GBGH opens Prenatal Clinic to enhance obstetrical services for the community
Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is opening a Prenatal Clinic to add comprehensive prenatal care to its growing Birthing program. Dr. Chevy Moreau (pictured with patient Laura Leboeuf), GBGH’s chief of Obstetrics and an obstetrician-gynecologist, has been a dedicated proponent of the service which will provide continuity of care for patients from their first trimester all the way to delivery.
June 10, 2022 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is opening a Prenatal Clinic on June 20, 2022 to provide high quality, standardized care closer to home for pregnant women in the North Simcoe community it serves. The clinic, which will operate weekly at GBGH, will be available to women in our community with or without a primary care provider to ensure all have access to comprehensive prenatal care.
Dr. Chevy (Jan) Moreau, who joined GBGH last fall as the Chief of Obstetrics, has been a dedicated proponent of adding this service to the Birthing program at the hospital.
“Through the establishment of the Prenatal Clinic, GBGH will be able to provide continuity of care to patients from the first trimester all the way to their delivery,” says Dr. Moreau, obstetrician-gynecologist and chief of Obstetrics, GBGH. “In addition to providing prenatal care, the clinic also offers an opportunity for patients to meet the obstetrical team, tour the Birthing unit and have ongoing follow-up appointments with direct access to the hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging and Lab services.”
The clinic, which will operate on Monday mornings, will be staffed by GBGH’s team of highly skilled nurses and obstetrical physicians, including several local family physicians who perform deliveries at the hospital in addition to Dr. Moreau. Located in the Ambulatory Care department for the clinic’s initial months of operation, there are plans to eventually relocate the service to the Birthing Unit.
Patients with a primary care provider can be referred to the clinic through their provider’s office, likely around 12 – 14 weeks gestation. Women without a primary care provider can self-refer at any time via an online form on GBGH’s website: https://gbgh.on.ca/programs-and-services/obstetrical-unit/prenatal-clinic/
“GBGH strives to always align the services we provide with the needs of our community,” says Dr. Vikram Ralhan, chief of staff and emergency physician, GBGH. “By opening this clinic, GBGH will offer routine prenatal care close to home and ideally, encourage more women to remain within our community to have their babies. GBGH has worked diligently over the past five years to grow a comprehensive Birthing program and our goal is to continue that growth.”
Annually, there are approximately 300 births that occur from GBGH’s catchment area of Midland, Penetanguishene, Christian Island and the Townships of Tay, Tiny, Georgian Bay (south) and Springwater (north). Between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022, there were 138 births at GBGH indicating there is a significant number of women travelling outside this area for birthing services. It is estimated that 90 per cent of births from our catchment area occurring in other hospitals within our region could have been completed at GBGH.
Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations
705-526-1300 ext 5177