IPAC - South Western Ontario

A Chapter of Infection Prevention and Control Canada – Prévention et contrôle des infections Canada

TERMS OF REFERENCE

2023

The following terms of reference of this organization support and relate to the By-laws of Infection Prevention and Control Canada – Prévention et contrôle des infections Canada.

1. Purpose

To enhance the quality of care across continuum of care through knowledge exchange, building
capacity, sharing experiences, ideas and information for the purpose of infection prevention and
control (IPAC). This knowledge is further enhanced through on-going collaboration and
networking among persons interested in IPAC with the goal of disseminating best practices to
increase patient/resident/client safety and to reduce the risk of infection.

2. Objectives

2.1 To promote and enhance IPAC expertise through individual and group activities within South Western Ontario.
2.2. To offer multi-disciplinary educational opportunities such as conferences, webinars and guest
speakers to update knowledge in IPAC.
2.3. To support and assist with research/study activities and the publication of results.
2.4. To identify and compile IPAC measures that have proven effective in specific areas of
concern, including evidence-based practice guidelines, recommendations, position statements, etc.
that maintain safe, effective and quality care.
2.5. To promote communication with members of the healthcare team across the continuum of
care.
2.6. To assist individual members in their professional development in the field of IPAC.
2.7. To promote community awareness and understanding of the source of infection, the mode of
transmission, and the means of control.
2.8. To act as an advocate for and increase awareness of IPAC practices and issues.
2.9. To consider diversity, equity and inclusivity of our IPAC Canada members and the greater
population we serve.

3. Members

3.1. Each Voting Member shall be entitled to receive notice of, attend and to have one vote at all
meetings of the members of the Chapter. In voting and counting votes, there shall be no
distinction between Active Members and Honorary Members. See Membership Categories (#5)
for voting restrictions.

4. Membership Dues

4.1 Chapter Members must be members of IPAC Canada/PCI Canada. Chapter dues are payable
with national membership. A portion of the national membership dues will be reimbursed to the
chapter designated by the member.
4.2 Chapter dues are set by the Board of Directors of IPAC Canada/PCI Canada.
4.3 The membership year shall be 12 months from the date membership is processed by IPAC
Canada/PCI Canada.
4.4 Membership renewal notices will be issued by IPAC Canada/PCI Canada.

4.5 IPAC Canada/PCI Canada will issue a monthly listing of current chapter members and a
listing of those who have paid their fees in the period covered by the fee reimbursement cheque.
These will be sent to the Treasurer and the Membership Director of the Chapter.
4.6 Additional reasonable assessments may be levied on Chapter members by the Chapter on
approval of membership.

5. Membership Categories

5.1 Chapter members are active, voting members of the chapter and IPAC Canada/PCI Canada,
with the exceptions below. They may hold office in the Chapter or the Board of Directors, IPAC
Canada/PCI Canada.
5.2 Student members have paid Student fees to IPAC Canada/PCI Canada. They are non-voting.
They may participate on committees but may not hold office in the Chapter nor on the National
Board of Directors.
5.3 Retired members have paid Retired fees to IPAC Canada/PCI Canada. They are non-voting.
They may participate on committees but may not hold office in the Chapter or the National Board
of Directors.
5.4 The Chapter may choose to bestow Chapter Honorary or Life membership to a chapter
member based on criteria established by the Chapter. They are active, voting members of the
Chapter. The Chapter or the Honorary Member must continue to pay membership dues to IPAC
Canada/PCI Canada. A portion of the membership dues will be reimbursed to the Chapter on
behalf of the Chapter Honorary/Life Member.
5.5 IPAC Canada/PCI Canada may bestow Honorary membership to a member based on criteria
established by IPAC Canada/PCI Canada. The IPAC Canada/PCI Canada Honorary Member does
not pay national dues. The Chapter portion of national membership fees will be forwarded to the
Chapter designated by the Honorary Member.
5.6 Business members of IPAC Canada/PCI Canada may be accepted as individual, voting
members of the Chapter may hold positions on Chapter and national committees and may hold
elected office in the Chapter. Business members may not hold elected office on the IPAC
Canada/PCI Canada Board of Directors.
5.7 Corporate Members are companies/corporations/agencies which support the objectives of
IPAC Canada/PCI Canada and provide additional support to IPAC Canada. Corporate Members
manufacture products (e.g., disinfectants, hand hygiene products, infection prevention equipment,
etc.), or provide a service (e.g., inspections, education, guidelines, etc.). Corporate Members do
not provide direct patient care but may support patient care activities. The
company/corporation/agency is the member of IPAC Canada/PCI Canada. A Corporate Member
principal contact is non-voting and may not hold elected office. They may serve on committees.
One official representative of the Corporate Member as named by the Corporate Member is
provided with a voting chapter membership, for which chapter membership fees will be forwarded
to the Chapter designated by the Corporate member.
5.8 Other individual representatives of the Corporate Member may apply for voting
Active/Professional Membership. These Active/Professional members may serve on chapter
committees and hold Chapter office. They may not serve on the IPAC Canada/PCI Board of
Directors.
5.9 A membership in the Chapter is terminated when:
a) the Member, Student Member, or Retired Member dies or resigns;
b) the Member, Student Member, Retired Member or Corporate Member is expelled or
their membership is otherwise terminated in accordance with the articles or by-laws;
c) the term of membership of the Active Member, Student Member, Retired member or
Corporate Member expires and has not been renewed for a period of three months after
expiry date; or
d) IPAC Canada/PCI Canada is liquidated and dissolved under the Act (Canada Not-For
Profit Corporations Act S.C. 2009, c.23)
5.10 Any other scenarios not listed above must be discussed with the IPAC Canada/PCI Canada
Director (Chapters and Interest Groups).

6. Chapter Policies

6.1 The membership year is 12 months from the date membership is processed by IPAC Canada/PCI Canada.
6.2 The fiscal year of the Chapter is January 1- December 31.
6.3 Minutes of Chapter meetings shall be distributed to members via email and copies made
available on the Chapter website. Committee minutes are available to members upon request.

6.4. Correspondence and financial records shall be kept for a minimum of 7 years. Audited
financial statements, minutes and contracts are to be kept for the life of the Chapter.
6.5. Chapter policies will be reviewed every two years and revised as needed. Chapter policies
will be available to members upon request.
6.6. The executive is not obligated to follow the TOR in the event of an unforeseen circumstance
that prohibits Chapter functions, such as natural disaster or pandemic. The membership will be
notified of temporary adjustments to the TOR as per routine communication methods.

7. Executive

7.1 The Executive shall direct, manage, operate and govern the association, and all their actions shall be subject to approval by the membership.
7.2 Details of the Executive responsibilities are outlined in IPAC SWO Chapter policies. A
summary of responsibilities is in Section 16.
7.3 The Executive shall consist of President, President-elect (when applicable), Past President
(when applicable), Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Director, Marketing and Communications
Coordinator, Webmaster, Education Committee Co-Chairs, and a Non-Acute Care representative.
7.4. Additional positions may be added with the approval of Chapter membership.
7.5. Positions may be combined except for the positions of President, President-elect and Past
President.
7.6. If any Executive member misses three consecutive Executive meetings without a reason
acceptable to the Executive, the Executive may act as follows:

a) If the Executive position is the President or President Elect, the Executive may recommend to the next meeting of members that the President or President Elect be removed from their Executive position. If the members vote to remove the individual, the members shall immediately elect a successor.
b) If the Executive member is not the President or the President Elect, the Executive may vote to remove him/her as an Executive. The Executive may then appoint a qualified individual to fill the remainder of the Executive position term.

7.7. If an Executive position becomes vacant because of death or resignation, the Executive shall,
within a reasonable time, make reasonable efforts to appoint a qualified individual to fill the
vacant position until the next annual meeting of members.
7.8. If an Executive member is elected to the IPAC Canada/PCI Canada Board of Directors, they
must resign their Chapter Executive position immediately. The Executive may appoint an interim
Executive position until the next general membership meeting.
7.9. Any other scenarios, not listed above, must be discussed with the IPAC Canada/PCI Canada
Director (Chapters and Interest Groups).

8. Term of Office

8.1. The term of office of the president shall be two (2) years.
8.2. The term of office of the president-elect shall be one (1) year.
8.3. The term of office of the past-president shall be one (1) year. In the absence President-elect,
the Past President assumes the position of President if the president is unable to fulfill the term
office.
8.2 The President and President-elect may hold office for a maximum of two (2) terms unless
additional terms are approved by membership.
8.4. The term of office of all other positions on the Executive shall be two (2) years with eligibility
for re-election. Terms should be staggered to ensure consistency in governance.
8.5. All terms commence on January 1st. The outgoing Executive will coordinate a smooth transition to the incumbent.
8.6. Should vacancies occur during this term of office, the Executive shall fill such vacancy by
appointment until the next election is held.
8.7. The members entitled to vote may, by resolution passed by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the
votes cast at a special meeting of members held for that purpose, remove any Executive member
before the expiry of his/her term of office. The members may then immediately elect a qualified
successor to fill the vacancy for the duration of the term in question.
8.8. Responsibilities of the Executive should be outlined in Chapter policies. See IPAC
Canada/PCI Canada by-law 3.10 for Executive function and responsibilities.

9. Banking Authorities and Audit

9.1 The Treasurer will open an account at a chartered Canadian bank in the name of the Chapter.
Signing authorities will be two of the Treasurer, the President, and the President-elect (or past
president depending on the term). The Treasurer may be the sole signatory of cheques or e-transfers after an approval form has been completed by either the President or the President-elect/Past president. See one-signature cheques and e-transfer guidelines at https://ipac-canada.org/chapter-treasurers and the Chapter Treasurer handbook (https://ipac-canada.org/chapter-treasurers).

9.2 An annual audit of the Chapter financial records and processes will be undertaken by a) a
third-party auditor; b) a third-party accountant; or c) two Chapter members who are not members of the Executive. See guidance in the Chapter Treasurers Handbook at https://ipac-canada.org/chapter-treasurers

10. Election Procedure

10.1. Only current, voting members of IPAC Canada/PCI Canada and IPAC SWO Chapter may be nominated to the Executive.
10.2. Election of Executive members by ballot shall be held at the September Annual General
Meeting (AGM) and will be conducted by the President. The President-elect/past president sends
out a call for nominations and collects them.
10.3. Where only one name is presented for any office, the nominee is elected without opposition.
10.4. When an in-person meeting cannot be held, a virtual election will be held at the September
AGM and the results announced by the President.

11. Meetings

11.1 EXECUTIVE MEETINGS

a) Executive meetings will be held at the call of the Chapter President. Meetings may also
be held by email, teleconference, or on a virtual platform.
b) There will be a minimum of three meetings held per year
c) Meetings may be held in-person, by email, teleconference, or on a virtual platform
d) There must be a quorum consisting of a simple majority (50% plus 1) of Executive
members present to hold an Executive meeting. If a quorum is not reached, the meeting
may continue with discussion items but voting may not take place.
e) Items brought forward to the Executive meeting for decision must be voted on by those
members of the Executive who are present at the meeting. A majority decision is
reached by 50% plus 1 of those in attendance, providing a quorum has been reached.
f) A summary of minutes, recommendations and approved motions will be presented at the
next Chapter meeting and recorded in the Chapter Business meeting minutes.

11.2 CHAPTER BUSINESS (GENERAL MEMBERSHIP) MEETINGS

a) A minimum of four (4) Chapter business meetings will be scheduled each year.
b) The AGM will be held at the September Chapter Business Meeting.
c) Location of meetings are decided at the discretion of the Executive.
d) Meetings may be held in-person, by teleconference, or by virtual platform, assuring all members have access to the method of meeting. Meetings will primarily be held face-to-
face with a minimum of one (1) per year offered by webinar or teleconference as available and accessible by members.
e) Each meeting will endeavor to include an educational component.
f) An agenda will be sent by email to all members two weeks before the regular and annual
meetings.
g) Minutes of all Chapter Business, annual and special meetings will be kept by the
Secretary and disbursed to all members. Minutes will be accessible on the Chapter
website
h) Industry may exhibit, sponsor, or present at meetings in which an educational
component is also offered. Industry participation will be guided by policy and
procedures of IPAC Canada/PCI Canada.
i) Monies received by the Chapter from Industry vendors at the Chapter Business meeting
and Education Day will be used to support Chapter members for IPAC educational
opportunities (e.g., IPAC Canada National Conference, educational portion of chapter
meetings, educational workshops).
j) The quorum for a Chapter Business meeting is 5% of membership with a minimum
attendance of five attendees.
k) Where quorum has not been achieved, voting can be done electronically. In such cases,
the President will distribute sufficient information electronically to all current members
to enable a reasonable person to come to a decision. Votes will be received
electronically by the President within a specified time frame. The total number of votes
received must reach quorum for the results to stand. The president will communicate to
all members the results of all electronic votes.

12. Omissions and Errors

12.1. The accidental omission to give any notice to any member, Executive member,, member of a
committee of the board or public accountant, or the non-receipt of any notice by any such person
where the Chapter has provided notice in accordance with the Terms of Reference, or any error in
any notice not affecting its substance, shall not invalidate any action taken at any meeting to which
the notice pertained or otherwise founded on such notice.

13. Committees

13.1. Education Committee – Details will be outlined in Chapter Policies. See IPAC Canada/PCI Canada Policy/PCI Canada Policy 10.10 for guidance.
13.2. Ad Hoc – Ad Hoc Committees may be formed at the discretion of the Executive and with the
approval of membership.
13.3. Representative to IPAC Canada/PCI Canada Standing Committees and Interest Groups –
Chapter members will be asked to represent the Chapter on various national committees.

Examples of such committees are:
• Education
• Standards & Guidelines
• Membership
• Dialysis Interest Group
• Long Term Care Interest Group
• Oncology Interest Group
• Pediatric and Neonatal Interest Group
• Mental Health Interest Group
• Prehospital Care Interest Group
• Healthcare Facility Design and Construction Interest Group
• Community Health Interest Group
• Surveillance and Applied Epidemiology Interest Group
• Environmental Health Interest Group
• Reprocessing Interest Group
• Cardiac Care Interest Group

13.4. The chapter will make every attempt to have a Chapter member attend the standing
committee and interest group meetings and provide an update on activities to the Executive and
Chapter membership.

14. Amendments

14. 1. Terms of Reference will be reviewed as deemed appropriate by the current executive and/or
at a minimum of every two years, and revisions approved by the membership. All amendments to
the Terms of Reference must be forwarded to the Executive Director of IPAC-PCI Canada for
final approval by the Board.
14.2. These Terms of Reference may be amended at any Chapter general membership meeting by
an affirmative vote constituting quorum, provided the proposed amendments have been submitted
in writing to the membership a minimum of three (3) weeks prior to the meeting.
14.3. Amendments to Chapter name require a 2/3 vote of those eligible to vote at the meeting
where this is to be decided, provided that the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing
to the membership a minimum of three (3) weeks prior to the meeting.

15. Dissolution

15.1. The Chapter may be dissolved by approval of a Resolution to Dissolve, approved by 50% of
membership. On the winding up or dissolution of the organization, funds or assets remaining after
all debt has been paid shall be transferred to IPAC Canada/PCI Canada. Archived files will be
forwarded to the Executive Director of IPAC Canada/PCI Canada for filing for seven years after
dissolution.

16. Duties of Executive

16.1. President – The President shall preside at all meetings; shall be an ex-officio member of all
committees; shall, subject to membership approval, appoint committee members; shall represent
the Chapter at IPAC Canada/PCI Canada meetings and report on these meetings at the next
Chapter general meeting. The President shall ensure that summary reports are sent to the Board of
Directors, as requested by the Executive Director. In addition, an annual chapter report (Form 21)
must be sent to the Executive Director no later than the deadline date announced.

16.2 President-elect – The President-elect shall carry out duties as assigned by the President; shall
act in the absence of the President; shall prepare to assume the office of President.
16.3 Secretary – The Secretary shall keep a record and minutes of all meetings; shall receive and
distribute to the Executive copies of all subcommittee and ad hoc committee meetings; shall give
required notices to members; shall issue copies of meeting minutes; shall be the custodian of
correspondence, books, documents, records and papers belonging to the Chapter; shall, in
conjunction with the Treasurer and Membership Director, maintain a current e-mail distribution list.
16.4 Treasurer – The Treasurer shall keep a full and accurate account of all receipts and
disbursements; shall deposit all monies in a bank account in the name of the Chapter; shall prepare
an annual budget for approval by membership; shall prepare an annual statement for membership;
shall make a financial report at Chapter meetings; shall arrange to have accounts audited as
required by the Chapter; shall submit an annual GST/HST report to Canada Revenue Agency;
shall undertake other duties as assigned by the President; shall be responsible for reporting paid
members to the Membership Director and Secretary; shall apply for funding from IPAC Canada
/PCI Canada for the Chapter Presidents Fund (if eligible), the CIC® Chapter Achievement
Awards or any other awards that are appropriate for applying; shall send donations from the
Chapter to the IPAC Canada/PCI Chapter Presidents Fund or any other ongoing or special fund
established by IPAC Canada/PCI Canada, as financial resources are available.
16.5. Past President – The Past President shall act as advisor to the Executive committee; shall
preside at meetings in the absence of the President and President-elect; shall chair the Nominating
Committee; shall be an ex-officio member of committees as required; shall act as Chapter
archivist and responsible for a) collation of information regarding Chapter activities; submission
of the application for the IPAC Canada-PCI Canada Chapter Achievement Award on a yearly
basis.
16.6. Education Co-Chairs – The Education Co-Chairs shall form a committee approved by the
Executive to determine the educational needs of the Chapter; shall formulate objectives for each
educational seminar; and shall arrange for appropriate workshops/speakers.
16.7. Webmaster – The Webmaster shall maintain the Chapter website and liaise with the IPAC
Canada-PCI Canada Webmaster to ensure the Chapter web page is current.
16.8. – Marketing and Communications Coordinator - The marketing and communications
coordinator develops educational session and workshop posters/flyers and social media posts;
maintains IPAC SWO social media accounts.
16.9. – Non-acute Care Representative – The non-acute care representative provides input and direction on the growth of non-acute care membership; promotes and expands membership to non-
acute care representatives (e.g., public health, long-term care, paramedics, dental, physiotherapy, home care); provides Chapter membership with updates on IPAC-Canada’s Non-Acute Care
Resources (e.g., EMS, Home Health Care, Community Care, Physician and Dental Offices);
organizes and provides IPAC educational opportunities to non-acute care health professionals,
both Chapter members and non-Chapter members (e.g., IPAC 101 in Community Health Settings)

Last reviewed 2023