infection Prevention and the Anti-Microbial Stewardship Program at Southcoast Health
Our Mission: Our mission is to ensure that every patient gets optimal antibiotic therapy during their hospital stay. The Antimicrobial Stewardship Program is actively working towards making this a reality for every patient, every day, in every setting at Southcoast Health.
Who we are: A designated group of individuals charged with the role to optimize antimicrobIal therapy for all patients. The team includes the Executive Sponsor of the ASP Program, the Executive Director of Pharmacy, ASP Infectious Disease Physicians, and ASP Infectious Disease Pharmacists with additional support from Infection Prevention, Microbiology, Hospitalists and Pharmacy team members. This team has the support of Southcoast Leadership and is available to all providers throughout the system for Antimicrobial Stewardship needs.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Stacey Ryan, Nita George Roy and Justin Gregoire will discuss:
• •The difference between a viral infection and a bacterial infection
• The importance of getting a proper diagnosis before starting antibiotics
•What an Antimicrobial Stewardship is and it benefits
· •Some common misconceptions about antibiotics
· •Risks associated with incorrect use of antibiotics
•Standard precautions and "infection prevention"
•The role of masking in healthcare settings today
•Education and training to maintain high standards of infection control
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ABOUT:
Stacey Ryan: is the Director of Infection Prevention at Southcoast Health, where she oversees the system-wide infection prevention program across our three hospitals and affiliated clinics. In this role, she provides both administrative and clinical leadership, working closely with physicians, nurses, and care teams to ensure the highest standards of safety and infection prevention for our patients and staff. Stacey's background spans more than two decades in infection prevention and public health, including earlier work in statewide infection control for correctional facilities. She holds both a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Community/Public Health Nursing, and is Board certified in infection prevention and control and healthcare epidemiology. Throughout her career, Stacey has been committed to advancing evidence-based practices, educating healthcare professionals, and driving initiatives that reduce infection risks and improve health outcomes for both patients and the broader community.
Nita Roy: is practicing as one of two Clinical Pharmacy Specialists for Infectious Disease at Southcoast Health, a three site community hospital healthcare system in Southern Massachusetts,. She attained her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia – Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 2009 and subsequently completed a PGY1 General Practice Residency at Bayhealth Medical Center in Dover, Delaware. Initially joining Southcoast as an inpatient staff pharmacist, she quickly moved into Clinical Pharmacy practice, ultimately attaining her position as an Infectious Disease Specialist for Antimicrobial Stewardship. She completed the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists Certification for Antimicrobial Stewardship and is an active member of the organization. Dr Roy was part of the original team to build the Antimicrobial Stewardship program at Southcoast, working with leadership, providers, nursing, and other healthcare professionals to create and sustain the successful Stewardship Program which now exists. She participates regularly to present to Hospital wide Committees including Utilization Review, Pharmacy & Therapeutics, and Critical Care.
Justin Gregoire: is practicing as one of two Clinical Pharmacy Specialists for Infectious Disease at Southcoast Health,has been with Southcoast Health for 18 years, his entire professional career. He began as a pharmacy intern at St. Luke’s Hospital and upon graduation from the University of Rhode Island took an inpatient pharmacist position at Charlton Memorial Hospital. After two years in the inpatient pharmacy, Justin began working as a clinical pharmacist and was one of the first clinical pharmacists at Charlton to practice in a decentralized critical care setting, including through the COVID pandemic. Along the way he obtained my MBA in Healthcare Administration from UMass Amherst and became Board Certified in Critical Care Pharmacy. Justin transitioned into a leadership role as the CMH Pharmacy Site Manager for approximately two years and returned to his passion of clinical pharmacy practice as an ID/Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist in February of 2025.