Patients of the IWK’s Perinatal Clinic (PNC) will receive care in the community starting October 5 with the opening of the IWK space at Richmond Yards.
Transitioning the PNC out of the standard hospital space and into the community is part of IWK’s efforts to make care more accessible and integrated. The new clinic is a larger, more welcoming and more accessible space designed to support high-quality perinatal care.
“We know coming to the hospital for routine appointments can be more difficult and sometimes overwhelming compared with accessing care in a community setting,” said LeeAnn Larocque, Vice-President of Clinical Care, Learning and Chief Nurse Executive. “We’re excited to begin welcoming patients to the new location of the Perinatal Clinic today. While the location of the clinic has changed, the excellent care provided by our physicians, clinicians and staff will not.”
The PNC provides a wide range of services including primary maternity care and high risk/tertiary obstetrical care. The care team includes perinatal nurses, physicians (including family doctors, obstetricians, and maternal fetal medicine specialists), clinical nutritionists, physiotherapists and social workers.
“The team at the IWK’s Perinatal Clinic has always been dedicated to providing quality care to women and gender diverse populations and it will continue as we move to our new location,” said Dr. Jim Bentley, Head of Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. “The new space features expanded clinical space for us to enhance IWK Health’s dedication to providing accessible and inclusive specialty services.”
The new space features five additional exam rooms, an additional intake room, expanded pregnancy and diabetes spaces, and improved accessibility.
The PNC also included several multidisciplinary specialty clinics located in the PNC that help care for higher risk pregnancies, including: Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinic, Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic, and Newcomer's with Diabetes Clinic.
The clinic is by referral only, so affected patients were contacted about the transition out of the hospital space.
The Adult Infusion Clinic, which provides iron and WinRho IV infusions for referred obstetrical and gynecology patients, has also moved to the new space, which is more private and comfortable for patients and allows the clinic to double from three to five chairs.