Outbreak Prevention, Response and Management

Posted on: December 13, 2022

Outbreak prevention, response and management within Island Health has a new home! Infection Prevention and Control has updated the Outbreak Management Structure (OMS) webpage with links to information, documents, tools, posters and education available in supporting Island Health employees.​

​Background:

Seasonal outbreaks affect patients and residents every year.  Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) has an internet page that is dedicated to supporting staff with the right resources to prepare for and manage these outbreaks.

Outbreak experiences and feedback provided by staff involved at both Saanich Peninsula Hospital and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital supported the development of the Acute Care Outbreak Playbook. As Island Health transitions to post pandemic IPAC has taken the learning and feedback from the front line and updated the resources to incorporate all outbreaks, both respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses, in both acute and long-term care settings. 

What are the Changes?

The COVID-19 Outbreak Acute Care Playbook has a new name, the Outbreak Prevention, Response and Management Playbook.

The original playbook was created to manage COVID-19 outbreaks in acute care within Island Heath. The playbook now includes information for all viral respiratory and gastrointestinal illness and has been expanded to include support for long term care facilities.

The IPAC Outbreak Management Structure (OMS) web page has been renamed and restructured to accommodate the new support documents, tools and education available in preventing, responding and managing outbreaks. It also includes information and support for enhanced measures which were implemented during the COVID 19 pandemic and is now an ongoing part of our outbreak management structure.

The IPAC OMS – Enhanced Measures and Outbreak Management web page has now become a repository for all of the documents that support the full process of prevention, response and management of outbreaks, past and present. 

IPAC COVID-19 specific documents that that were created during the pandemic have now been updated to include all VRI and GI illnesses.

How does this affect me?

This means that all of the documents and resources to assist you with the prevention, response and management of outbreaks are now all in one place and easy to find.  For our partners outside Island Health, a number of resources are available at IslandHealth.ca within the Toolkits for Infectious Diseases section.

The Outbreak Prevention, Response and Management Playbook is readily available and easily accessible when needed.

There is comprehensive information to support the management of enhanced measures.