Name: Cameron Thomas
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Title & Department: Infection Control Practitioner, IPAC (Infection Prevention and Control)
On the WCH team for (eg. 5 years): Less than a month
1. What exactly is Infection, Prevention and Control (IPAC) and why is it important for members of #TeamWCH to know about it?
I think after the last 3 years everyone is much more familiar with IPAC and the importance of basic measures like cleaning your hands, using personal protective equipment such as masks and proper cleaning/disinfection of our environment (including equipment). One of my goals is to convince everyone that there’s more to IPAC than just COVID. I know a lot of people have COVID fatigue (and even more have IPAC fatigue) but it’s important to remember that the other communicable diseases are still out there and we can’t afford to move backward. If you have questions, or just want to vent your frustrations about IPAC/COVID, stop me in the hall or email me!
2. What does your typical workday look like?
I’m still figuring that out! Generally, rounding through various departments to observe current practices, get feedback from frontline staff about IPAC related concerns and processes, answer questions, review current policies, procedures and workflow to assess potential opportunities for improvement. Review lab results for ongoing surveillance to identify potential clusters of various pathogens and address these clusters before they can become outbreaks. IPAC also provides educational sessions for staff about the most up-to-date IPAC related concerns, technology and research, as well as consulting on construction related activities to ensure we are protecting staff and patients from risks associated with such activities.
3. What excites you the most about working at WCH?
The culture and mission. I’ve spent the last 8 years working in acute care and in my short time here, I can really see that everyone here – staff, physicians, volunteers – is committed to living the mission and passionate about providing the best possible care to people who have historically been marginalized in healthcare and society. Here it really feels like everyone is laser focused on compassion, equity and supporting their patients.
4. How does your work in IPAC contribute to creating a positive patient experience?
The superficial answer is that good IPAC practices help keep patients, staff and communities safe from communicable diseases. In my opinion, the role of IPAC is also to weigh the risks beyond just the scope of IPAC to recognize that IPAC is not one size fits all. Working with frontline staff to contextualize specific patient needs and backgrounds is essential to provide guidance that is not only practical but properly supports the patient by considering their unique mental health needs and background. For example, the use of additional precautions (often called isolation) can have a stigmatizing effect on the patient and further impact the quality of care they receive. Recognizing where the actual risk lies and working with clinical staff to address that risk while maintaining the dignity of the patient is the goal.
5. What are your top three IPAC tips for all our WCH Staff, Physicians & Volunteers?
- Ask ‘why?’ All too often people in IPAC tend to teach the concepts using language and recommendations that are technical and don’t focus enough on the ‘why’. My goal is to help people to understand the reasoning behind IPAC recommendations. Instead of memorizing the 4 moments of hand hygiene, just think about what you touched last and what you’re about to touch, is there an inherent risk? If so, clean your hands. The more people understand where these risks come from the more likely they are to internalize them and sustain those improved practices.
- Talk to me. Not because I have all the answers but because you do. I can come observe practices and inspect environments all I want but I would be missing the most useful resource available: YOU, the people who work in that department every day. I need your feedback, what’s working? What could be improved? What concerns do you have?
- Internalize IPAC. Take a moment to think “Would I do anything differently if this were my parent/partner/child?” If the answer is yes, follow that instinct. For example, you grab a piece of shared equipment from the hall to perform vitals on a patient, if you were going to use this on a loved one would you trust that the device sitting in the hallway was clean? If not, clean it.
6. Tell us one to three things that your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you!
Outside of work, it’s impossible for me to turn off my IPAC sense, which drives my wife insane. We have a 2-year-old, who is amazing. Anyone who has met a 2-year-old knows this: they’re disgusting. So I have had to accept that my son will occasionally eat things off the floor and that every surface in my house is covered in yuck immediately after I clean it.
I spent one year living in Ethiopia, which was an amazing and challenging experience. Ethiopia and the more than 80 cultures within it are very dear to my heart. My experience there and extensive time spent with local and expat physicians in the local hospitals was the catalyst that drove my passion for IPAC. I would love to return to Ethiopia in the future to repay the hospitality and kindness I experienced there by sharing my IPAC expertise gained through my experiences working in healthcare in Canada.
I do some woodworking in my (very infrequent – see above re: 2-year-old) spare time. I don’t think anyone would want to commission me to build something for them yet but I enjoy the process and find it to be therapeutic. At least one thing will always go wrong in a project and it’s been helpful to learn how to not only accept that, but expect it and be confident that I’ll come up with something to make it work.
Interested in working with us? Check out our Careers Page!