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CDAD Intro

Introduction to Clostridium Difficile Associated Disease (CDAD):

The facts at-a-glance

  • The first province-wide, public release of C. difficile rates for all Ontario hospitals occurred Friday, September 26, 2008.
  • Hospitals will post their own number of C. difficile cases and rates on their own websites. At the same time, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care will post the numbers and rates for all hospitals on a public website.
  • SFMH believes the reporting of C. difficile rates is a beneficial step and is in full support of this initiative.
  • Good hand washing by everyone, healthcare staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and visitors, is the single-most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like C. difficile.
  • SFMH is not in an outbreak situation. SFMH is a safe hospital and is committed to providing the best patient care possible.

Our Commitment
Public reporting of our infection rates is important because it will allow us to work with a standardized approach across the province. Our commitment to our patients is one of safety and continuous improvement. If our rates rise above our baseline, then we will: look internally at our hospital’s processes, consult externally with experts; identify areas for improvement, and implement strategies to reduce C. difficile in our organization.