The holidays have passed and the new year has started. PICNet is looking forward to a year filled with new projects and initiatives. One upcoming project is the Clostridium Difficile Infection (CDI) Toolkit for health care providers. We will be reviewing other new project proposals submitted to us for consideration in 2010/11.

We are also hoping to complete many projects which are currently underway. The data collection for the Long-Term Care Needs Assessment is complete and a final report will be released early this year. The Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) Online Education Module is undergoing beta testing and will be available on the PICNet website. A hand hygiene resource page will be added to our website this month, which includes a wide range of information from standards and guidelines to educational resources. Lastly, we are expanding our surveillance program to include more Hospital Associated Infections (HAIs), with the Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) module currently under development.

Be part of the PICNet 2010/2011 Calendar!                                       Call for photography submissions

Last year’s fiscal calendar was widely appreciated by our Community of Practice. We are currently working on this year’s calendar and we need your help. Are you a photographer at heart? Do you have an eye for visual arts? This is your chance to be featured in our calendar. Please submit your infection control related digital artwork or photography (JPEG or JPG format) to us by email at picnet@phsa.ca. The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2010.

Provincial Surveillance Program

The Surveillance Steering Committee held a meeting on December 2, 2009 to discuss and agree upon case definitions and minimal data set for the MRSA surveillance module. The 1^st draft was completed and is currently under review by the group. The committee will be meeting again this month to further discuss and finalize the case definitions and minimal data set.

Surgical Site Infection E-Module

Vancouver Coastal Health’s Educational Technologies Department and PICNet are working together to develop an Online Education Module for Surgical Site Infections (SSIs). The education module is designed to give patient care personnel a better understanding of SSIs and to teach best practices for the prevention and recognition of SSIs. The module is now undergoing beta testing with a planned launch early this year. Watch the PICNet website for this new educational opportunity.

GI Outbreak Guidelines

The gastrointestinal outbreak guidelines are intended to provide health care facilities with evidence based reference material to aid in developing or updating policies or processes that pertain to the prevention, the surveillance for, and the identification and control of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks. The guidelines will be posted to our website this month for review by our community of practice.

Hand Hygiene Web Resource Page

In collaboration with our community of practice, we will be releasing our Hand Hygiene resource page this month. The page will include useful links to documents and websites on the Internet, which will be a useful aid for educators and infection control programs. Resources include international standards and guidelines, links to campaigns around the world, and educational resources. If your organization would like to share your best practices with PICNet, please send us an email at picnet@phsa.ca. Watch for the release of the new page on the PICNet website or become part of our Community of Practice by contacting us to receive regular updates.

Community of Practice Survey

We would like to know how we are doing. A survey is currently being developed to request feedback about PICNet from our Community of Practice. Participants will be randomly selected to participate in this survey. We are hoping to receive constructive feedback from our community to further develop PICNet and learn from our partners. You will be contacted directly if you are chosen to participate.

Project Proposals

The deadline for proposals to be considered for the next fiscal year was December 31, 2009. Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal. All project applicants will be contacted after proposals are reviewed in early 2010.

Education Resource Fund

The application deadline for the Education Resource fund grant is March 31, 2010. Members of PICNet’s Community of Practice may apply to receive up to $2,000 annually to support their attendance at a conference, meeting or other educational activity of their choice. All applications will be reviewed after the deadline. If you qualified to receive funding for this fiscal year (2009/2010), please remember to submit your receipts for reimbursement before March 31^st, 2010.

For downloadable proposal and application forms visit the Forms & Feedback section of www.picnetbc.ca.

Upcoming Meetings

Jan. 12

Guidelines Steering Committee

Jan. 14

Advisory Committee

Jan. 21

GI Outbreak Working Group

Jan. 25

Communications Leadership Group

Since February 2006 PICNet has purchased and hosted educational classes offered by Webber Training.  These classes address topics of interest to infection control professionals and other health care professionals worldwide.

For more information on the topics and faculty of the 2010 Teleclass Education lecture series please visit the Webber Training web site www.webbertraining.com. The 2010 Webber Training schedule has been posted on the PICNet website, which can be accessed through the Education and Training section. Sign-up to receive email reminders of upcoming teleclasses which include links to class slides, handouts and the local PICNet teleconference connection number by contacting us.

Upcoming Webber Teleclasses

Date

Teleclass Topic and Speaker

Jan. 21

The Role of Environmental Surfaces in Healthcare Infections

Dr. Phillip Carling, Boston University School of Medicine

Jan. 28

Improved Oral Hygiene in Intubated Patients to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Dr. Charles John Palenik, Indiana University School of Dentistry

Feb. 9

Post-Discharge Surveillance Made Easy

Dr. Judith Tanner, De Montfort University

Feb. 11

International Trends in Sharpes Injury Prevention

Dr. Terry Grimmond, Grimmond and Associates, New Zealand