We spotlight the importance of hand
hygiene to improve public health, serve as a trusted
resource and raise awareness of leading-edge hand
hygiene and skin health scientific advancements through the GOJO Hand Hygiene Blog.
GOJO microbiologists, scientists,
nurses and communication professionals post regularly
and we also get the views of outside experts and
thought leaders in the field. It’s all part of the
GOJO Purpose, saving lives and making lives better
through well-being solutions.
Michael Gardam, MSc, MD, CM, CIC, FRCPC
Director of Infection Prevention and Control at the University Health Network
Michael Gardam is fiercely committed to patient safety.
As Director of Infection Prevention and Control at the University Health Network since 2001, and former Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control at Public Health Ontario (2008 – 2010), Michael has devoted his career to discovering and uncovering new ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in healthcare settings and the community.
He continues to champion patient safety as Physician Director of the Community and Hospital Infection Control Association Canada (CHICA); as the National Lead of infection control collaboratives for Safer Healthcare Now! and through his pioneering efforts in the use of the behavioural change approaches, including ‘Positive Deviance’ and ‘Front Line Ownership’ to prevent healthcare associated infections. Michael continues to lead safety improvement work using Front Line Ownership in Canada and the United States and has expanded its focus to include other patient safety challenges such as preventing patient falls, pressure ulcers, and medication reconciliation.
Michael’s other passion is the treatment and epidemiology of tuberculosis. He continues to run the TB clinic at Toronto Western Hospital, which he founded in 2000. He is an expert consultant (internationally) on several issues such as healthcare system behavioural change, infection prevention and control, and infectious diseases including Clostridium difficile, influenza, tuberculosis and hospital superbugs. Michael is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and has published more than 90 scientific works.
Michael is a graduate of McGill University in Montréal and the University of Toronto and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in infectious diseases.