Media Advisory - North York General is an example of success in reducing the
spread of healthcare associated infections

    
    MEDIA AVAILABILITY:   Wednesday, May 5 at 10:00 a.m.
                          Location: North York General Hospital
                          Academic Centre - Ground Level
                          North York General Hospital, General Site
                          4001 Leslie Street
                          (Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue East)
    

TORONTO, May 4 /CNW/ - It has been found that less than 40 per cent of healthcare providers wash their hands appropriately. Reasons for sub-optimal hand hygiene practices range from not enough time, to limited access to the proper tools, to just forgetting to do what's right.

Each year in Canada, 8,000 to 12,000 patients die as a result of complications of healthcare-associated infections. Through the simple act of practicing optimal hand hygiene, you can help reduce that number!

The Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI), Accreditation Canada and the Community and Hospital Infection Control Association-Canada (CHICA-Canada), have joined forces to support the practice of optimal hand hygiene in healthcare through Stop! Clean Your Hands Day on May 5, 2010.

    
    Media availability with:
      -  Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO, North York General Hospital
      -  Hugh MacLeod, CEO, Canadian Patient Safety Institute
      -  Bernadette MacDonald, Vice President Programs and Services,
         Accreditation Canada
      -  Anne Bialachowski, President, CHICA-Canada
      -  Johanna Trimble, Patients for Patient Safety Canada
    

During the event, media will also be invited to visit a patient unit to observe optimal hand hygiene in action.

For further information: Cecilia Bloxom, Director of Communication, Canadian Patient Safety Institute, Phone [phone]