'A big difference for the patients, but also for the babies': New clinic to support marginalized individuals in need of obstetrical care

A new partnership between LHSC and the London InterCommunity Health Centre (LIHC) will ensure pregnant individuals from marginalized communities receive the care they and their babies need.

According to a news release, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and LIHC are partnering with the creation of a brand new obstetrics clinic in “response to the growing need to break down the barriers for marginalized pregnant individuals needing obstetrics care.”

The obstetrics clinic will be located at LIHC and will staff two OB-GYNs and one family medicine obstetrician from LHSC, who will work on a rotational basis at the bi-weekly clinic.

The partnership is critical because pregnant individuals who go for care at LIHC and are referred to LHSC for more in-depth appointments often struggle to attend these appointments due to transportation and other barriers.

“The goal of this new clinic is to bridge that gap,” LHSC said.

“The people we serve don’t typically access health care in the traditional way, due to a number of barriers such as homelessness, mental health, and other hardships,” explained Greg Nash, director of program development and complex urban health, LIHC. “To change that, we are partnering differently and using the trust we have already established to bring these pregnant individuals to this new clinic, to ensure they get the obstetrics care they need.”

The new clinic, which opened its doors in January, will operate every other Wednesday at the LIHC building at 659 Dundas St.

“This will not only make a big difference for the patients, but also for the babies,” said Dr. Laura Lyons, medical director of family medicine obstetrics at LHSC. “We know that good prenatal care leads to better birth outcomes. Being able to monitor things like growth and potential concerns early in pregnancy is critical, so we can ensure the proper care is being administered.”

In addition, LHSC has also donated two ultrasound units to LIHC which will be used in the obstetrics clinic. 

“Imaging is key in a pregnancy to allow us to get a full scope of how the baby is developing within the womb. Having these ultrasound machines as part of the clinic and not requiring the patients to travel further for an ultrasound will make a significant difference,” said Lyons.

Nash added, “This is a big cornerstone. This fully integrated partnership with LHSC will be a game changer for our clients, ultimately saving lives.”