Author: Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, MD

New Faculty Spotlight – Dr. Nicolas Cortes-Penfield

Tell us about the position you are starting? I’m joining the Infectious Diseases Division as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of UNMC’s Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) program.  My clinical practice will be primarily devoted to seeing patients on the Orthopedic Infectious Diseases hospital service, meaning I’ll work with orthopedic surgeons at […]

Aug 5, 2019

Pharm2Exam Table: What is persistent MRSA bacteremia and how is it treated?

The following is a clinical review written by Ashleigh Grammar, PharmD, a recent graduate of the UNMC College of Pharmacy, and supervised by Scott Bergman PharmD FIDSA, Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator of Nebraska Medicine Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (@bergmanscott) What is persistent MRSA bacteremia and how is it treated? Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccous aureus (MRSA) (photo credit: CDC Public Health Image […]

Jul 22, 2019

Dr. Susan Swindells to lead new TB prevention clinical trial

We are very proud to have Dr. Susan Swindells as a part of our division. A nationally and internationally renowned HIV clinical researcher, Dr. Swindells is a Professor of Internal Medicine-Infectious Diseases at University of Nebraska Medical Center. For many years she has led the Specialty Care Center in providing extraordinary care to patients with […]

Jul 15, 2019

Inpatient Diarrheal Illness…Don’t Flush your Money: Save it with Diagnostic Stewardship!

Recently, a multidisciplinary team at UNMC published a diagnostic stewardship study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE) entitled: Hardwiring diagnostic stewardship using electronic ordering restrictions for gastrointestinal pathogen testing, that prompted a press release from The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and a feature on an upcoming ICHE podcast episode. Drs. Jasmine Marcelin and Trevor Van […]

Jul 1, 2019

Everyone Should be Tested for HIV

Today is National HIV Testing Day, and one of the most fulfilling conversations to have with persons living with HIV (PLWH) is to share that since the 1980’s, we have made significant progress in the management of the AIDS epidemic. FDA approval of 27 antiretrovirals and 20 fixed dose combination antiretrovirals, increased HIV testing campaigns and […]

Jun 27, 2019

Congratulations to our graduating ID Fellows!

On Tuesday June 4, 2019, the Infectious Diseases Division gathered to celebrate two outstanding fellows, Drs. Raj Karnatak and Richard Hankins. Both are graduating and moving on to amazing next steps. In 2017, our ID fellowship program was expanded to 2 fellows per year and both Dr. Hankins and Dr. Karnatak welcomed the opportunity to […]

Jun 14, 2019

Fasting around the World: A Celebration of Diversity and Culture at UNMC ID

Infectious Diseases is a specialty that is inherently diverse, if you consider our patient population and the constellation of diseases we treat.  Our UNMC ID division is a diverse and welcoming community, encompassing faculty, fellows, nurses, advanced practice providers and staff from different cultures, languages, race/ethnicities, geographic origin and faiths. Three of our faculty, Drs. […]

May 31, 2019

Do you really need to test the poo? Diagnostic stewardship for (outpatient) diarrheal illness

Rapid molecular testing has changed the landscape of diagnostic approaches to many infectious disease syndromes, including diarrheal illnesses. These panels typically have the capacity to diagnose multiple organisms in one test. The FilmArray gastrointestinal pathogen panel (BioFire) tests 22 stool pathogens. Despite the impact of improved clinical efficiency, these tests are often expensive, especially in […]

May 28, 2019

Dr. Elizabeth Schnaubelt promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force

Please join us in extending congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Schnaubelt for her promotion to Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col).  This is a very significant achievement that is given in recognition of a military officer’s expertise, professionalism, and leadership abilities.  Here is a little bit of background on Lt Col Schnaubelt’s role here, and how she found her […]

May 22, 2019

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Program: Keeper of the S. aureus bacteremia Checklist Manifesto

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a serious and sometimes devastating infection. There are established guidelines for optimal management, and more recently, numerous studies have shown the benefits of Infectious Diseases consultation, including improving guideline-adherent management, and reducing hospital stays, 30-day readmissions, and in-hospital mortality. Pharmacist-driven initiatives embedded within the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) have also […]

May 10, 2019