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It's Not Too Late...
 Another influenza season is in full swing. We are currently seeing localized influenza activity. To keep up to date on influenza activity in your area, check out the Public Health Agency of Canada's - FluWatch website.
It's not too late to get your flu shot! In their Statement on Influenza Vaccination for the 2008-2009 Season, the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) advises that vaccine should continue to be offered to individuals at risk who have not been immunized during the current season, even after influenza activity has been documented in the community.
For more information on the flu and the flu shot visit the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care's Flu Website or FightFlu.ca.
HAI Prevention Strategies
One of the basic ethical principles of healthcare is to "do no harm." And, while the vast majority of individuals who seek health care receive excellent treatment and care, the chances that an individual will acquire a healthcare associated infection (HAI) remain unacceptably high. In an effort to address this issue, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has set out a comprehensive plan to create an unprecendented level of transparency in Ontario's hospitals. A significant part of this plan is the mandatory reportinf on eight patient safety indicators by all Ontario hospitals.
Other jurisdictions have also made tackling HAIs a priority. To this end, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) created a compendium of practical strategies for preventing the six most significant hospital-acquired infections. View the compendium here.
Congratulations!
Sandy Stevens, Brant County Health Unit; Lisa Fortuna, Halton Regional Health Unit; Eva Hatzis, Hamilton Public Health and Community Services; these are the latest members of the infection control cummunity in our area to successfully write their certification exam in infection control. As well, Virginia Tirilis, Central South Infection Control Network successfully re-certified. Congratulation to all of you!
If you are interested in becoming certified in infection control, let us know. We can start you down the road to success and support you as you prepare to write the exam.
Local Success Story
Hamilton Health Sciences recently underwent the accreditation process with Accreditation Canada and was awarded a full, three-year accreditation without report.
One of the significant highlights of the accreditation report identified the use of the GlitterBug cleaning process for infection prevention and control as a "Leading Practice" for sharing with other organizations.
Hamilton Health Sciences uses the GlitterBug potion to evaluate routine cleaning of washrooms and discharge cleaning of Contact Precaution isolation rooms on all units except the critical care areas. As a part of this initiative a Customer Support Services Employee Rewards and Recognition program has been developed which acknowledges high performing employees. One of the many keys to the success of this initiative has been the immediate feedback that is provided to frontline cleaning staff on the units. The initiative has seen improvement of greater than 80% in the cleaning since the initiation of the project. This initiative has also resulted in a renewed excitement and awareness of the importance of the environmental role and the impact it has in the overall health and safety of patients.
Our congratulations goes out to Hamilton Health Sciences!
New Recruit 
On January 15, Nicole Kenny welcomed Sawyer William David Kenny into the world. Nicole is a member of CHICA-HANDIC and an ad-hoc member of the CSICN Education Working Group. Sawyer has already made himself at home in the local IPAC community, having attended his first Education Working Group meeting on February 11. Welcome Sawyer and Congratulations Nicole! |
