June 6, 2024
PINCHER CREEK – Expectant families in Pincher Creek and area who are receiving care from a registered midwife now have more options of where they can deliver – at home or in hospital.
Clinical privileges have been granted to four registered midwives who operate the Cardston Midwives practice. This opens the door to providing care to their patients at the Pincher Creek Health Centre, beginning this month.
“Families in the community have been asking for additional maternity services,” says Adriana Lagrange, Minister of Health. “Opening the health centre to the area’s midwives enhances maternal care, giving expectant parents more options of where and how they deliver.”
The Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services (AHS) have been working to increase the number of midwives working in the AHS South Zone and across the province. There are currently 14 registered midwives practising in the South Zone as part of the AHS midwifery staff; the others are based out of Brooks, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Taber.
“We know more families are recognizing midwifery as a valuable option for maternal and newborn care, and I’m excited to welcome Cardston Midwives to the Pincher Creek Health Centre,” says Chelsae Petrovic, MLA for Livingstone-Macleod and parliamentary secretary for health workforce engagement.
Registered midwives, physicians and care teams work together at sites to ensure families feel safe and supported throughout their delivery.
“Staff and physicians have been working collaboratively in preparation to support midwives and their clients at the health centre,” says Dr. Aaron Low, South Zone medical director. “No matter where you receive care in the South Zone, our teams’ focus is on ensuring families feel safe and supported before, during and after labour.”
Registered midwives provide primary care to Albertans and their babies during pregnancy, antepartum, labour, birth and postpartum period up to six weeks. Currently, more than 165 registered midwives provide services through staff appointments with AHS across the province. About 6,300 Albertan families accessed care from registered midwives over the past year, including approximately 440 people in the South Zone.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.
