14
Casey J Geaney, MD
Chief, Allergy,
Immunology and
Immunizations
LTC
|
MC
|
USA
WRB
Integrated Regional Specialty Care Leads to
Significantly Improved Patient Access
The National Capitol Region (NCR) Allergy,
Immunology and Immunizations Service
focused its 2016 efforts on regionalizing the
care it provides to its allergy and immunology
patients. Dedicated Allergy and Immunology
providers from Walter Reed National Military
Medical Center, Fort Belvoir Community
Hospital (FBCH) and Malcolm Grow Medical
Center now represent the Service at six of our
13 Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs),
providing convenient access to care for all
patients throughout the region.
Since transitioning to this regional approach,
capacity for allergy and immunology patients
at Naval Health Clinic Quantico has increased
by 50%. Even more impressive, capacity at
our Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center has
doubled. As a result, our regional MTFs have a
recognizable medical specialty that is seen as
an advocate for its patients and also for their
facilities. In addition, WRB and FBCH continue
to serve as our tertiary medical care and
academic centers.
Research on Hymenoptera Anaphylaxis
and the Sterility of Allergen Immunotherapy
Extracts Delivers National Impact
Under the leadership of the training program
director, Dr. Maureen Petersen, and the
assistant program director, Dr. Taylor Banks,
the National Capital Consortium Allergy and
Immunology program had another successful
year. Although the fellowship has decreased in
size to four fellows from six, its academic rigor
and the output of its publications remain
undiminished.
Fellows and staff
published
eight
papers
in
peer-
reviewed
journals
over the past year,
exerting a strong
presence
and
influence on the
medical literature.
One of our fellows,
Dr. Amanda Long,
was
selected
to
present a teaching case on hymenoptera
anaphylaxis and management as part of a new
initiative at the American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma and Immunology’s annual meeting.
Allergy and Immunology staff and fellows have
continued their outreach within the medical
center and throughout the region, including
grand rounds at Johns Hopkins University.
A senior Allergy and Immunology fellow, Dr.
Camellia Hernandez, completed research
assessing
the
sterility
of
allergen
immunotherapy extracts produced by the
United States Army Centralized Allergen
Extract Laboratory (USACAEL) over the past 15
years. This important research had direct and
immediate national impact; the findings were
presented at a recent USP roundtable that
was considering changes to the practices
surrounding allergen immunotherapy. Her
exceptional scholarship represented a key
discussion point in this national-level policy
conference.
All
er
gy
Renata J Engler, MD
Co-Director, Allergy
COL
|
MC
|
USA
|
Ret
USU
Michael R Nelson, MD
Co-Director, Allergy
COL
|
MC
|
USA
USU
15
Advancements in Antimicrobial Stewardship
Improve Safety for Penicillin-Allergic Patients
and Boost Operational Readiness
In collaboration with the Infectious Diseases
Service, the Allergy and Immunology Service
has made significant strides in addressing
antimicrobial resistance at WRB and in the
NCR and the Military Health System (MHS). As
antimicrobial
stewardship
has
gained
increasing
attention,
Antimicrobial
Stewardship Programs (ASPs) have become
more prevalent and were recently added as a
Joint Commission requirement.
A significant impediment to the efficient
function of these ASPs is the 10-20% of
patients with a documented penicillin allergy.
Since the inception of the WRB ASP, Allergy
and Immunology has piloted an inpatient
penicillin
allergy
assessment
program.
Inpatient medicine teams identified and
placed consults regarding penicillin-allergic
patients; Allergy and Immunology also
proactively screened and evaluated inpatients
with a listed penicillin allergy. Testing has led
to a 97% clearance rate of those patients.
Of even greater scope has been a sister,
outpatient referral program for patients with a
penicillin allergy. Partnering first with the
Medical Readiness Service and later with the
United States Naval Academy, the Allergy and
Immunology Service created an efficient
referral and booking system for patients with
a listed penicillin allergy. Under this system
more than 150 patients have been cleared,
representing over 98% of those patients
referred. This allows patient access to often
first-line,
narrow-spectrum
agents
with
attractive side-effect profiles and decreased
risk of MRSA, VRE and C. difficile.
Clearance of penicillin allergy is both a patient
safety and operational readiness issue,
allowing providers to prescribe this group of
antibiotics with confidence. There is also a
significant healthcare cost-savings benefit,
which to date amounts to over $300,000. This
model is also eminently scalable, regionally
and potentially throughout the MHS.
Collaboration with Pediatrics Improves
the Quality of Life for Children Living with
Eosinophilic Esophagitis
WRB Allergy and Immunology continues to
support multidisciplinary clinics such as the
collaborative
Allergy
and
Pediatric
Gastroenterology
Eosinophilic
Esophagitis
Clinic. This clinic was started in 2012 in an
effort to streamline the evaluation and
management of patients with eosinophilic
esophagitis. Patients are referred from
throughout the DoD for a comprehensive
evaluation with Gastroenterology, Allergy/
Immunology and Nutrition. Over 60 patients
are currently managed in the clinic.
When Less Is More: Process Innovation
Leads to More Than 40,000 Immunizations—
and the Best Flu Campaign in 10 Years
The WRB Immunizations Service continued to
have the most productive MTF-based
immunizations services within the Military
Health System. In 2016, by simplifying the
regional mobile vaccine mission, over 40,000
immunizations were provided—leading to the
most successful mass influenza campaign in
over a decade.
Penicillin testing, such as
this intradermal skin test,
can clear more than 99%
of those labeled with a
penicillin allergy.
Opposite page:
Ms. Eleanor Barbour
prepares to demonstrate
epinephrine auto-injector
administration using a
trainer on HN Jessa
Ramirez.