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About the Infection Prevention and Control Hub

What is the IPAC Hub? 

As part of the Ontario Government's Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19, local networks of Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) expertise have been developed to enhance IPAC practices in community-based, congregate living settings. Through a new, province-wide network, congregate living settings will be able to access IPAC expertise, collaborative assistance, just-in-time advice, general guidance, and direct support on IPAC practices for both prevention and response. The Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) IPAC Hub will provides services to the following congregate living settings: 

  • Long-Term Care Comes
  • Retirement Homes
  • Treatment Settings
  • Residential Settings funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH)
  • Residential Settings for adults and children funded by Ministry of Children Community and Social Services (MCCSS)
  • Shelters
  • Supportive Housing
  • Correctional Facilities 

What services does the IPAC Hub offer? 

Working in coordination with the IPAC Hub, public health partners will support the provision of IPAC knowledge, training, and expertise to build on existing local partnerships. Ontario Health has identified organizations including hospitals, public health units, and other facilities across the province to lead local IPAC Hubs. These organizations will work with partners from across the local public health system, who have IPAC expertise, to ensure that this specialized guidance and support is available to congregate living settings though a one-window model. The following services will be provided by the PHU IPAC Hub: 

  • Identify and monitor IPAC training and practice needs within their catchment area;
  • Strengthen current partnerships and broker new ones;
  • Supporting a network of IPAC service providers and experts;
  • Working to align local resources to meet IPAC needs within congregate living settings for both prevention and response. Services will be allocated according to a risk-based framework; and,
  • Bring forward and escalate issues of concern that are outside of the scope of IPAC through established mechanisms with ministry partners.

The PHU IPAC Hub team looks forward to supporting our community to help prevent and control the spread of infectious disease. 

Connect with your IPAC Hub today!

Porcupine Health Unit's IPAC Hub team supports enhancing infection prevention and control measures for all congregate living facilities in the Porcupine region. The IPAC Hub Team offers a variety of services to help community organizations enhance their infection prevention and control knowledge and processes. These services include: 

  • Community of Practice Meetings 
    • The PHU IPAC Hub hosts Community of Practice (CoP) meetings for various congregate living groups in our region. These CoP meetings allow for participants to share knowledge, receive updates, resolve concerns, and discuss promising IPAC practices. If you are a representative of a congregate living setting in our region and would like to be added to the community of practice, please reach out to the IPAC Hub. 
  • Supportive IPAC Consultations 
    • Have questions about certain IPAC topics that are not covered in the resources lists on the IPAC Hub? Reach out to the IPAC Hub team and we can assist through consultations, risk assessments, or audits conducted by our IPAC Specialist. 
  • On-site or Virtual Education Sessions
    • The IPAC Hub team offers educational sessions on a broad range of IPAC topics including: hand hygiene practices, outbreak management planning, cohorting, environmental cleaning, etc. These presentations, consultations, and Q&A sessions are available virtually or on-site at your facility. 
  • Review of IPAC Policies and Procedures
    • In assisting community organizations to enhance their IPAC processes, the PHU IPAC Hub team offers to assist in the development and review of organizational policies and procedures related to infection prevention and control. This assistance includes any policies and procedures related to such topics as hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, IPAC auditing, outbreak management planning, and so forth. 
  • Situational Training and Mock Scenarios
    • In order to better prepare community organizations, the IPAC Hub team offers situational training and mock scenarios to develop outbreak management plans. This type of training ensures that all staff are prepared for potential outbreaks by enhancing knowledge of their roles and responsibilities. This type of training also enhances existing plans by providing realistic obstacles and scenarios based on the context of your congregate living setting.  
  • Resource Provision and Updates
    • Keeping up with the latest developments in infection prevention and control can often be chaotic. The IPAC Hub Team hopes to ease this burden by providing the latest resources and updates on infectious disease prevention and control in one location. To join the email list for relevant updates, please reach out to the IPAC Hub.

To access any of our IPAC Hub Team services, reach out to us via email or call: (705) 267 - 1181.

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