Stevenson Memorial Hospital has been very excited about the re-opening of the Birthing Unit. Our one Obstetrician Gynaecologist (OB/Gyn) has been kept very busy and we are thrilled that over 70 babies have been born in their community, close to home.

As noted in the Expert Panel Report of May 2007, having 24/7 care 365 days a year is the optimum, but total coverage may not be achievable with only one physician. The consensus in the community was that the Birthing Unit should be re-opened and the hospital should give advance notice if there were going to be times when an OB/Gyn would not be available. To assist in providing continual coverage, SMH aggressively searched for locum Obstetricians (physicians who fill in for another physician) and increased its pool of locum doctors from 2 to 10. In addition, Stevenson Memorial is actively seeking a second obstetrician to join Dr. Barrett in providing care to our community.

Stevenson Memorial has committed to keeping the community informed and working with all physicians, midwives, nurses and caregivers, to tell patients of any times when they might have to be re-directed to other birthing centres. In spite of our best efforts, a redirection will be necessary.

The SMH Birthing Unit will be re-directing patients requiring obstetrical care during the following time frame:

August 24 from 700 hrs  (7 am) to August 28 at 1930 hrs  (7.30 pm) 2008.

Should patients have questions about our services during this time period, they can call Sherry at (705) 435-3377, ext 2348 and/or speak with their caregiver.

Stevenson Memorial is making every effort to provide continuous service and appreciates the ongoing support and understanding of the community.