6 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday, December 6, 2003 C c m m mi: o m u ie beaver 467 Speers Rd.. Oakville O nl. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax; 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ex!. 224 O rculalion: 845-9742 The Oakville B eaver to m em ber of the O ntano P ress Council. The council ts located at 80 Gould 9 L, Suite 206. Toronto. OnL. USB 2W . Phone (416) 340-1961. condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous Item, together with a reasonable allowance for but the balance of the advertisem ent win b e paid lor at the applicable rale. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisem ents or decline. Is accepted o n the will not b e charged tor. e n ta t? r - GUEST COLUMNIST IAN OLIVER P M is h e r NEIL OLIVER A ssocia te P u b lis h e r JILL DAVIS E d ito r in C h ie f KELLY M O N TA G U E A d v e rtis in g D ire c to r CHARLENE HALL C irc u la tio n M a n a g e r TERI CASAS O ffic e M a n a g e r M ARK DILLS P ro d u c tio n M a n a g e r RIZIERO VERTOLU P h o to g ra p h y D ire c to r ROD JERRED M a na gin g E d ito r So®*fl * s rimes, U snsougi tow* N v n m Cue* Newnorta/Aunn Era-tera. NutiumMftanJ Nws. NorW W i Mkrar. Cafcwfc Baowr. OaMto Stoppng News. Okttners Mocker News. Crtta todEly OsawaWitt^iOanngton Port Pwry Ihs AN*. Qm* Sou*! Tribune. Paktwaon Observer. Petertwrough Hw AN*. FWcn Courts Guide. Hidimond IwnnrMAfeughan Uberal. Scatoroutfi Mm*. StoufMkvUrtrtdge Trfcwe tam er tang. Oryal ttfkGusdan Remember to wash hands to fight spread of germs Infection prevention and control key to good health By John O liver Presldenl and CEO of Halton Healthcare Services Influenza, flu shots, hand washing. SARS and steril ization o f equipment...these topics have been making headlines across the province and are being discussed in many meeting rooms at Ontario hospitals. The common thread? Infection prevention and control. The recently enhanced Halton Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Service has had a very busy The very simple year at our two hospitals. One of the lessons we learned from SARS is the task o f washing importance of washing your hands. This is evidenced in hands can make our hospitals by the hand-washing solutions at each of our entrances and the increased number o f wall-mounisuch a difference ed hand-washing stations throughout our buildings. when it comes to The very simple task of washing hands can make such a difference when it comes to infection prevention and infection control that we really can't say it enough times. Please prevention and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly at home, at work, at school, especially during the flu season. control. We've all heard the reports that the flu is in our community. Our infection control experts are urging everyone who can to get a flu shot this year. Both influenza and SARS are respi ratory illnesses that have the same initial symptoms of fever, cough and headache. If a large percentage of the general population is immunized there will be fewer false SARS scares during this flu season. At the Oakville hospital site, we provid ed our staff and the public with access to flu shots throughout the month of November. We continue to provide shots to our staff to assist us in reaching the 70 per cent immunization goal established by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. And. on a final note, Halton Healthcare has initiated a complete audit of all its infection control practices throughout the various clinical, diagnostic and process ing areas. This audit is being conducted by the hospital's infection control special ists to enhance our infection prevention, control and sterilization processes. This audit will be submitted to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) by Jan. 9. The hospital has already reviewed the equipment used for the particular proce dure identified as problematic at a Toronto hospital. We are confident that the ster ilization and disinfection methods used for this specific procedure at our hospitals meet both the current Health Canada infection control guidelines and the guide lines issued by the manufacturer. Over the coming weeks, the hospital will continue its audit of all of its infection control practices and will keep our patients and the public informed o f any devel opments related to the cleaning, disinfection and sterilization processes. As always, for more information about Halton Healthcare please call the Public Relations Office at 905-815-51 (X), log on to our Web site at www.haltonhealthcare.com or contact my office directly at 905-338-4616. W W W I' iw v PliUWQ & DOtuang LB m m AttbPttawo hmn AdMAM N U p Artur Inteaxm f*!ws Same Adwnce. Catetti Entwnn*, Brampttr Guarded, ButopH Past. Burfngton Shaopng Notis. Oy Parent C ctop o aY teag a Comedian. bw ta * Mrrar frei A tfw aevtorty fcutes. Etabccke Guanlur f Vimtouugh te w * . Geon>*iwn itt iw r t r H c to i free P n». Hanwon Rcvkw Hurcna 9us*wss Fmm. Lnlsay The Week Mavam Economet & Sin McSand^unetmguchne Minor. IMon Canadon Champion, MRon RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: I? 1 | f Ontario Community Newspapers Association < *C N A Newspapers Association SK Suburban Newspapers of America 1 is THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR; A tfu n a A w ards 9 1 /fp s r -- fjjils n f Q uiAtxs s |i = ^ r ,, - . C '/ u t / f i t i * / njujcTm L Y vmca i p a A sneak attack by Old Man Winter and Father Christmas Old Man Winter. Father Christmas. The one-two punch. lowed by, well, more ice. All of which had the kids clamouring Every year they sneak up on us, catch us off guard, unprepared, for a Snow Day - indeed, a few of the area's more sissy-pants and make us feel pretty stupid. Honestly, it's not like we didn't bus lines did pull their vehicles off the roads - while I ran about know they were coming. trying to find hats and gloves and boots and snowpants. Even before December arrived, Each year this happens and each Each year this happens we had ample hints of what was year I think that next year we'll be meteorologically lurking around the more prepared. Next year we'll keep and each year I think comer. November was an eternity of in mind that we are Canadians, that that next year we'll be darkness, fog, gloom and ceaseless it tends to snow and blow a bit in more prepared. Next rain that turned our laneway into a this great country of ours, and that year, we'll keep in mind winter apparel really should be kept mud bath and our backyard into a marsh. To that depressing scene add close at hand, not stored in boxes in that we are Canadians. a few days of light snow whipped the back of some closet. about by high winds. Then there Oh, in Canada at this time of year, it also tends to get a bit was the late-night flash freeze that nippy - a biting fact I was reminded of just last weekend when transformed everything into one big I got around to tackling backyard pond maintenance that I could skating rink; the following morning I unsuspectingly bounded have done three weeks ago when temperatures were in double outside and ended up on my backside, looking up at the sky and digits. But, no. Just to make the job a true challenge, I waited contemplating whether it was a vertebrae or my old tailbone I'd until there was a thin layer of ice on the pond before I dipped my tweaked. bare arms in to remove the filters and the pump, which, natural Then came December and the first winter storm. I don't ly, was stuck. This weekend, when it's expected to be even more know what you had to endure in the city, but here in the boon uninviting, I plan to spend the day up on a ladder hanging docks it was ice, followed by blowing snow and white outs, fol Christmas lights. Which brings me to Father Christmas. Did we not know this glorious day was coming? Doesn't it come each year? I guess when it comes to the impending arrival of Christmas, we have (like so many memorable soap opera characters) "convenient amnesia." Each year from October onward we are bombarded with signs, which we choose to ignore, that Christmas is coming: everything from the arrival of the meaty Wishbook, to commer cials on TV and radio, the ceaseless playing of odious Christmas music in stores, and even the elaborate "wish lists" handed to us by our offspring. Then December arrives and we freak out. Because the tree isn't bought the house isn't decorated, the list of gifts we need to purchase has not been tended to and, my goodness. The Big Day is just weeks away. Next year will be different, or so we always swear. We will be organized, efficient We will shop in November, before the stores become overcrowded. We will decorate right after Halloween, just to be prepared. As for that tree - heck, we'll throw it up on Labour Day. Then, come December, there will be nothing to do except watch the growing panic in the eyes of all those around us. Now that's the Christmas spirit Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, or contacted at ajuniper@strangledeggs.com