Twenty-nine Massachusetts hospitals have signed the Massachusetts Hospital Association's (MHA) Antibiotic Stewardship Commitment in collaboration with Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), agreeing to purchase and serve at least one meat item that is raised without routine antibiotics within their food services menu offerings, according to an article on the Market Wired website.
"This effort will serve as a strong platform to develop specific statewide goals that appropriately tie our clinical expertise with community health prevention goals," said MHA President and CEO Lynn Nicholas.
The Centers for Disease Control has called rising rates of antibiotic resistance to be the "most pressing public health concern of our time" and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has mandated that all nursing homes institute antibiotic stewardship programs.
The 29 healthcare facilities have also committed to encourage production without the use of any routine sub-therapeutic antibiotics, reserving their use for human health and diagnosed sickness in animal production.
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