IPAC LEAD

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Are you looking for a rewarding career in the healthcare industry?

Southbridge Care Homes owns and operates several long-term care and retirement homes throughout many urban and rural areas across Ontario.

Since 1967, we’ve been building a foundation of innovation and success for operating long term care homes and retirement communities. We are redeveloping our communities so that we may continue to provide consistent, high-quality care for our residents now and in the future.

Reporting to the Regional IPAC Specialist, the IPAC Lead will be a resident safety expert who leads the planning, development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of system-wide improvements in infection prevention and serve as a role model to promote the goals of the IPAC program within the context of the vision and mission of Southbridge. You will facilitate change through interpretation and application of standards and provide best practice recommendations with the ultimate goal of improving resident outcomes and preventing disease outbreaks. 

REQUIREMENTS

• Coordination and implementation of infection prevention and control practices for the home;
• Participate in the planning of an infection surveillance program and lead the management of outbreaks in consultation with the local public health unit;
• Perform daily infection surveillance and develop the monthly surveillance report;
• Educate staff on the principles and practices of infection prevention and act as a resource regarding infection prevention and control;
• Maintain current vaccines for all residents; ensure the home is in compliance with the infection control guidelines mandated by the Long-Term Care Homes Act;
• Plan, develop, deliver and implement all training/orientation for current and new employees in accordance with legislation and health care standards, and in consultation with the Leadership Committee;
• Regularly evaluate training programs to ensure the needs of the home is being met;
• Identify and report safety hazards, conduct regular safety inspections and follow safe working practices and behavior;
• Provide expert guidance on facility design, maintenance, and construction projects;
• Lead the implementation of changes mandated by regulatory, accrediting, and licensing agencies (includes reporting communicable diseases to the local public health);
• Monitor staff compliance with infection prevention guidelines regarding the disposal of sharps and biomedical waste, use of personal protective equipment, hand hygiene practices and provides reports to the Infection Prevention Committees;
• Analyze infection trends, risk factors, and evaluate prevention and control strategies;
• Perform program assessment and make recommendations for correction and improvement;
• Lead the annual influenza vaccination campaign;
• Lead outbreak response efforts in coordination with the local public health unit;
• Conduct research and interpret evidence-based literature in developing IPAC best practices, guidelines, tools, and resources.

QUALIFICATIONS

• RN/RPN degree or diploma.
• Bachelor’s degree in other healthcare related field, e.g., Microbiology, Epidemiology, Public Health, Health Science, Medicine or Occupational Health.
• CIC-LTC certification required.
• A minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in infection control is required.
• Previous experience in long-term care as well as knowledge of applicable legislation is an asset.
• Experience and proficiency in the following:
• resident care practice
• microbiology and infectious diseases
• epidemiology and Biostatistics
• outbreak response

We would like to thank all applicants for your interest in working as part of our team! Only those selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be contacted. 

Southbridge is dedicated to fostering an accessible and inclusive environment for all candidates. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know.

At Southbridge, we care about your privacy and strive to protect Applicant Data throughout the recruitment process. To that end, information that we gather from applicants via job postings, is used solely for the purposes of recruiting and hiring.