Algoma Public Health

Health Care Providers

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Professional Development	Number of Hours to Complete	Certficate of Completion
Breastfeeding Information for Health Professionals – City of Toronto • Breastfeeding Concerns Symptoms and Treatment • Management of poor infant weight gain • Medical indications for Supplementation • Breastfeeding Protocols • Breastfeeding Supports and Health Professionals Role in the Community • Resources for Health Professionals	Review information at own pace.	N/A
Breastfeeding E-Learning Modules – City of Toronto	17 modules – each module takes takes 45-60 minutes to complete	Certificate of completion for each learning module.
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) – Breastfeeding e-learning Breastfeeding \| RNAO	Approximately 18 hours	Certificate available after all 11 modules completed.
Supporting Mothers and Babies: Understanding Breastfeeding and the Baby-Friendly Initiative Best Start by Health Nexus This is a free on-line course on Breastfeeding. The course is set up in an easy to access “Topics” format.	1.5 hours	Certificate Available
International Breastfeeding Centre International Breastfeeding Centre – Jack Newman videos	Breastfeeding Videos on various topics ~2 minutes each	No certificate
Stanford Medicine – Professional Education Breastfeeding \| Newborn Nursery \| Stanford Medicine • Breastfeeding In The First Hour • Early Initiation of Breastfeeding • Maximizing Milk Production • ABC’s of Breastfeeding • The Well Fed Baby Checklist • Breastmilk and Medications • Preparing for Successful Breastfeeding • A Perfect Latch • Hand Expressing Milk • Babies at Risk	Videos ~7-20 minutes	No certificate
Halton Breastfeeding Level 1 This course is designed for health workers interested in enriching their practice and supporting families to meet their breastfeeding goals. The course is a two-day advanced course that further explores, promotes, and supports human lactation and breastfeeding through examining current evidence-based, best practice. HBFI is celebrating their 25th Anniversary in 2025 and in honour of that, all course pricing has been reduced for 2025. Level I courses normally $295.00 are $175.00 in 2025 and Level II courses normally $345.00 are $225.00 for 2025.	2 days ~13 hours	Certificate of completion
Halton Breastfeeding Level II This two-day advanced course further explores, promotes and supports human lactation and breastfeeding through examining current evidence-based, best practice. Cost HBFI is celebrating their 25th Anniversary in 2025 and in honour of that, all course pricing has been reduced for 2025. Level I courses normally $295.00 are $175.00 in 2025 and Level II courses normally $345.00 are $225.00 for 2025.	2 days ~13 hours	Certificate of completion
Gold Lactation Conference Available annually April – July in Spring months. $240 per person (USD) GOLD Lactation is hosted by GOLD Learning Online Education and has been bringing quality continuing education to lactation professionals, peer supporters and students since 2007. Our online format allows access to the knowledge and experience of industry leaders, all from the comfort of your own home or workplace. The knowledge within the field of study of human lactation is growing and changing at an incredible rate. Our goal with GOLD Lactation is to help bridge the gap between established protocols and practices and the rapid growth of new research. Join us during the live days of the conference to interact in real time with the speakers and your fellow delegates and watch the recordings as many times as you want! With the recordings you can pause, rewind or fast forward to allow you to make notes or re-watch certain sections of a presentation, allowing you to learn at your own pace. All of our conference sessions are accredited, and participants are able to collect educational hours and download one or more of the following certificates: Nurse Contact Hours, CERPs, CMEs, Midwifery CEUs and Dietetic CPEUs. With our large selection of international speakers, our add-on packages that provide focused education on a particular topic and our associated special events on GOLD Learning such as our lactation ethics package, tongue-tie symposium, and GOLD Learning Day events, GOLD Lactation has something for everyone and is always growing. We look forward to having you as part of our vibrant GOLD community!	Various lengths of sessions ~ an hour each	Certificate of completion for each conference topic completed
20-Hour Breastfeeding Course 20-Hour Breastfeeding Course \| Alberta Health Services FREE	20 hours	Certificate of completion
I Lactation Online breastfeeding conference for health professionals seeking continuing education Online Breastfeeding Conferences \| CERPs \| iLactation – ilactation	Various lengths of sessions	Certificate of completion

Miscellaneous Breastfeeding Information

Protecting, Promoting And Supporting Breastfeeding: A Practical Workbook For Community-based Programs - 2nd Edition - Canada.ca

Baby Friendly Initiative Ontario – The Provincial Authority for the Baby-Friendly Initiative

Breastfeeding - Promoting and Supporting the Initiation, Exclusivity, and Continuation of Breastfeeding in Newborns, Infants and Young Children | RNAO.ca

Supporting clients with milk production post miscarriage or stillbirth
PAIL Network – Milk Production after Pregnancy and Infant Loss

Pediatric Nutrition Guidelines For Health Professionals (Birth to Six Years) from Ontario Dieticians in Public Health
FHNAG_2025_EN_Pediatric-Nutrition-Guidelines.pdf

Breastfeeding and Medications and Substances
https://www.halesmeds.com/login
Requires subscription for this service

Medications and breastfeeding, pregnancy, lactation through University of Toronto

https://firstexposure.ca/

Ontario’s Human Rights Code on Breastfeeding
Your right to breastfeed You have a right to breastfeed in public. It’s not a matter of finding a private location – or of anyone else’s comfort. No one can ask you to move or conceal yourself and your baby. Breastfeeding is your right – and your baby’s.

See Ontario’s Human Rights Code on breastfeeding

If you offer a service
Add or update information on a breastfeeding service or program you offer in Ontario.

Diseases of Public Health Significance

Immunization

Tobacco Cessation

Mandatory Blood Testing Act

The Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006 (MBTA), allows an individual to apply to have the blood of another person tested for specific infectious diseases if you have come into contact with their bodily fluids. The Act covers the following infectious diseases only:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS)
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C

If you think you have been exposed to the bodily fluids of another person who may have one of the above infectious diseases, you should immediately contact a medical professional who can help assess the risk of infection and discuss care and treatment options.

Who can make an application under the Mandatory Blood Testing Act?

Under the MBTA, you are eligible to apply if you came into contact with a bodily substance of another person in any of the following circumstances:

As a result of being the victim of a crime.
Provided emergency health care services or emergency first aid to another person
While performing his or her duties and belongs to any of the following groups:
- employees in a correctional institution, place of open custody or place of secure custody
- police officers, civilian employees of a police service, First Nations constables and auxiliary members of a police service
- special constables (officers who are not employees of a police service)
- firefighters (including volunteer firefighters)
- paramedics and emergency medical attendants
- paramedic students engaged in field training
- members of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
- medical students engaged in training
- members of the College of Nurses of Ontario
- nursing students engaged in training

To apply, eligible applicants must:

Complete the Application Report.
Have a physician or nurse practitioner complete the Physician Report.
Submit both forms to Algoma Public Health by FAX 705+541-7309, no more than 30 calendar days after the occurrence.

To learn more about the MBTA, please visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/mandatory-blood-testing.

STBBIs

Tuberculosis Management

Medications for treatment of Tuberculosis disease or for preventive therapy for latent Tuberculosis Infection (TBI) are provided free of charge by Algoma Public Health.

Contact the APH nurses to assist in arranging TB medications by calling 705-942-4646 ext. 3274 and fax the prescription to 705-541-7309.

Reporting to Public Health

All cases of active Tuberculosis disease and latent Tuberculosis infection (TBI) are reportable to Algoma Public Health. Complete and fax the forms below to 705-541-7309 or call Algoma Public Health at 705-942-4646 extension 3274. For cases of Tuberculosis disease, Algoma Public health can be reached after hours at 705-759-5416.

Medical Surveillance

As a condition of immigration some individuals are required to report to Public Health for Medical Surveillance. If you have a patient who lives in Algoma and is required to report within 30 days of arrival in Canada, please complete the medical form and return to APH via fax to 705-541-7309 or call Algoma Public Health at 705-942-4646 ext. 3274.

Free interpreters can be arranged.

Tuberculin skin testing

If you have a patient with a positive Tuberculin skin complete the reporting form and fax to Algoma Public health 705-541-7309

In Ontario, tuberculin skin tests are publicly funded and are available at Algoma Public Health for individuals who meet the following criteria:

A contact of a case of active infectious TB
A test is deemed medically necessary by the patient’s physician or nurse practitioner
An individual under the age of 65 who is being admitted to a long -term care facility
When required by an educational institution for admission to or continuation in a day care or pre-school program, or a program of study in a school, community college, university, or other educational institution.  This includes work placements that are a requirement of the student’s educational program. 
International students requiring a TST for educational purposes may use the publicly-funded supply of Tubersol for the test; however, the administration of the test must be paid out of pocket (fee.

For those who do not meet the eligibility criteria for publicly funded Tubersol, uninsured testing and Tubersol may be:

Acquired by a primary care provider and sold to the patient.
Acquired by the patient from the pharmacy, via prescription provided by a primary care provider.

Health care provider resources:

Notifications & Alerts

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

Public Health Ontario Test Information Index

For disease-specific details on how to send appropriate specimens for public health laboratory testing, including type of specimen, timing of collection, requisition forms, and turnaround time, please see Public Health Ontario’s A to Z test information index for all diseases of public health significance.

Contact Us

Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(closed on statutory holidays)

Infection Diseases: 705-942-4646 ext. 3274
Sexual Transmitted Infections/Sexually Transmitted Blood-Borne Infections (STIs/STBBIs) : (705) 541-7141
Healthy Growth and Development: 705-942-4646
Immunization: (705) 759-5409

Emergency After Hours:

To report a public health emergency after hours or on a statutory holiday please call: 705-759-5416

Fill in our online form to receive future public health notifications and alerts.

Date of creation: February 28, 2019

Date modified: April 9, 2025

Algoma Public Health

Health Care Providers

Publicly Funded Vaccine Ordering

Community Supports

Public Health Ontario Test Information Index

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