South Community Birth Program - Vancouver BC midwife - Doula
FOR PHYSICIANS
The South Community Birth Program provides a full range of primary maternity care services to Vancouver's childbearing women and their families. Located in a newly renovated clinic space on Fraser Street, women receive interdisciplinary care from family physicians, midwives, community health nurses, and doulas. We provide Centering Pregnancy group prenatal care or standard individual care, as well as postpartum and breastfeeding drop-in clinics.
The goal of the SCBP is to improve the health outcomes of low-risk pregnant women in the underserved community of South Vancouver, by providing them with collaborative, multidisciplinary care from family physicians, midwives, community health nurses, and doulas. This is the first such multidisciplinary program of its kind in Canada, where midwives and family physicians share the care of patients. Care takes place in a community-based, culturally-appropriate, and woman-centered manner during pregnancy, birth and the newborn period.
Objectives:
- To be a model of exemplary interdisciplinary primary maternity care
- To honor the healthy, natural process of birth
- To provide a safe, positive birth experience and improve the health outcomes of women and their families
- To work in partnership with women to assume an active role in their primary health care
- To assist women and their families in developing a strong sense of peer support within the community
How the Clinic Operates
A team of family physicians, registered midwives, community health nurses and doulas work collaboratively to provide comprehensive care for expectant and new mothers. Members of our team are able to speak a variety of languages including Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Spanish, French and Tagalog, to mention a few. Translation services are available for those who need it.
Prenatal visits can be individual or based on the Centering Pregnancy model of care. The CP groups incorporate health assessment, education and support into one entity. The first few visits to the clinic involves a one-on-one session with a family physician or registered midwife, but subsequent sessions are done in the CP group, facilitated by two or more members of the program’s interdisciplinary team.
The family physician receives notification that the patient has delivered and a complete delivery summary when the care is transferred back to the family physician between three and six weeks postpartum.
Multidisciplinary Clinical Teaching
The SCBP provides a multidisciplinary, clinical training site for midwifery, medical and nursing students, as well as family practice residents, and nurse practitioner students. We strive to:
- Educate future midwives, physicians and nurses with a new vision and enthusiasm for collaborative, woman-centered maternity care
- Educate students that women and their families are at the centre of care, while teaching informed choice decision-making in the provision of care
- Undertake multidisciplinary research to increase our understanding of the multiple factors involved in the process of normal birth
- Develop protocols and guidelines that support normal birth.
HOW TO REFER
When?
Family physicians can refer their pregnant Vancouver patients to the South Community Birth Program as early as possible after confirmation of pregnancy. Women and their babies are referred back to their family physician between three and six weeks following the birth. If a woman does not have a family physician, we will help her to find one.
Pregnant women living in Vancouver do not need a referral to come to SCBP. They can self-refer but many are informed of the program by their family physicians whom do not provide total maternity care.
The program is open to women who live in Vancouver. As the program is based at the South Community Health Unit, women residing in South Vancouver will have first priority. We do not accept women living outside Vancouver (eg; Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey or North Vancouver).
How?
Complete a referral form (below) and fax it back to 604.324.2205. We will contact the client to set up the first appointment and notify the referring physician of the appointment date.
Download Referral Form Now! (Adobe PDF)