Why We Do What We Do - To prevent or reduce adverse health outcomes resulting from biological, physical and chemical agents ( natural or man-made )
- To reduce death and illness associated with infectious diseases in institutions, day care centres and personal service settings.
- To prevent the occurrence of rabies.
- To reduce the spread of water-borne illness in community drinking water systems, pools and beaches
- To ensure food is stored, prepared and distributed according to acceptable practices
How and What Do We Provide? - Emergency response to chemical spills, forest fires, floods, bioterrorism
- Ensure private, beach, tourist camp, municipal water system sampling according to the Safe Water Act & Ontario Regulation 170 - 2003
- Inspections of food premises and food handler training courses
- Surveillance for diseases including West Nile Virus
- Investigation of indoor/outdoor air quality - mould
- Enforcement of the Tobacco Control Act
- Research, Public Education and Mass communication/media campaigns
- Working with community partners and municipalities (pesticide policies), consultations(occupational health, asbestos) and active participation on regional institutional InfectionControl Committees
What are the Challenges to Service Delivery? - Large geographic area and winter travel
- Population diversity and low density
- Expensive to do business in Northwestern Ontario; shipping supplies, travel, meetings
- Qualified staff-recruitment and retention
- Inter-jurisdictional issues - Federal Lands, inter-provincial and inter-regulation
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