Lindsay, October 17, 2005

"Infection Control Professionals: Partners in Prevention!” is the theme of this year's National Infection Control Week, October 17 to October 21, 2005. Infection Control Professionals are working to bridge the gap between hospitals and the community, health care providers and the public.

“We are all partners in the prevention and control of communicable diseases, and incorporating infection prevention and control measures into our daily lives is the key”, says Leanne Harding, Coordinator of Infection Control at Ross Memorial Hospital. “Hand hygiene, the appropriate use of protective barriers, and immunization are the three cornerstones in prevention. These measures and other strategies are part of our weeklong campaign sponsored by the Community and Hospital Infection Control Association of Canada (CHICA).”

The Infection Control department at RMH plans to celebrate National Infection Control Week with a variety of activities including displays highlighting infection prevention and control information. In recognition of the dedication of RMH staff to good infection control practices, they will also be hosting an open house for all RMH staff, sponsored by Homestead Oxygen & Medical Equipment Inc. and Johnson Diversey.

According to CHICA, every year brings new challenges to our health care system. In fact, the challenges of preventing infections are numerous in the face of increasing globalization and newly emerging infectious diseases.

New threats such as avian and pandemic influenza and old familiar ones such as C. difficile and MRSA are providing new challenges and require continuous diligence for their prevention and control. That is why the role of infection prevention has never been more critical -- it is therefore vitally important that we continually reshape our responses to such challenges.

CHICA-Canada is a national organization comprised of 19 regional chapters providing a forum for information sharing and the development of improved practices in infection prevention and control. Visit CHICA-Canada's web site (www.chica.org) for infection prevention and control information.