University of Maryland, Baltimore Prevention Epicenter

First Funded: 2015

Overview: The University of Maryland, Baltimore Epicenter is researching new strategies for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs),  antimicrobial resistance (AR), and other adverse events in all types of healthcare facilities in the United States.

CDC Prevention Epicenters - innovative research to protect patients

About this Epicenter

This Epicenter brings together a team of investigators from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the University of Maryland Medical System, the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Healthcare System, Baylor College of Medicine, Cornell University, and the University of Pittsburgh.
The Epicenter research team has extensive experience in infectious disease epidemiology, clinical medicine, behavioral science, medical informatics, and gerontology.

Core Research Study Areas

The University of Maryland, Baltimore Epicenter research examines novel ways to reduce transmission of infectious organisms and the burden of HAIs in all healthcare settings, improve the effectiveness of personal protective equipment, advance the understanding of causes of HAIs, improve measurement and risk adjustment of HAIs and improve the use of infectious disease diagnostic testing.

Core research study areas include:

  • Statewide prevalence of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in ventilated patients in acute and long-term facilities
  • Evaluation of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia metric for acute care facilities
  • Decreasing Transmission of Multidrug Resistant Organisms (MDROs) in Chronic Ventilator Units in Nursing Homes
  • Assessing feasibility of a targeted approach to contact precautions for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in acute care settings
  • Improving clinician microbiology test interpretation and use in all healthcare settings

Multicenter Collaborative Research Projects

  • Risk factors associated with transmission of Candida auris in the acute care setting.
  • Diagnostic Stewardship for Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A cluster-randomized crossover trial of a hybrid order review and laboratory reporting intervention in acute care facilities.