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Ontario Government’s Response to C.Difficile Includes Public Health
Public Health Units to receive additional Staffing to Bolster Infection Control Strategies
One of the most welcome elements of the Ontario government’s recently announced multifaceted strategy to control the C.dificile is the news that each health unit will be receiving an additional person—an infection control officer — to bolster the effort to control the spread of C. difficile — particularly in health care institutions across the province.
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The Honourable David Caplan, MOHLTC |
Led by Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the Honourable David Caplan, many of the most prominent voices in the provinces health care system attended a media event at the Toronto General Hospital’s Degasperis Conservatory on Friday September 26, 2008 at 1:00 pm.
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Dr. Vivek Goel President and CEO of OAHPP |
Participants included Dr. Vivek Goel, recently appointed President and CEO of the newly created public health institution the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP); Dr. David Williams, (Acting) Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario; Dr. Mary Vearncombe, Chair of the Infection Prevention Subcommittee of the Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC); Dr. Michael Gardam, recently appointed Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control at the OAHPP; Mark Rochon, Chair of the Ontario Hospital Association Board of Directors; Dr, Michael Baker, Physician-in-Chief, University Health Network and Executive Lead, Provincial Patient Safety Initiative; and Dr. Catherine Zahn, (Acting) President and CEO and Executive Vice President of Clinical Programs and Practice, University Health Network.
Ontario is boosting patient safety measures by creating infection control resource teams, funding 66 more infection prevention and control practitioners in hospitals and local health units, and supporting more effective antibiotic usage. The measures also include public reporting of C. difficile rates by all Ontario Hospitals. Rates must be posted on websites of all Ontario hospitals as well as on the public website of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s (MOHLTC) public web site. Public reporting will enable hospitals to monitor C. Difficile rates in their facilities so that the most appropriate infection control measures and highest possible standards of patient safety can be put in place.
"We are pleased to establish infection control resource teams that will work with the ministry, local public health units and hospitals to provide on-the-ground expertise that will help front-line health care workers deal effectively with infectious diseases," said Dr. Vivek Goel, president and CEO of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion.
Infection control resource teams (ICRTs) will provide rapid on-site assistance during an infectious disease outbreak when the Chief Medical Officer of Health determines that a need exists.
Altogether, Ontario has now provided funding for 166 hospital infection control practitioners ICPs)-one for every 100 hospital beds. This represents the best ICP to hospital bed ratio in North America. In addition to the increase announced at the media event (one more per health unit) Ontario has previously funded 180 infection control staff in health units.
Of all the measures designed to fight the spread of infectious diseases the medical experts all agree that good hand hygiene (regular and thorough hand washing) is the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. This is being vigorously promoted province-wide through the Just Clean Your Hands Program.
For further information visit the Patient Safety pages of the MOLTC website or call Service Ontario INFOline at 1-866-532-3161.
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