Meet Craig Pienkowski

Job Title
Infection Control Practitioner

Department/Location
VGH

How long have you worked at VCH?
1 1/2 years

Tell us what you do at VCH in one or two sentences:
I’d say staff are most familiar with ICPs identifing patients with communicable diseases, advising how to best to implement precautions, advising on cleaning practices, staff education, as well as help manage outbreaks. In the background we help run a surgical site surveillance program, evaluate new products, advise on construction projects, develop new automated surveillance programs and implement new practice to raise patient quality and safety.

What’s your favourite thing about your work?
I’d have to say the general autonomy with a good supportive friendly team.

How does your work contribute to the VCH True North goals?
Our work is primarily targeted toward improving the quality and safety for all patients that enter our facilities.

One thing we might be surprised to learn about you:
Years before completing nursing school I had completed a B.Sc. in Biology. After which I created my own environmental company and worked as a consultant for many companies. I did some extra work in movies and commercials for summer work (ruined a few shots in the process).

Three things you always have in your fridge:
I have 2 bottles of ketchup, 3 bottles of different types of mustard and BBQ sauce. The first two are because I rarely eat them and miraculously never go bad and the third is because I am a fried onions and BBQ sauce guy.

Most healthy habit:
I gave my car away 8 years ago when I moved to Vancouver and haven’t bought a new one yet, so I walk everywhere.

Favourite vacation spot:
One of my best vacations was to Puerto Vallarta and surrounding towns with a friend. Went horseback riding up in the mountains (he had a lazy horse, mine walked me into a few giant spiders), scuba diving in the bay (he watched a pack of rays swim by and laughed at me because I was looking at the ground watching a worm swim), learned to surf over jagged rocks (got cut-up feet but no urchins) and now respect tiny biting flies because they mean business. Of course had time to lick the wounds and drink a few beers on the beach.