HEALTH INSPECTION

The fairs and festivals season is rapidly approaching as health units continue to adapt to the changes made to the food premises regulation in 2006.  The Health unit will assist the food operators through training, literature and in some cases inspections.

The West Nile Virus clerk will soon begin activities for 2007.  We will again be trapping mosquitoes for WNV and picking up dead birds for both WNV and Avian Influenza surveillance.  The Health Unit has also had a number of requests for the testing of ticks for the presence of the organism that causes Lyme’s Disease, which is present in Windsor-Essex County.

The first milestone for food safety has arrived with more than 97% of the high-risk premises completed.  We continue to see progress with our computer program.

A new public health inspector has come on board with the department.  She comes with experience and a strong recommendation from her previous employer.  I expect that she will be a great asset to the Health Unit.

TUBERCULOSIS AND VACCINE PREVENTABLE

Tuberculosis - The TB team is scheduled for a clinic at the University of Windsor to screen 60 international students.  Staff members from two city agencies have been identified as contacts of the 37-year-old man with active pulmonary TB.

June 2007 will be designated as fit testing month at the Health Unit.  Fit testing is a process to ensure employees are able to properly use an N95 Particulate Respirator.  The testing will begin with high-risk staff from both the Health Protection and Health Promotion divisions.  The second group will involve low-risk individuals.  There are two staff members and two managers certified to do the testing.

Vaccine Preventable - Immunization questionnaires have been distributed to 5,257 students from 16 high schools.  The forms are due back in a couple of weeks. 

Recruitment for the three new positions in the Health Protection Division is well underway with only the program evaluation specialist job remaining to be filled.  The graphic designer is already in place and a health promotion specialist will be joining the division in mid-May.  These three positions will be vital for the implementation of the new Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Standards.

CHRONIC DISEASE AND INJURY PREVENTION

Tobacco Control
Spring-Summer Enforcement Initiatives - With the change of seasons, one of the main focuses for the tobacco enforcement officers will be restaurant and bar patios and prohibited out-door seating areas.  During the months of May and June, the enforcement team will conduct extra weekend shifts focused on ensuring that operators are reminded of their responsibilities under the Smoke Free Ontario Act and that compliance is maintained on patios and in areas of the hospitality sector that have been deemed non-smoking.  Establishments that are in violation of any such requirements will be issued notices or charges as deemed appropriate according to our progressive enforcement model.

Enforcement Update - Since January 01, 2007, there have been 365 calls (as of April 30, 2007) to the Tobacco Hotline at the Health Unit.  Of these calls, 113 were complaints related to potential infractions under the Smoke Free Ontario Act (SFOA), all of which were assigned and investigated by an enforcement officer.
* 58 were complaints for smoking in a public place
* 39 for smoking in a workplace
* 13 were for complaints related to sale/supply to a minor
* 3 were complaints related to smoking on school property.
The remaining calls were inquiries regarding the SFOA, sign requests, educational requests or requests for smoking cessation information and support.

So far in 2007, a total of 36 charges have been laid under the SFOA in Windsor-Essex (as of April 30, 2007).  Of these, 20 were laid against tobacco vendors in Windsor-Essex for the sale of tobacco to a minor in conjunction with our test shopper program.  During the summer months, additional shifts of test shopping will be added to our regular schedule to take advantage of test shopper availability.

Automatic Prohibitions - When a tobacco retailer is convicted of two offences under specific sections of the SFOA, the Health Unit will request the Ministry of Health Promotion to issue an order prohibiting that place to sell or store Tobacco for six months.  The Health Unit has requested that two local tobacco retailers, which have been convicted of two offences, receive a prohibition and we are about to request the same for a third.  We expect that the first two orders will be forthcoming soon.

Not To Kids - The Health Unit has recently joined the Not To Kids Coalition (NTK), which is a provincial partnership of 27 health units, community members, school boards and retailers across Ontario.  The purpose of the coalition is to create a healthy, tobacco-free generation by educating tobacco retailers and their communities about the Smoke Free Ontario Act in the hopes of decreasing the number of stores selling and persons supplying cigarettes to kids under 19.  NTK also provides education on chew/snuff tobacco in order to prevent youth use of these products. 

Health Action Windsor-Essex
Go For Health Windsor-Essex: A Call For Action - Go For Health Windsor-Essex is committed to reducing the high rate of preventable chronic disease in our community through policies for environmental supports for healthy living.  The coalition has focused on reducing five risk factors: tobacco use and exposure, excess alcohol consumption, overweight and obesity, unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, all of which contribute significantly to ill health and premature death in our community.  A “case” document has been developed and will be widely distributed among leaders and key-decision makers of the seven-targeted sectors: municipal governments, businesses/workplaces, education, health, food services, and the media.  A formal launch of the initiative will take place from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. June 7th in Salon D at the Ciociaro Club.  All board members will receive an invitation. Please join us and lend your support to this important initiative.

Health Action Workplace Committee - 4th Annual Executive Breakfast Series Forum - The workplace team is working with the Health Action Workplace Committee to host the 4th Annual Executive Breakfast Series Forum from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 30th at the Ciociaro Club.  The presentation is called Absence Prevention and Management: Making the Case featuring Mr. Brian Brown, Chief Executive Officer of School Boards Co-operative Incorporated, dedicated to advising school boards on managing absenteeism in the workplace.  All board members will receive an invitation to this informative event.

Physical Activity
Bike to Work in June - This is the 8th annual Bike to Work in June Contest.  The kick-off event will be June 1st in front of City Hall where a free, healthy breakfast will be provided to all who ride their bike to work on that day and stop by City Hall.  Last year, 500 people participated in the contest.  The goal of this year’s contest is to have over 550 residents participate.

Bike to Fireworks will also be occurring on June 27th, 2007.

This year, approximately 70 workplaces in Windsor and Essex County received posters, ballot boxes, and ballots to promote the contest.

Active Transportation Update - Health Unit Physical Activity staff has been instrumental in establishing an Active Transportation sub-committee of the Windsor-Essex County Environmental Committee (WECEC), which is a city council committee.  Members on the sub-committee will be composed of attendees of the Active Transportation workshop from last September and interested members of WECEC. The anticipated goal of the committee will be to provide education and encouragement to ensure that Active Transportation is integrated into key policy decisions that impact Windsor’s sustainable active transportation infrastructure.

The Health Unit Physical Activity Promoter made a presentation to County Council on March 23rd, and a motion was passed to accept recommendations to evaluate each town in Essex county on their active transportation status, implement policies that encourage active living, and support a regional plan that will connect towns in active ways.  As a follow-up to this motion, letters were sent off to each municipality requesting the opportunity to deliver the same presentation and the accepted motion at their town council meetings.  These activities were carried out in partnership with the Windsor-Essex County Active Living Coalition.

Sun Safety
Windsor-Essex County, Chatham-Kent, and Sarnia-Lambton Health Units successfully delivered and evaluated a sleek, glossy, full colour, 12-page skin cancer awareness and prevention magazine called “Over Exposed”.  Approximately 170,000 copies were distributed throughout southwest Ontario to youth and young adults.  Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent, and Sarnia-Lambton Health Units evaluated the magazine for its usefulness and intention of behaviour change.  Three-hundred surveys were distributed with 230 returned.  Surveys were completed once subjects read the magazine.  The following are response highlights:
* 96.5% of respondents indicated that the magazine was useful, 90% said they enjoyed reading the magazine, and 88% said they would recommend the magazine to a friend.
* 95% of respondents reported that magazines are a good way to teach about health issues.
* Of all respondents, 86% are subsequently more likely to wear sunscreen SPF 15 or higher (SPF 15+) and 84% are more likely to wear ultraviolet (UV) protective sunglasses.
* Of respondents who have tanned in the past, 85% indicated they are now more likely to wear sunscreen SPF 15+ and UV protective sunglasses.
* Of respondents who have used tanning beds in the past, 37% indicated they will spend less time using tanning beds and 42% indicated they would AVOID tanning beds.

SEXUAL HEALTH CLINIC, TRAVEL CLINIC, OUTBREAK AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Sexual Health Clinic - The community nurses followed 71 cases of reportable sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) for the month of April.  This includes chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.  The nurses handled 698 face-to-face client encounters and telephone calls for the month of April.  Before a client is booked for an appointment in the clinic they must first speak to a nurse to assess risk and needs.  The awareness of the Carl Leone case and the concern for HIV testing was the theme of most inquiries during this month.  There were 73 HIV tests performed in the clinic during the month of April.

Travel Clinic - The Travel Clinic is currently booking into mid-June for first assessments.  The second nurse position for Travel will help ease the demand for appointments.  A total of 16 yellow fever vaccines were administered in April.  The demand for japanese encephalitis vaccine has been steady yet a shortage of vaccine from the company has put a restriction on how much the Health Unit and other providers can order.

Epidemiology - The Epi team is involved in following up on reportable diseases in Windsor-Essex County.  They ensure that proper education and treatment is received for the reported case and for contacts if needed.  In April a total of 18 campylobacter and 6 salmonella cases were followed.  One case of malaria was reported in a new resident to Windsor. The Health Unit received a total of 82 reportable disease cases for the month of April.

Outbreak - There are currently no outbreaks in Windsor-Essex County.  The Outbreak team is currently updating the Outbreak manual for long-term care facilities and a new version for daycare facilities.  A self-learning CD module is also being developed for facilities to access to train new staff and update current staff.

Respectfully submitted,
Deb Bennett, Director