Provincial PPE Safety Coach Program

Infection Prevention & Control

Happy 2nd Anniversary to PPE Coaches Program

The Provincial PPE Safety Coach Program is celebrating its 2nd Anniversary. Close to 1,700 PPE Safety Coaches and designates at 132 AHS sites and 130 contracted provider sites across the province are trained.

We know Coaches are making a difference. We’ve received positive informal feedback and two formal evaluations from continuing care and non-containing care facilities confirm Coaches are helping make our facilities safer.

PPE selection and use is an important part of daily work and a critical component in breaking the chain of infection.

Thank-you to all coaches for your commitment toward keeping patients and care providers and others safe.

We also thank leaders for supporting coaches and peer to peer safety mentorship in your areas.

Based on the positive impact of the initial roll-out, the Provincial PPE Safety Coach Program received approval from AHS senior leadership to expand to areas and sites that currently do not have coaches or a pre-existing coaching program.

Leaders of units or program areas without coaches are encouraged to begin with a minimum of two trained PPE Safety Coaches per unit or program area. The goal is to have a safety coach available and accessible for the staff on every shift.

Coaches have developed additional expertise in correct use of PPE as well as training in coaching skills to help increase the confidence in PPE selection and use where they practice.

Many PPE Safety Coaches who have participated in the program say in addition to learning more about PPE use it’s helped to develop their leadership skills.

“Being a PPE Safety Coach means making a difference,” says Jamilla Mansoor, who works for AHS at the High River General Hospital and the Renfrew Recovery Center, has been a PPE Safety Coach for almost two years. “It gives me more purpose and opportunity to sharpen my PPE skills.”

Using PPE appropriately remains a critical component in breaking the chain of infection and preventing the spread of communicable diseases, including COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.

Coaches have developed additional expertise in correct use of PPE as well as training in coaching skills to help increase the confidence in PPE selection and use where they practice.

This is a voluntary program, which adopts a peer-to-peer approach. PPE Safety Coaches will be available and accessible on each shift, as experts supporting frontline staff using a friendly, informal and helpful approach. Their role will not be to audit, but to support and work together with staff and physicians. See FAQ for more info on the program.

Note: If you are an AHS subsidiary or contracted service provider in continuing care, email ppesafetycoach@ahs.ca for more information on launching the program in your area.