What is OPAT?

OPAT is the administration of intravenous (IV) antibiotics outside of an acute care hospital, such as in a skilled nursing facility, outpatient infusion center, or in the home.

Typically, a home-care health nurse will conduct a first visit, instructing the patient and/or caregiver on how to administer and maintain OPAT.  The nurse usually returns once weekly for dressing changes, draw labs, and monitor the patient for adverse events.  Alternatively, the patient may be asked to return to the OPAT clinic for these services.

The goal of OPAT services is to provide high quality patient care outside the hospital and reduce hospital re-admissions. 

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center OPAT Clinic

The Infectious Disease Division has an integrated OPAT management program for patients discharged from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.  This means patients will be managed by a team of specialists from both Johns Hopkins Bayiew Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital depending on which antibiotics patients need.

Patients have the option of being seen at any of our locations:  Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center OPAT clinic.  Rockland Physician Practice at Greenspring Station clinic or the Johns G. Bartlett Specialty Practice.

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

William F Wright, DO, MPH leads the Johns Hopkins Bayview OPAT clinic. Other physicians with a special clinical interest in OPAT include Mamuka Machaidze, MD; and Sara Karaba, MD, PhD. The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center OPAT clinic is located at:

Rockland Physician Practice at Greenspring Station

Sara Keller, MD, MPH, MSPH leads the Greenspring OPAT clinic.  Other physicians with a special clinical interest in OPAT include Christopher Lippincott, MD, MPH; Maryana Shenderov, MD; and Mamuka Machaidze, MD and William Wright, DO, MPH.  The Johns Hopkins Rockland Physician Practice at Greenspring is located at:

John G. Bartlett Specialty Practice

Sara Keller, MD, MPH, MSPH leads the Bartlett OPAT clinic. Other physicians with a special clinical interest in OPAT include Christopher Lippincott, MD, MPH; Maryana Shenderov, MD; Karen Coffey, MD, MPH; Juhi Moon, MD; Mamuka Machaidze, MD; and William Wright, DO, MPH. The John G. Bartlett Specialty Practice is located at:

Clinical Excellence Award

From L to R: Jonathan Efron, MD; Carol Sylvester, RN, MS; Jennifer Townsend, MD; Jacqueline Heslin, BSN; Landon King, MD

In response to post-discharge safety issues, Johns Hopkins Bayview formed a multidisciplinary team to improve tracking and care coordination for patients on IV antibiotics.  With leadership from Carol Sylvester, RN, Vice President of Care Management Services, and Mitra Gavgani, PharmD, Vice President, Pharmacy Services at Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, the OPAT team includes a medical director and nurse case manager, as well as resources from the home care group, such as database management, nurse management and communications support.

Through the executive sponsorship of Carol Sylvester, RN, MS, Vice President of Care Management Services, Carol and the Johns Hopkins Bayview OPAT Team received the 2018 Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Excellence Award for Innovations in Clinical Care.  The award is presented to the physician, nurse and/or team who demonstrates a visionary approach to problem solving and performance improvement.