3. OTTAWA PUBLIC HEALTH STAFFING UPDATE MISE À JOUR SUR LA DOTATION DU
PERSONNEL DE SANTÉ PUBLIQUE OTTAWA |
Committee RecommendationS
That Council approve
1. An increase of FTEs for the Healthy Sexuality
and Risk Reduction Unit, from 0.3 to 1.8, to be funded 100% by the Ontario
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) AIDS Bureau, and
2. The establishment of one (1) FTE in the Communicable Disease Control and Outbreak Management Unit, for a full-time Infection Prevention and Control Nurse (ICN), to be funded 100% by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
RECOMMANDATIONS
DU COMITÉ
Que le Conseil approuve
1.
une augmentation du nombre d’ETP au
sein de l’Unité de la santé-sexualité et de la réduction des risques, de 0,3 à
1,8, qui seraient entièrement (100 %) financés par le Bureau de lutte contre le sida du ministère de la
Santé et des Soins de longue durée de l’Ontario (MSSLDO);
2.
l’établissement d’un (1) ETP au sein
de l’Unité de la lutte contre les maladies transmissibles
et la gestion des éclosions, en vue de créer un poste à temps plein
d’une infirmière en prévention et contrôle des infections, qui serait
entièrement (100 %) financé par le ministère de la Santé et des Soins de
longue durée de l’Ontario.
Documentation
1.
Deputy
City Manager's report, City Operations dated 25 May 2009
(ACS2009-COS-OPH-0003).
Community and Protective Services Committee
Comité des services communautaires et de protection
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par: Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/
Directeur municipal adjoint,
City Operations/Opérations
municipales
Contact Person/Personne ressource: Dr. Isra Levy, Medical Officer of Health
Ottawa
Public Health/Santé publique Ottawa
(613)
580-2424 x 23681, Isra.Levy@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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Mise à jour
sur la dotation du personnel de Santé publique Ottawa |
That Community and Protective Services
Committee recommend that Council, as the Board of Health, approve the
following:
1. An increase of FTEs for the Healthy Sexuality and Risk Reduction Unit, from 0.3 to 1.8, to be funded 100% by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) AIDS Bureau, and
2. The establishment of one (1) FTE in the Communicable Disease Control and Outbreak Management Unit, for a full-time Infection Prevention and Control Nurse (ICN), to be funded 100% by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Que le Comité des
services communautaires et de protection recommande au Conseil, à titre de
conseil de santé, d’approuver:
1.
une augmentation du nombre d’ETP au
sein de l’Unité de la santé-sexualité et de la réduction des risques, de 0,3 à
1,8, qui seraient entièrement (100 %) financés par le Bureau de lutte contre le sida du ministère de la Santé
et des Soins de longue durée de l’Ontario (MSSLDO);
2.
l’établissement d’un (1) ETP au sein
de l’Unité de la lutte contre les maladies
transmissibles et la gestion des éclosions, en vue de créer un poste à
temps plein d’une infirmière en prévention et contrôle des infections, qui
serait entièrement (100 %) financé par le ministère de la Santé et des
Soins de longue durée de l’Ontario.
Healthy Sexuality and Risk Reduction Unit
The
Healthy Sexuality and Risk Reduction Program (HSRR) receives funding from the
Ministry of Health and Long-term Care AIDS Bureau. The purpose of this report is to obtain approval to increase the
HSRR unit FTE count funded by the AIDS Bureau from 0.3 to 1.8.
As of this date, Council has approved 0.3 FTEs. The AIDS Bureau has supported use of the
funding for hiring above the 0.3 FTE level over the years.
100%
provincial funding from the AIDS Bureau has increased over the years, such that
the budget can support an increase in permanent FTEs. The current use of funds for temporary positions requires
formalization of the capacity to hire up to 1.8 FTEs. Challenges with recruiting and retaining experienced staff in the
program exist without the ability to hire staff permanently. The current situation results in increased
time spent recruiting, orienting and supervising new staff and loss of
experienced staff when temporary postings expire and must be re-posted under the collective agreement.
Through
its programs and services, Ottawa Public Health is mandated by the Provincial
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to promote sexual health and prevent
sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and blood borne illnesses.
The
HSRR unit's goal is to reduce the incidence rates and complications associated
with sexually transmitted infections and blood born infections. This is accomplished by promoting sexual
health through a variety of services including, but not limited to, free
screening and treatment of STIs; the provision of low or no cost contraception
and emergency contraception; anonymous or confidential HIV testing (including
rapid testing); pap testing; Hepatitis A and B vaccinations; and counselling on
STIs, contraception, safer sex and healthy relationships; and risk reduction.
Communicable Disease Control and Outbreak
Management Unit, Infection Control Practioner Position
In May 2008, the Ontario government announced that hospitals would be required to publicly report eight patient safety indicators, including Clostridium difficile, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio, Ventillator-Associated Pneumonia, Central Line Infections, Surgical Site Infection Prevention for Hip and Knee Surgeries, and Hand Hygiene Compliance. The goal of these new reporting requirements is to increase patient safety, and strengthen infection prevention and control in health care institutions and the community.
On February 09, 2009, the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Public Health Division of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, notified all public health units in the province that they would receive 100% funding, to hire a full-time Infection Prevention and Control Nurse (ICN) as one aspect of this larger initiative. The primary role of this position will be to work closely with local acute care hospitals, as part of a new resource team, to support the achievement of these goals.
Funding eligibility criteria for this position was clearly outlined by OMOHLTC, including:
· It must be used for the creation of additional hours of nursing service (Full-Time Equivalents/FTEs).
· It must be used for nursing salaries/benefits and cannot be used to support operating or education costs.
· Applicants must have a nursing designation.
· Applicants must have, or are committed to obtaining a Certification in Infection Control within three (3) years of beginning employment.
· This position must be maintained as part of baseline nurse staffing levels.
· A majority of the ICN’s time must be spent on infection prevention and control activities.
· Financial and statistical data must be reported to the Ministry on a quarterly basis on FTE numbers, and salary/benefit costs as part of the regular reporting using existing mechanisms.
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) currently has an Environment, Health Protection and Outbreak Management Unit that plays a vital role in building our community’s capacity to prevent and control infectious diseases. The new ICN would support this Unit, by participating in the education of health care providers and the public on key infectious disease topics, assisting in the management of outbreaks in institutions and in the community, monitoring health risks in Ottawa that require a local public health response, and contributing to the comprehensive case management of all reportable communicable diseases. The new ICN role will also enable OPH to strengthen their partnership with local acute care hospitals.
CONSULTATION
This report is administrative in nature and therefore no consultation was required.
There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing any of the recommendations in this report.
There are no financial implications with the approval of the recommendations contained in this report.
Ottawa Public Health, will action any direction received as part of consideration of this report .