The four doctors who will work at the new maternity care clinic at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake are Dr. Emil LaBoissiere, Dr. Ivan Scrooby, Dr. Werner Engelbrecht and Dr. Kate Knuff.
Hannah Dieter, communications and project lead for Central Interior Rural Division of Family Practice (CIRDFP) confirmed in an emailed response who the doctors will be.
When asked how long patients without a family doctor would be followed by the clinic, she said they don’t have an answer to the question currently it is still under discussion.
“However, the maternity doctors already see and follow unattached patients successfully, and we don’t anticipate any major changes to that process with the opening of the clinic.”
What the opening of the clinic does mean for patients without family care providers is that maternity care is now easier for pregnant patients to access with the self-referral system, centralized waitlist, and physical clinical space, she noted.
While the CIRDFP does not have any firm data on the number of unattached maternity patients, the data showed that 20 per cent of people in the region do not have a family doctor.
“It is possible that the centralized referral system of the new clinic will help us capture the number of unattached maternity patients more accurately.”
She also confirmed that one of the hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) physicians recently retired and that locum (visiting) doctors are supporting services while the CIRDFP actively recruits for permanent positions.
The four physicians who work at the new maternity care clinic also offer labour and delivery services, she added.
Since Tuesday, July 11, the new clinic has been accepting referrals.
Expectant parents without a primary provider can directly book an appointment by calling 250-302- 3294.
The clinic is located on the main floor of CMH in room 1207 (behind the main reception desk).
READ MORE: Cariboo Memorial Hospital offering new maternity care clinic
