Northern Health CEO office 600-299 Victoria St, Prince George, BC (P) 250-565-2922 MEMO Date: October 17, 2014 To: Northern Health Staff and Physicians From: Cathy Ulrich, CEO Re: Ebola Virus There has been extensive media coverage of the Ebola virus in recent weeks, including increasing concern over the outbreak in West Africa and the cases confirmed in the United States and other countries that involved transmission to front-line clinicians. Given the stories we are hearing, it is no surprise that anxiety levels are rising and that health-care providers and the general public are asking questions about how well prepared we are in our own country, province, and health authority. I would like to emphasize that we have not had any Ebola cases in Northern Health hospitals and that there are no confirmed cases in the province or within Canada. British Columbia s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, has stated that the risk in B.C. is very low. I want to assure you that we are taking steps to ensure we are ready to care for an Ebola patient in the unlikely event that a case is confirmed. In addition, we are proceeding to provide our hospital emergency departments and health-care centres with step-by-step procedures for screening patients for potential Ebola virus and identifying patients with symptoms and a history of travel to the Ebola-affected region. The safety of staff and patients is our highest priority. We have learned valuable lessons from our experiences with SARS and H1N1 and are using these learnings to shape how we respond to other infectious diseases, like Ebola. Representatives from Northern Health are participating in a provincial task force, led by the Provincial Health Officer, to collaborate on common areas of concern and to ensure consistency in our response across British Columbia and nationally. The task force is looking at the experience in Dallas and other jurisdictions and will be refining our protocols as we learn from these incidents, so that we can ensure the safety of health-care workers and the public.
In response to the provincial planning processes, Northern Health has established our Emergency Operations Committee structures as these have proven effective in managing previous responses to urgent situations, such as H1N1. The Northern Health committee is led by Cathy Ulrich, CEO and a similar committee has been established in the North West, North East, and Northern Interior, led by the Chief Operating Officer for each Health Service Delivery Area. An expert clinical group has been established and is being led by Dr. Sandra Allison, Chief Medical Health Officer. These teams are currently planning in a number of areas, including: Final development, distribution and training around screening, triage, and isolation procedures for hospital and health centre emergency departments; Final decisions regarding Personal Protective Equipment and completing work with HSSBC regarding the purchase and supply of this equipment; Training in the use of Personal Protective Equipment specific to providing care for a patient identified with Ebola; Care pathways and processes including patient transportation; The latest details about these topics and a list of Ebola resources and links are available on the OurNH Ebola page. We know that our staff and physicians have significant concerns about the potential arrival of the Ebola virus and may not feel confident that enough is being done to prepare. Please know that we are taking this situation very seriously and that actions are underway to ensure you have the equipment and training you need to protect yourself while providing care. MASK REQUIREMENTS It is important for front-line clinicians to be aware of the type of personal protective equipment necessary to handle a suspect or confirmed Ebola patient. Currently, Public Health Agency of Canada guidelines do not require an N95 respirator for assessment of suspect Ebola patients because it is not an airborne virus; N95s are still required for aerosol generating medical procedures (AGMPs). INFECTION CONTROL & PPE TRAINING Northern Health s Infection Prevention & Control team is planning to deliver on-site training sessions related to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), with a specific focus on donning and doffing procedures. Initially, this training will be targeted to staff in the emergency departments and ICUs. While existing PPE supplies in the province provide a high degree of protection, please be aware that over the weekend the Public Health Agency of Canada will be reviewing PPE requirements and may make new recommendations to the provinces once this review is complete. The provincial task force will update these guidelines if necessary once these recommendations are made. Northern Health Memo Page 2
MORE INFORMATION Northern Health staff and physicians can find the latest information on Ebola preparedness activities in the health region and province on the OurNH page on Ebola, including a list of Ebola resources and links compiled by Northern Health see screen shot below. We encourage all staff and physicians to review the links contained in this document. This page will be updated regularly. The list of Ebola resources and links include: The Ebola notification and assessment algorithms Lab procedures for testing and identification; and Ebola clinical care guidelines from the Ministry of Health I also want to pass along a letter to all health care workers, from Minister of Health, Terry Lake for an update on work being done provincially. We will send updates as more information becomes available and key decisions are made related to our Ebola response. In the meantime, please direct your questions and comments to your manager or to email address ebola.questions@northernhealth.ca. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and dedication to providing health services to the people of Northern BC. Northern Health Memo Page 3