TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention: Workshop 1
Every Step Matters: A Practical Look at Medical Device Reprocessing in Community Settings
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Welcome Message
Welcome to Workshop 1 of the TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention being held in London, Ontario on May 28, 2026. We are delighted to have you join us for a full day of learning. To kick things off, we invite you to watch a special welcome message from Michael Sherar, Public Health Ontario President and Chief Executive Officer.
You will also find everything you need to prepare for the convention, including session overview, classroom location, workshop materials, helpful maps and parking information below.
Workshop Description & Details
Public Health Ontario continues to support public health units and other health care partners as they respond to a growing number of infection prevention and control (IPAC) lapse related inquiries, consultations, and risk assessments. A recurring theme in these lapses is the failure to reprocess equipment and devices in accordance with best practices.
This full-day workshop offers participant foundational and applied knowledge on the core principles of reprocessing in community health care settings operated by regulated health professionals and other settings where sterilization occurs. Through interactive discussion, hands-on activities with real world examples, and solution-sharing across public health units, attendees will build skills to support their work identifying common reprocessing challenges, assessing associated risks, and coaching clinical office and service setting staff and operators toward corrective actions that align with best practice.
At the end of this workshop, attendees will be able to:
Describe the core principles of reprocessing.
Explain the potential impact of inadequate reprocessing of equipment/devices using current best practice evidence and real-world examples.
Identify common reprocessing issues encountered during inspections and investigations.
Apply practical strategies to assess risk and support corrective action through education and coaching.
Workshop Details
Date: May 28, 2026
Location: 1001 Fanshawe College Boulevard, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6; Building B
Classroom: Building B, Classroom B1071
Registration Check-In: 8:15 a.m. in the James A. Colvin Atrium, Building B, B1046
Workshop Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Full Workshop Details: We are pleased to provide you with the following details ahead of the convention date to help better prepare you for the day.
Workshop Facilitators
DIANE DURK, B.Sc., BASc., CPHI (C), CIC
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Diane Durk is a Certified Public Health Inspector with more than 20 years of experience in Public Health and Infection Prevention and Control at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. She has held her CIC certification since 2016 and has completed additional certifications in Medical Device Reprocessing. Diane is passionate about helping teams translate reprocessing standards into everyday practice and brings a practical, real-world approach to complex IPAC challenges. She is excited to facilitate this TOPHC workshop alongside her colleague Crystal and Public Health Ontario.
Certified Public Health Inspector, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
CATHERINE KERR
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Catherine Kerr is an IPAC Specialist with the Infection Lapse and System Support Team, within Health Protection at Public Health Ontario. Catherine has been an Infection Control Practitioner for more than 15 years and was the IPAC lead in various acute care settings including the emergency department, operating room and medical device reprocessing, and the surgical, trauma and critical care programs, at large teaching hospitals. Catherine earned a Master’s Degree in Microbiology and Immunology from Western University and has continually held Certification in Infection Control and Epidemiology (CIC) since 2013.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Specialist, Public Health Ontario
CRYSTAL HENDRY
Certified Public Health Inspector, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
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Crystal Hendry is a member of the IPAC Hub team at Wellington-Dufferin Guelph Public Health and is a certified Public Health Inspector. She has over 15 years of experience in Infection Prevention and Control and has been certified in Infection Control since 2020. Crystal has been involved in many infection prevention and control investigations and brings her knowledge and expertise when troubleshooting complicated IPAC scenarios. She is looking forward to contributing her real-world experience at TOPHC alongside Diane and Public Health Ontario.
RAYMOND GULLEKSON
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Raymond Gullekson is an Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Specialist with the IPAC Lapse and System Support team at Public Health Ontario. He began his career as a certified public health inspector and spent over a decade working for local public health units before joining PHO in 2022. Ray has held his Certificate in Infection Control since 2019. His work includes the Environmental Cleaning Toolkit, personal service settings resources, and the update of CSA Z7001. He is currently co leading the update of the Guide to Infection Prevention and Control in Personal Service Settings.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Specialist, Public Health Ontario
MODERATOR
ANNE AUGUSTIN
Team Lead, IPAC Lapse and System Support, Infection Prevention and Control, Public Health Ontario
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Anne has extensive experience in Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC), holding leadership positions across diverse health care environments such as long-term care, large tertiary care center, small rural community hospital, and public health. Currently, Anne leads a team responsible for supporting public health units that are conducting IPAC lapses risk assessments in community health care settings and serves as the Subject Matter Lead for medical device reprocessing.
She began her career as a medical laboratory technologist and maintains her CIC© certification through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology. Most recently, Anne earned an MSc in IPAC, completing a thesis titled "Barriers and Facilitators to Compliance in Infection Prevention and Control in Ontario Community Healthcare Settings Operated by Regulated Health Professionals: An Implementation Science Informed Qualitative Study." Additionally, Anne is an active member of the CSA’s Technical Committee on Medical Device Reprocessing and regularly lectures on IPAC topics at Centennial College.
Workshop Agenda
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James A. Colvin Atrium
Building B - 1st Floor - B1046
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LOCATION: Classroom B1071
We will introduce the speakers/facilitators.
We will also explore the experience of participants with community reprocessing, including experience with investigations involving regulated health providers, as well as the learning goals of participants.
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The presentation introduces participants to IPAC and lapses in community settings, focusing on reprocessing concerns. The presentation includes information related to single use devices, Spaulding’s Classification, manufacturer’s instructions for use, and the medical device reprocessing area. Additionally, the reprocessing cycle and quality assurance for sterilization will be discussed.
There will be opportunities for interactive discussion throughout the presentation.
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Refreshments will be located in the James A. Colvin Atrium.
Use this time to recharge and connect with colleagues!
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A second portion will continue providing education of each step through to the end of the reprocessing cycle, with a special section on dental handpiece considerations.
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A light lunch will be served in the James. A. Colvin Atrium
B Building - 1st Floor - B1046
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This exercise will be conducted in small groups. The aim of the group exercise is to improve participants’ understanding of lapse investigations and risk assessment using a case scenario and questions. The first session will discuss the initial steps of an investigation and perform activities to identify different concerns related to inspection results and determine if any instruments identified during the investigation may be released for use on patients, or recalled and reprocessed.
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Refreshments will be located in the James A. Colvin Atrium.
Use this time to recharge and connect with colleagues!
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A second portion will continue with participants reviewing MIFUs for several different instruments to determine whether these have been reprocessed correctly, followed by a discussion of what is required at the end of an investigation.
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A summary of the session will be provided, followed by an open forum for questions and further discussion.
Workshop Resources
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Click here to download the resource.
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Click here to download the resource.
A printed copy will be made available to workshop registrants.
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Click here to download the resource.
A printed copy will be made available to workshop registrants.
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Click here to download the resource.
A printed copy will be made available to workshop registrants.
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Click here to download the resource.
A printed copy will be made available to workshop registrants.
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Click here to download the resource.
A printed copy will be made available to workshop registrants.
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Click here to download the resource.
A printed copy will be made available to workshop registrants.
Conference Map, Classroom Location & Parking Information
We’re excited to welcome you to the TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario!
To help you plan your arrival, you can download a campus map by clicking here. Please note that Fanshawe College Boulevard is currently closed due to construction, so we recommend entering campus via Cheapside Street. Parking is available in Lot 5 (General Parking), where a parking attendant will be on-site at the north entrance from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. When you arrive, simply let them know you are attending the TOPHC Convention, and have a paper or electronic copy of your ticket handy just in case.
The convention will take place in Building B. Once you arrive on campus, please make your way to the James A. Colvin Atrium, where registration begins at 8:15 a.m. You’ll be able to sign in and pick up your name badge before heading to your classroom. Our workshop will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m.
On the campus map, you’ll find the locations of the atrium, washrooms, and your workshop classroom clearly marked. TOPHC staff will be on-site throughout the morning to assist with registration and answer any questions you may have.
We look forward to welcoming you in person and are excited to see you on May 28th in London, Ontario!
Fanshawe College: 1001 Fanshawe College Boulevard, London, Ontario
TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention will be held in BUILDING B.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the full conference FAQ or reach out anytime. Here are some common workshop question and answers.
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You may check-in at the TOPHC Registration desk, located in the James A. Colvin Atrium, inside Building B of the Fanshawe College campus.
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TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention - Workshop 1 will take place in Building B, lecture room B1071.
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Yes, complimentary Wi-Fi is available
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A light lunch will be available for all registered workshop guests. Lunch will be held from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the James A. Colvin Atrium.
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TOPHC 2026 registrants are asked to park in Lot 5 of the Fanshawe College Campus. Please advise the parking attendant that you are attending the TOPHC Convention.
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Electronic copies of this workshop’s materials are available on this page. Please be mindful of the environment when printing materials. Printed copies of the workshop worksheets will be made available to registrants.