#IamMGH – Meet James Callahan

#IamMGH tells the story of our people. Meet James Callahan, Manager, Infection Prevention and Control at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH).

“I’ve worked at MGH for almost 12 years but it still surprises people to know that I didn’t start out in healthcare. I originally worked in animation and graphic design. But in 2011, while on a cross-country biking trip, I met a fellow traveler who was a nurse. I was so impressed with his skillset and thought nursing sounded like very valuable work. That meeting prompted me to make a career change. 

After my trip, I went back to school to take the required courses in chemistry and biology – Drake ended up being one of my online classmates! I applied to the Registered Practical Nursing (RPN) Program at Centennial College and started working at MGH shortly after. Once I settled into my role, I applied for the Tuition Assistance Program for staff so that I could further my education and become a Registered Nurse (RN). 

My transition into the Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) team happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was working as a nurse in the Stavro Emergency Department when an opportunity to join the IPAC team became available. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it as much as bedside nursing, but I decided to give it a shot. That was 2021 – I haven’t looked back since. 

One of the most rewarding parts of working in IPAC is being able to connect with and support staff, patients and residents during stressful periods such as outbreaks. Outbreaks happen everywhere – hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, daycare centres – literally anywhere! Whether it's the flu, COVID, norovirus or something else, outbreaks can bring about strong feelings of stress and anxiety. Working in IPAC means that I can help support people and be a real resource when they need it the most. This work always reminds me of the MGH value of inclusivity – we want people to feel seen, heard and empowered. 

Another rewarding part of working in IPAC is the special projects you can get involved in, especially those that directly impact patients. One project that I am particularly proud of was a multi-partner education and support initiative for IPAC leads working in long-term care (LTC) facilities. At the start of the pandemic, the provincial government mandated that LTC facilities needed to have an IPAC lead with a recent IPAC or IPAC in LTC certification. However, it was hard for many people to achieve this certification while managing work demands and other responsibilities. It became even more difficult if someone worked in an LTC facility alone, with no one to learn from or study with.  

Knowing that we could use our expertise to help people, MGH brought together IPAC experts from all over the province to create a “Community of Practice’ program which combined virtual education with structured peer support and mentorship. This meant that people could come together, get the necessary education from experts who actually worked in hospitals and lean on their community members for help with studying or practical application in the workplace.  

We launched this program with humble expectations and were quickly blown away by the response. We had people as far as Nunavut signing up for our lecture series and in the first year alone, we had more than 200 IPAC leads across Ontario obtain their Long-Term Care Certification in Infection Prevention (LTC-CIP)!   

This is an initiative that I'm personally very proud of and I’m happy to say that we successfully wrote and published a study on this project at the end of last year in the hopes that it can help and inspire others to do the same.  

If I had to offer advice to someone considering nursing as an education or career choice, I would say do it! It’s an awesome starting point for hundreds of different career opportunities. You have nothing to lose but so much to gain.”