Letter to Our Community – Obstetrical Closures

Dear Community Members,

At Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH), we recognize the significant impact that recent temporary closures of our Obstetrical Department have had on expecting families and our community. We sincerely apologize for the disruption and uncertainty these closures and restrictions have caused.

Welcoming a new child into the world should be a joyful and exciting milestone. We understand that having to alter birth plans, travel to another hospital, or face uncertainty about where care will be provided can add unnecessary stress during such an important moment in a family’s life. We regret the challenges these interruptions have created.

We want our community to know that GBGH is supported by an exceptional team who are deeply committed to providing safe, compassionate, and high-quality care. The temporary closures we have experienced in recent months are due to a shortage of Obstetrician/Gynecologists (OB/GYN) and Family Physicians with the Obstetrical training required to safely operate the department.

Like many hospitals across Ontario and Canada, GBGH is facing the realities of a shortage of specialized physicians, including OB/GYN’s. Recruitment for these highly specialized physicians is extremely competitive, and particularly more challenging for hospitals serving smaller communities such as ours. The demand for qualified OB/GYN physicians far exceeds the available supply.

Over the past 24 months, our People Services team and hospital leadership have been actively and aggressively recruiting OB/GYN physicians to join our organization. Our efforts have included outreach across the province, country, and internationally, collaboration with physician recruitment partners, and engagement of specialized recruitment firms to broaden our search. We are pursuing both permanent, full-time physician candidates and locum (short and medium term) physicians who can provide temporary coverage to help fill scheduling gaps and minimize service disruptions. We also work with our local partner hospitals to fill coverage gaps with their physicians when feasible.

Unfortunately, there is no quick or immediate solution to this challenge. However, please be assured that recruiting the physicians needed to provide consistent obstetrical coverage remains one of our highest priorities. We are steadfast in our commitment to strengthening our physician complement and reducing, and ultimately eliminating restrictions and closures of the Obstetrical Unit whenever possible.

We recognize that our community relies on local access to obstetrical care, and we share your desire to see these services consistently available close to home. We remain optimistic that our ongoing recruitment efforts will lead to sustainable solutions, but we also want to be transparent about the realities of the current healthcare workforce environment.

We are grateful for the patience, understanding, and support of our patients, their families, our staff, and our community partners as we work through this difficult situation. We remain committed to keeping the community informed and to doing everything within our power to restore stable obstetrical services for the families who depend on them.

Regards,

Matthew Lawson
GBGH President & CEO

Dr. Vikram Ralhan
GBGH Chief of Staff