Managing C. difficile at The Scarborough Hospital

    Rate at The Grace campus is zero, hospital working proactively to do the
    same at The General campus

    TORONTO, Sept. 26 /CNW/ - The Scarborough Hospital is continuing to
implement a series of expert recommendations designed to drive its C.
difficile infection rate down at The General campus.
    The recommendations were the result of a review conducted by Dr. Michael
Gardam earlier this summer, a recognized expert in C. difficile and the
province's new Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control for the
Ontario Agency for Health Promotion and Protection. Dr. Gardam and his team
conducted the on-site review in July, and presented recommendations to the
hospital in August. These include the following:

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    Recommendation                      Action
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Enhanced cleaning procedures        Implemented, including four times
    including twice daily cleaning of   daily cleaning of rooms that housed
    washrooms and patient rooms on      C. difficile patients and project
    units with high rates for a         cleaning in key area.
    minimum of one month.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Increase housekeeping resources.    18 new cleaning staff positions
                                        approved and being filled.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Enhanced training for physicians    Underway.
    re: their role in preventing the
    spread of C. difficile.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Additional equipment to process     10 new Vernacare systems purchased,
    waste, such as Vernacare systems,   new plumbing and installation
    should be considered.               underway.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Greater emphasis on hand hygiene.   Comprehensive education program
                                        underway.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Regular reporting of infection      Public reporting already occurs via
    control issues.                     the TSH website, units will now
                                        receive specific data on their rates
                                        on a weekly basis.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    QUOTES

    "We've done some good work getting our rate down to zero at The Grace
Campus, and we're working to do the same at The General," said Dr. John
Wright, President of The Scarborough Hospital. "It's an older facility, with
plenty of challenges, but we've got a strategy in place to meet those
challenges."

    "I am impressed with the effort that the TSH infection control team has
put forward in dealing with C. difficile while facing the challenges posed by
the physical facilities and a very active hospital," explains Dr. Michael
Gardam, the province's new Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and
Control for the Ontario Agency for Health Promotion and Protection. "Building
on my recommendations, I am optimistic that The General campus will achieve
rates similar to those already achieved at The Grace."

    "We fully support the Ministry's infectious disease public reporting
strategy," says Dr. Ian Davis, Medical Director of The Scarborough Hospital's
Infection Prevention and Control Program. "This helps to focus attention on
the issues, and will be a catalyst for positive change here at The Scarborough
Hospital and across the province."

    "Our goal is zero," explains Dr. Steve Jackson, The Scarborough
Hospital's Chief of Staff. "It's going to take some hard work to get there,
but reducing those rates is a critical part of offering safe, high quality
care to our patients, and we're prepared to do what it takes."

    QUICK FACTS

    -   The Scarborough Hospital includes two acute care hospitals - The
        Grace Campus at 3030 Birchmount Road and The General Campus at 3050
        Lawrence Avenue East.

    -   Serving a diverse community of close to one million people or
        approximately one-third of the GTA, The Scarborough Hospital (TSH) is
        Canada's largest urban community hospital with 3,700 staff, more than
        700 physicians, and 800 volunteers.

    -   The General Campus opened in 1956, with several large additions over
        the years. The older parts of the building provide significant
        infection control challenges such as fewer private rooms, more shared
        bathroom facilities, equipment that is stored in public areas and
        fewer hand washing sinks. Additionally, The General tends to treat
        more patients who have pre-existing conditions that make them more
        susceptible to C. difficile, including immuno-depressed patients in
        our dialysis program.

    -   In 2006/07, TSH had 191,185 patient days and 396,054 outpatient
        visits, including over 90,000 emergency visits (over 19,000
        ambulances - one out of eight in Toronto); more than 5,500 births;
        46,000 surgical visits and more than 180,000 diagnostic imaging
        visits.

    Media Availability:

    -   Dr. John Wright, President of The Scarborough Hospital;
    -   Dr. Ian Davis, Medical Director of The Scarborough Hospital's
        Infection Prevention and Control Program;
    -   Dr. Michael Gardam, the province's new Director of Infectious Disease
        Prevention and Control for the Ontario Agency for Health Promotion
        and Protection; and
    -   Dr. Steve Jackson, The Scarborough Hospital's Chief of Staff.

    Each will be available for comment following the Ministry of Health and
Long-Term Care's 1 p.m. announcement.

For further information: To access Dr. Gardam, please contact the
University Health Network at (416) 340-4011; To access Drs. Wright, Davis and
Jackson, please contact Anne Marie Males at (416) 464-5140, amales@tsh.to