As part of our year-long 20th anniversary celebration, we asked the leaders in our Hospital to share their stories and highlight the growth and evolution of their team, program and the services they provide.
This week’s feature: Labour & Delivery and Maternal Newborn
Submitted by Katie Forbes, Manager Labour & Delivery
1. Briefly describe your program/service.
Our Obstetrical program provides the highest level of maternal newborn service in Northwestern Ontario. We have the ability to care for low and moderate risk pregnancies as well as twin and triplet pregnancies that are greater than 32 weeks gestation.
Our Labour & Delivery department has seven large birthing suites, two operating rooms and three outpatient assessment rooms. This highly specialized team works with our families to support their birthing plans and guides them through the journey of childbirth. We also work in collaboration with our Maternity Centre and our care providers to support required prenatal assessments and testing for pregnant people.
Our postpartum unit, Maternal Newborn (1C) has highly trained staff who support our families after the birth of their babies. This qualified team provides education in all aspects of postpartum and newborn care, including breastfeeding and discharge teaching, which supports families in feeling confident to be discharged home. They also coordinate newborn screening, assessments and assist families with arranging post-discharge follow ups.
2. How has your program/service grown or evolved over the past 20 years?
Over the years we have seen relatively consistent numbers of births ranging between 1,400 to 1,500 births per year. We have provided continuous OBGYN and expert obstetrical nurse coverage 24/7 for the region for the last 20 years with no interruptions in service. Over the years we have seen an increase in acuity and complexity in our patient population. We strive to understand the complexities and challenges that many of our clients face, including those from northern and rural communities. Recognizing the diversity of our clients has helped our team provide exceptional care to our culturally diverse patient population.
3. What is your most cherished accomplishment, milestone or memory?
The creation of the Maternity Center in 2006 was a huge milestone for our program. It is a unique program that provides comprehensive obstetrical care without need for a referral and is the only one of its kind in Ontario. The program supports the antenatal needs of pregnant people and has the ability to provide time limited post-partum care especially for those without a primary care provider.
Our program often receives many compliments and gratitude for the patient and family centered care that is provided by our multidisciplinary obstetrical team. Over the last 20 years we have delivered over 20,000 babies!