CommonSpirit Health Awarded Funding To Implement Improved Antibiotic Prescribing for Children

Chicago -  April 24, 2025 - CommonSpirit Health has been awarded funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to implement a program that  reduces antibiotic resistance in children with acute respiratory tract infections and improves patient outcomes by promoting appropriate prescribing practices.

The project,  part of a larger, national implementation effort across CommonSpirit Health, will implement evidence-based strategies for improved antibiotic prescribing practices for children with acute respiratory tract infections in outpatient settings. 

"This award underscores CommonSpirit Health's unwavering commitment to clinical excellence and our dedication to prioritizing implementation of science projects on a national scale," said Dr. Thomas McGinn, Chief Physician Executive Officer, CommonSpirit Health. "We believe that by actively translating research findings into practice, we can significantly improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve."

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for children, and ensuring appropriate use of antibiotics can help prevent the growing problem of drug-resistant infections and avoid adverse side effects. Led by Dr. McGinn and Dr. Michael Dudas, Chief of Pediatrics at Virginia Mason Medical Center, this project’s objective is to improve antimicrobial stewardship in the ambulatory care setting; and, where antibiotics are warranted, to decrease the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and increase the use of narrow-spectrum antibiotics.

"We are thrilled to receive this PCORI award, which empowers us to drive large-scale implementation of ambulatory pediatric antimicrobial stewardship across CommonSpirit Health," said Dr. Dudas. "This support reflects the vital impact we can make on a challenging public health issue."

The project will  implement findings from a PCORI-funded patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) study demonstrating that narrow-spectrum antibiotics were as effective as broad-spectrum antibiotics in treating acute respiratory tract infections among children, with fewer side effects.

In 2023, CommonSpirit was selected to be a participant in  PCORI’s Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII), a multiyear initiative focused on advancing the integration of comparative clinical effectiveness research results into health care practice.  HSII aims to reduce the estimated 17-year gap between evidence publication and clinical application. This initiative recognizes that health systems’ practical experience and real-world insights are crucial for sustainable, large-scale implementation of practice-changing findings in clinical care.

CommonSpirit Health intends to leverage this experience to pursue further projects in the implementation, innovation, and dissemination space, ultimately improving patient care across its extensive network.

This funding award has been approved pending completion of PCORI’s business and programmatic review and issuance of a formal award contract.

About CommonSpirit Health

Inspired by faith. Driven by innovation. Powered by humankindness. CommonSpirit Health is building a healthier future for all through its integrated health services. As one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, CommonSpirit Health delivers more than 20 million patient encounters annually through more than 2,300 clinics, care sites and 137 hospital-based locations, in addition to its home-based services and virtual care offerings. CommonSpirit has more than 157,000 employees, 45,000 nurses and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice providers across 24 states and contributes more than $4.2 billion annually in charity care, community benefits and unreimbursed government programs. Together with our patients, physicians, partners, and communities, we are creating a more just, equitable, and innovative healthcare delivery system. Learn more at commonspirit.org.