Toronto Teaching Hospitals Release Pandemic Influenza Planning Guidelines

Experts believe that a worldwide outbreak of a new influenza virus causing serious clinical illness and death—a flu pandemic—is overdue and inevitable. As hospitals we can’t sit back and let it happen. Our best strategy is to prepare for the worst and frankly, hope for the best.

This morning Toronto’s nine teaching hospitals affiliated with the U of T, known as the Toronto Academic Health Services Network (TAHSN), released Pandemic Influenza Planning Guidelines . CAMH is a member of TASHN and the TAHSN Pandemic Task Force.

TASHN saw the need for hospitals to develop a coherent approach to pandemic planning which pooled their collective expertise and experience to tackle complex issues. Issues like how best to protect staff and patients, and keep hospitals running during a pandemic. Begun a year ago, the TAHSN Planning Guidelines were developed following the federal and provincial pandemic plans and are consistent with existing health and emergency management legislation.

This TAHSN planning document provides recommended guiding principles and actions that CAMH will consider in crafting our own plan of response to an influenza pandemic. Last December we established the CAMH Pandemic Task Force with representation from across CAMH—including our unions-- to oversee the development of a made-in-CAMH plan. The CAMH Pandemic Task Force has nine subcommittees each specializing in different aspects of preparedness. We will be involving the community and keeping the public apprised as this plan unfolds.

For more information about pandemic, you can read Frequently Asked Questions And Answers About Pandemic .