Helping babies receive the care they need
The success of the Well Baby Care Clinic
October 21, 2024.
In April 2023, Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC), in collaboration with Queen’s University and KFL&A Public Health, launched the Well Baby Care Clinic to meet a critical need in Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington (FLA). Since its inception, the clinic has been instrumental in ensuring that infants 18 months and under who do not have a primary care provider receive the care they need. This includes growth and development monitoring, milestone screenings, immunizations and referrals to specialists as required. The clinic also connects families to valuable resources, including child and parenting support at KFL&A Public Health.
Leader acknowledged
Dr. Rupa Patel - one of the leaders of this initiative and a family physician who was recently named a 2024 Regional Family Physician of the Year by the Ontario College of Family Physicians - shared the importance of having this service available for families in the community. “We don't want parents with young infants to be scrambling for care,” she explained. “Having a stable care system for babies improves how a family manages. It helps create the best possible environment for a child to thrive.”
The FLA OHT recognizes how crucial health care is during pregnancy and early childhood, and that investing in care during these early and formative years leads to better outcomes throughout one’s lifespan. The primary care providers in our OHT are committed to offering strong support for families to ensure that children have access to the resources they need for a healthy physical and emotional start to life.
Proactive approach to well-baby care
Dr. Patel highlights how this proactive approach to well-baby care sets the FLA region apart. “I think our OHT [Ontario Health Team] is unique because people with young children who require early childhood care and don’t have a primary care provider have a way to get care without having to go to a walk-in or Emergency Room for their well-being.” Since its launch, the clinic has provided 578 well-baby care visits to 208 unique clients. This dedicated pathway allows families to promptly access the care they need while reducing the strain on acute care facilities, which are not equipped to provide the routine care that infants need.
The clinic’s success goes beyond meeting immediate infant care needs. It has implemented a system where infants, after 18 months, are attached to primary care providers or community pediatric care. “We went from infant care to now ensuring that these children are attached to ongoing primary care,” said Dr. Patel, highlighting the growth of the clinic and its impact on long-term health-care access for children.
Grateful parents
Testimonials from parents who have used the clinic for their infants speak volumes about its impact. “We are so thankful to have this [Well Baby Care] clinic. We wouldn’t know where else to go if it didn’t exist. With preemie twins, it can be hard to know what they should be accomplishing and when. We appreciate being able to discuss their milestones [and ensure they] are being met.”
Another parent expressed relief at finding the clinic, “I am so happy my girlfriend told me about this [Well Baby Care] clinic. Where else would I have gone? We would have to drive back to Toronto every few months [to get care], and I am a nervous driver. I am so happy this clinic is here!”
Building on OB Wheel initiative
The Well Baby Care Clinic builds on the work Dr. Patel and her team did to launch the “OB (obstetrics) Wheel” in November 2022. That initiative helps identify pregnant women in the community without a primary care provider and connects them with one. By ensuring women can access primary care during pregnancy, this initiative is reducing the number of unattached newborns in the region. “We realized we needed to look upstream,” Dr. Patel explained. “If we can identify pregnant women early and attach them to care, we prevent the scramble for care after the baby is born.”
Dr. Patel underscores how the success of this initiative would not be possible without the incredible support of primary care providers in FLA. “The family doctors across our region have been incredibly generous,” Dr. Patel emphasized. “I want to highlight that because they recognize that pregnant women are a priority population. By providing stability in a pregnant woman’s health care, we’re not only benefiting her, we’re ensuring the best possible outcomes for her child.”
The OB Wheel has connected more than 600 women in our community to ongoing primary care, ensuring they receive essential prenatal and postnatal support. This commitment from the local health-care community has been instrumental in addressing a critical gap and providing stability for families during a vital stage.
Achieving our best health - for all
The Well Baby Care Clinic and OB Wheel are prime examples of what’s possible when organizations collaborate to address a community need. The impact of these programs on families across our region has been significant, ensuring that no baby is left without essential care.
Find more information about the Well Baby Care Clinic and how to access services here.