Reducing Hospital Acquired Infections in Canada’s Most Impoverished Neighbourhood Providence Health Care, Vancouver, Receives Special Infection Control Award

The judges of the Oxoid Infection Control Team
of the Year Awards were pleased, this year, to
make a special award to the infection control
team at Providence Health Care in Vancouver,
Canada, for the work that they have
undertaken in reducing levels of nosocomial
infections in the face of challenges associated
with drug users and homeless persons in the
local community.
Providence Health Care (PHC) is Canada’s
largest, faith-based health care organisation,
operating 14 facilities in Greater Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada, including two acutecare
hospitals: St Paul’s Hospital, a tertiary-care,
academic and research hospital with 520 acute
care beds located in downtown Vancouver,
serving both the local community as well as
those from disadvantaged socio-economic
groups; and Mount St Joseph Hospital, a 240-
bed acute and extended care facility.