Ontario LTC infection control forum opens registration for Nov. 4 in Vaughan

The International College of Infection Control Professionals has opened registration for a one-day long-term care infection prevention forum in Vaughan, Ontario, featuring Dr. Allison McGeer and five Infection Prevention Units. The event aims to give long-term care leaders practical decision-making tools as Ontario homes face ongoing IPAC obligations and outbreak risks.

Why it matters: - Long-term care homes in Ontario must maintain active infection prevention and control programs, and the forum is designed to help leaders make faster, more defensible decisions. - The event is built around practical scenarios, not passive lectures, which matters for IPAC Leads, administrators and clinicians who need tools they can use inside their homes. - The forum’s net proceeds will be donated to Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders to support Ebola response work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

What happened: - The International College of Infection Control Professionals opened registration for the Long-Term Care IPAC Leadership Forum 2026. - The in-person event is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, at Hazelton Manor in Vaughan, Ontario. - The program runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with doors opening at 8 a.m. - The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology approved the forum for five Infection Prevention Units. - Dr. Allison McGeer will deliver the opening keynote on IPAC leadership in long-term care.

The details: - The agenda includes wound and urine culture decisions, construction and renovation risks, leading IPAC without formal authority, an audience-run outbreak simulation and leadership during the first 24 hours of an outbreak. - Sessions will use polling, scenarios and game-show formats to connect technical knowledge to real-world decisions. - The forum is intended for long-term care infection prevention and control leads, plus leaders, clinicians and operational partners who work with them. - Participants are expected to compare options, explain their reasoning and work through operational situations during the sessions. - The event also includes a vendor marketplace and scheduled networking periods. - The package includes a continental breakfast, lunch and networking breaks. - The registration page lists an early-bird price of $125 plus HST until Oct. 15, then $169 plus HST. - The current agenda and registration are available at forum.icicp.com.

Between the lines: - Ontario Regulation 246/22 requires each licensed long-term care home to maintain an IPAC program and defines responsibilities for the IPAC Lead and the home’s leadership team. - Public Health Ontario’s 2026 long-term-care best-practice guidance emphasizes leadership support, communication, education, auditing and feedback. - The forum appears positioned to translate those regulatory and guidance requirements into day-to-day decision-making. - Kamyab Ghatan, founder and chief academic officer of the International College of Infection Control Professionals, said IPAC Leads must interpret complex requirements, influence practice across departments and make sound decisions under pressure.

What's next: - Organizers say the forum is aimed at helping attendees return to their homes with ideas they can use immediately. - Registration remains open ahead of the Nov. 4 event. - The agenda remains subject to change.

The bottom line: - The Vaughan forum is a targeted, one-day training event for long-term care IPAC leaders who need practical guidance, peer exchange and CE credit in a regulatory-heavy environment.