What's New!- July, 2024

The Northern Maternal Child Network (NMCN), is committed to ensuring you receive timely information regarding best practices, guidelines, resources and events.

Visit our website for more information.



Feel free to send information regarding professional development to info@nmcn.ca for future newsletters. 

Ontario Building New Hospital in Moosonee

Exciting news for the North! The Ontario government is investing an additional $44 million to ensure construction of the new Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) hospital remains on track. The funding will support the design and early works construction of the new, culturally appropriate health campus in Moosonee which includes the hospital and Elder care lodge, as well as a new ambulatory care centre on Moose Factory Island. This investment is in addition to the nearly $1.3 billion Ontario has committed to the entire project.

“Our government is taking action to connect people in Ontario to the care they need, when they need it, no matter where they live,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The redevelopment of the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority is critical to ensuring those living in the Western James Bay and Hudson Bay Coast areas can access care and we are doing everything we can to keep this project on track.”

WAHA serves over 12,000 people in six communities along the James Bay Coast, including Moose Factory Island, which is home to the oldest un-renovated hospital in Canada. The new Weeneebayko General Hospital will be relocated to Moosonee and once complete, will be able to serve the growing community and connect more residents to culturally sensitive program space in a larger state-of-the-art facility.

With this additional provincial funding, contracts have now been awarded to support the early works construction that has started which involves the preparation of the site where the new hospital will be built, including the removal of existing soil over most of the site and replacement with crushed rock.

WAHA’s new health campus project also includes the construction of a new 32-bed Long-Term Elder Care Lodge that will allow Elders to receive the care they need within their communities. A new Ambulatory Care Centre will be built in Moose Factory to ensure residents on the island remain connected to care.

2023/24 Annual Report Available Online

PCMCH is pleased to announce the release of our 2023/24 Annual Report, which can now be viewed on our website. 

The 2023/24 Annual Report highlights PCMCH’s activities and accomplishments over the past fiscal year, including their 2024-29 Strategic Plan, which will guide their organization moving forward. It also includes a joint message from Chair Bruce Squires and Executive Director Sanober Diaz about how they worked collaboratively with partners to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities for Ontarians.

2023/24 was another successful year for PCMCH, and they are grateful to their partners and the many individuals who supported their work.

Advances in Labour and Risk Management (ALARM) Course

Enhance and deepen your knowledge and skills during a 2 day hands-on ALARM (Advances in Labour And Risk Management) course OCTOBER 17-18th in Sioux Lookout at the Meno Ya Win Health Center!

This course has been created by the SOGC and includes case discussions and workshops on breech deliveries, postpartum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, and much more. This course is suitable for both new and experienced health care providers (MDs, nurses, and learners), and is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. For information on the course, please visit ALARM Courses (sogc.org)

We've rescheduled to increase attendance. The Sioux Lookout course will be especially applicable to those who find themselves caring for pregnant and labouring women in Northwestern Ontario as instructors will have an understanding of the issues facing our rural and remote context.

Dates: Thursday Oct 17th and Friday October 18th, 2024, 8:00 – 5:00 (Breakfast 7:30)

Cost:

** Sioux Lookout's Local Education group is subsidizing local LEG member physicians as is Dryden's.

Registration: To sign up please e-mail mbollinger@nosm.ca

Please confirm registration ASAP to ensure you can attend.

Questions:

If you have questions feel free to email mbollinger@nosm.ca

or alarm@sogc.com.

Ottawa Curriculum for Perinatal Mental Health

The University of Ottawa, Office of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and the Department of Psychiatry are proud to present this 1/2-day in-person course at The Ottawa Civic Hospital, Amphitheatre.

2024 is the year of Perinatal Mental Health Guidelines!

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) and the Canadian Network for Mood & Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) are both releasing the first Canadian guidelines on Perinatal Mental Health. They are pleased to host their first joint launch. 

The focus of this year's course is on Evidence Based Stepped Perinatal Mental Health Care, with updates and clinical applications of the new SOGC and CANMAT guidelines. In live seminars, you will hear directly from the experts involved in the development of these guidelines. The morning closes with a comprehensive panel of community resource providers to showcase their integral roles in the stepped care model. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions directly to perinatal psychiatry experts.

This course will be of interest to ALL perinatal care providers, including obstetricians, family doctors, psychiatrists, midwives, nurses, doulas, social workers, occupational therapists, psychotherapists, lactation consultants, and learners.

When: Friday, October 18, 2024

Where: In person, The Civic Hospital, 1053 Carling Ave.



REGISTRATION RATES:

Early Bird Deadline: Friday September 20, 2024

Cost:

A guide to the community management of paediatric eating disorders

The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) is urging primary-care providers to screen all adolescent patients for eating disorders during routine checkups and other medical visits.

The society released new guidelines in a position statement to help pediatricians, family doctors and nurse practitioners diagnose cases of eating disorders, which have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

See News Report

Sustaining Midwifery Care in Northern Ontario Research Project

A Registered Midwife in Northern Ontario, Dr. Kirsty Bourret, is conducting a research study on “Mapping Midwifery Care in Northern Ontario: An Intersectional Mixed Methods Study”. 

As a midwife who has worked and educated midwives in Northern Ontario for over 15 years, she have seen firsthand how midwifery care positively contributes to the health of the region. The study aims to understand midwifery care in Northern Ontario, including care for marginalized populations and in French languages. 

They are approaching organizations to assist with spreading the word about this project and reach as many midwives, midwife students and individuals who have received midwifery care in Northern Ontario as possible. 

Please see the attached Poster and Information Letter for the project.

If you have any questions about the project, please email NorthernMidwiferyCare@gmail.com or contact Dr. Kirsty Bourret directly at bourretk@mcmaster.ca or (905) 512-6681.

New Resources: Child and Youth Health Behaviours and Mental Health

Enhanced Epidemiological Summary: Mental Health Indicators using Data from the Canadian Health Survey of Children and Youth 2019

This report provides an overview of mental health indicators in children and youth 1-17 years as measured by from Statistics Canada’s 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth. 

Summary Report: Health Behaviours of Ontario Secondary School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This resource describes the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions on the physical and mental health and health behaviours of Ontario secondary students in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 school year, using data from the COMPASS study.

Ontario Connecting Youth in Thunder Bay to Mental Health Services

The Ontario government is making it faster and easier for young people to connect to mental health and substance use services by launching a new Youth Wellness Hub to serve Thunder Bay and surrounding areas. This is one of 10 new hubs the government is adding to the network of 22 hubs already opened since 2020, bringing the total to 32 across the province.

Northern Maternal Child Network

Crystal Lawrence, Regional Coordinator

Email: info@nmcn.ca

Website: www.nmcn.ca