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Division of Infectious Diseases

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photo Ricardo Arbulu, MD

Infectious Diseases

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, UPMC Mercy

Associate Program Director, Internal Residency Program at UPMC Mercy

Twitter Handle: @RicardoArbuluMD

Email: arbuluguerrard@upmc.edu

Phone: 412-232-7539
Contact
Office: 1400 Locust St
Mercy Building B (Ermire), Room 10549
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
 
Phone: 412-232-7539
Fax: 412-232-7378
E-mail: arbuluguerrard@upmc.edu
Education and Training
Education
MD, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, 2004
Training
Internal Medicine Internship, Henry Ford Hospital, 2007
Internal Medicine Residency, Henry Ford Hospital, 2009
Infectious Diseases Fellowship, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2011
Research Interest
Dr. Arbulu is interested in evaluating common opportunities for optimizing antibiotic use encountered in primary care and hospital medicine. Current projects include:
- Implementation of a primary care/infectious diseases outpatient protocol to manage inappropriately labeled penicillin allergies.
- Effectiveness of oral antibiotics and long-acting glycopeptides for osteomyelitis associated with diabetic foot infections.
- Appropriate choice and duration of antibiotics for prophylaxis after grade 3 open fractures.
Clinical Interest
Dr. Arbulu’s interest and current practice is in general infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship.

Prior to joining University of Pittsburgh in 2018, Dr. Arbulu conceived and initiated the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa. At the time of its inception in 2015, a program of this nature was lacking throughout Central Iowa outside of Des Moines. By the third quarter into the ASP, the Standardized Index Ratio of hospital-onset Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea decreased by 58.1% from baseline. By the end of the ASP's second year, the hospital achieved a 21.6% cumulative reduction in the antimicrobial cost per patient-day. Dr. Arbulu later led the expansion of the ASP to nursing homes and to a critical care access hospital within the network. In 2018, the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative recognized Mary Greeley Hospital’s ASP with the 2018 Quality and Safety Award, quoting its innovative nature in the Region.
Educational Interest
Dr. Arbulu oversees the Infectious Diseases curriculum for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at UPMC Mercy. He also conducts educational activities directed to Podiatry and Pharmacy Residents at UPMC Mercy.
Dr. Arbulu is currently conducting an initiative to optimize noon conferences at the Internal Medicine Program at UPMC Mercy and providing feedback to Faculty on their lectures.

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
1218 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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