Joint project provides new clinic services for newborns in the Kingston area

Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) and Community Midwives of Kingston are starting 2022 with a collaboration that brings a brand new service to newborns and their parents in the community.

Launched earlier this month, the Well Newborn and Parent Clinic is geared to provide time-sensitive follow-up services for newborns and parents after discharge from hospital.

According to a release from KHSC, clinic services primarily include testing for jaundice, weight checks, breastfeeding support, screening for treatable diseases that usually show no symptoms in the newborn period and overall wellness check-ups. Parents can also be supported with postpartum recovery and support for infant feeding, KHSC said.

The clinic will see newborns who do not already have access to midwifery care, do not have a family physician or cannot obtain urgent access to time-sensitive follow-up care, according to the release.

Operated by a Registered Midwife seven days a week, the pilot clinic is located on Armstrong 5 at KHSC’s Kingston General Hospital site. KHSC said that appointments are booked on patient discharge from the hospital.

“The clinic is a venue to access critical newborn testing,” said Dr. Bob Connelly, Head of Pediatrics at KHSC and Queen’s University. “It’s an exciting opportunity to expand the midwifery footprint at KHSC while also freeing up inpatient and outpatient staffing capacity in other pediatric care areas. This is just the kind of partnership and innovation that we need to provide the best patient and family-centred care in our community.”

Patients who would like more information about the clinic can email [email protected].