The facts-at-a-glance
- The first province-wide public release of VRE bacteremia rates for all Ontario hospitals occurred on December 30, 2008
- Hospitals will post their own number of VRE bacteremia cases and rates on their own websites. At the same time, the Ministry of health and Long Term Care will post the numbers and rates for all hospitals on a public website.
- SFMH believes the reporting of VRE bacteremia rates is a beneficial step and is in full support of this initiative.
- Good handwashing by everyone, healthcare staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and visitors, is the single-most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like VRE
- SFMH is not in an outbreak situation. SFMH is a safe hospital and is committed to providing the best patient care possible.
Our Commitment
Public reporting of our infection rates is important because it will allow us to work with a standardized approach across the province. Our commitment to our patients is one of safety and continuous improvement. If our rates rise above our baseline, then we will: internally at our hospital’s processes; consult externally with experts; identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to reduce VRE bacteremia in our organization.