An integrated family-centred system of care, focused on participation, partnerships and accountability this was the vision that gave birth to the Maternal, Newborn, Child and Youth Network (MNCYN) in 2009. This comprehensive network evolved from the Southwestern Ontario Perinatal Outreach Program as it partnered for decades with regional hospitals to provide professional education and consultative support. Today, this close collaboration among public health, acute care and community care organizations is resulting into a more responsive system of maternal and child care in Southwestern Ontario. Working together to keep care close to home for families, our purpose is to enable the consistent delivery of safe, quality maternal, newborn, child and youth care across our region. Our Network is seen as adding significant value through its ability to provide:
MNCYN’s medical leadership and consultants sit on governing bodies at regional, provincial and national levels. Participation in diverse and influential health care organizations provides a depth of experience and perspective to better inform our network.
This day long, mini-conference is one component of the Immunizing Children with Confidence project, a collaboration between Children’s Healthcare Canada and Solutions for Kids in Pain.
From H1N1 and SARS, we learned not to ignore lessons learned! Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past.
This Pop-Up will help us capture and imbed our Covid-19 lessons learned into organizational policies, processes, and practices along the continuum of disciplines that feed into the delivery of immunization services for children and youth. Together we can ensure the systemic knowledge, innovation and collaborations created during the COVID-19 pandemic are recorded, incorporated into practice, and nurtured to improve our practices and policies to protect against future destabilizing events.
“If we come together we can work to improve maternal health and protect every family through program, research, education and advocacy.”
March of Dimes is announcing a new Public Services Announcement (PSA) aiming to raise greater awareness of the maternal and infant health crisis by highlighting real families who have experienced issues like preterm birth, infertility and maternal and infant loss. The PSA, entitled “Unspoken”, showcases stories from diverse families in an effort to provide strength to others and greater empathy to the issues that affect all of us.
View PSA on YouTube, here.
The VEGA (Violence, Evidence, Guidance, and Action) Project has created evidence-based guidance and education resources to assist healthcare and social service providers (including students and residents) in recognizing and responding safely to family violence (child maltreatment and intimate partner violence). MNCYN is a strategic partner in the VEGA initiative. VEGA is free and publicly available.
There’s no doubt that 2021 marked another difficult year for many Canadians as we navigated prolonged uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The roll out of safe and approved vaccines for adults over the age of eighteen brought great relief and hope in the early months of 2021, but left millions of children and youth still vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus and variants of concern. Beyond the direct impacts associated with infection of the virus, children and youth were also subject to lengthy school closures in some jurisdictions; delays in access to essential services, including health and healthcare services; and, of course, social isolation as the result of public health measures to curb the transmission of COVID-19.
As trusted sources of information and expertise, Children’s Healthcare Canada and our members have played an important role communicating information and evidence (as it emerged) related to strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission to kids, to support ongoing essential healthcare service delivery, and eventually related to increasing confidence to vaccinate children and youth against COVID-19.
In addition to managing the virus itself, throughout 2021, and almost consistently from coast to coast, Children’s Healthcare Canada members experienced a measurable increase in emergency department visits and admissions related to children’s mental health, delayed access to routine or follow-up care, and towards the end of the year, RSV and other seasonal viruses.
As we reflect on the year that has passed, you will notice that a great deal of Children’s Healthcare Canada’s time and attention was invested in supporting our members and the children and youth they serve to navigate the pandemic, but also to set Canada on course to make children, and their health and wellbeing, the focus of our collective recovery efforts.
New relationships and partnerships emerged to advance shared goals, new learning events were created to meet the need for just-in-time information, and new roles identified to support the mobilization of knowledge and evidence from bench to bedside and beyond.
It has been a busy but rewarding year on many fronts. We are honoured to serve a community so dedicated to improving the lives of Canada’s 8 million kids. Thank you for everything you do to enable healthy, vibrant children and youth.
Introducing the BORN-AOM Knowledge Translation task force
Have you ever wished you could quantify the many non-pharmaceutical pain management mechanisms midwives use to support their clients during labour? Or perhaps you are curious to know how many consults or transfers of care occurred due to hospital protocol rather than midwives’ clinical judgement? The AOM has heard these concerns and as of April 5, 2021, the BORN Information System (BIS) has begun collecting this and other crucial, midwifery-specific information.
For the first time you can attend in person OR virtually! Children’s Healthcare Canada is thrilled to be back in person for our annual conference at the beautiful Shaw Centre in downtown Ottawa. For those unable to meet in Ottawa, a real time virtual option will be available. For those attending in person, be sure to join us at the Shaw Centre on the evening of November 29th for our Welcome Reception and Awards Ceremony!
This year’s conference is a celebration of our leaders in child health with our theme of Energy, Optimism and Leadership: A bright future for child health in Canada!
This conference will take place during a SPARK Child Health Leadership Month that will provide several touchpoints for the broad child health community and bring content focused on diverse audiences. Leadership as a theme speaks to Children’s Healthcare Canada’s commitment to convening thought leaders and health system partners to address complex child health issues.
Kitchener, ON | March 3, 2022 – St. Mary’s General Hospital has been acknowledged among the top hospitals in Canada on Newsweek’s list of World’s Best Hospitals 2022. This prestigious award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc..
Newsweek and Statista’s methodology to ensure the quality and validity of the ranking involved the use of three data sources for the evaluation:
Dr. Bruni recieved the award at the annual CPS Conference this past May, 2022. Dr. Teresa Bruni has been a practicing consultant Paediatrician in Thunder Bay for 28 years. Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, ON, she returned to Northern Ontario to practice after completing her residency at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Dr. Bruni has been an active fulltime member of the Department of Paediatrics at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre since 1994. She is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Sciences Division for NOSM University. She is passionate about teaching medical students, family practice and paediatric residents in hopes that this will help attract, retain, and support health care providers in the North.
“Congratulations Jackie on Midwife of the Month. You are such a treasure to the Department of Midwifery”
– Katie Fisher, Chief of Midwifery, LHSC
"This Program is valued by all nurses, midwives and physicians who practice in our facility. Our questions are well received and the Team always provide suggestions in a constructive manner. The staff interaction with the team fosters positive relationships with our tertiary care colleagues, which is very helpful for us in providing the best patient care that we can as a Level I facility.”
Joanne McKee
Nurse Leader, Walkerton
Participant in Hospital Perinatal Rounds
“The [regional chart] forms, developed by the Southwestern Ontario Perinatal Partnership Program... have cut an estimated 2 hours of charting down to 20 minutes. As one of our Doctors put it “we love these forms”. Please than the committee responsible for all their hard work developing the forms. We appreciate your efforts.”
Myra Henderson, RN
OBS Unit
Manitoulin Health Center
“Finished the course and I will say I learned or re learned a lot, what an amazing review. I liked that it went thru the systems; at times it was challenging and had me on to google reading up on things I have forgotten or perhaps never did know. I’ve taken so many great notes. Loved being able to work on it on my own time and would be interested in other courses that you may have to offer."
RN, Emerg Department
Course Participant
Regional Paediatric Orientation Online Course (RPO)
“Thank you for a great introductory meeting. I am looking forward to continued engagement in producing better outcomes through best practice. It was great to network with our regional partners, gain resources and see what everyone is working on. I was impressed with the wealth of information provided."
Attendee at
Regional Nurse Leaders’ Meeting
November, 2019
“Thanks for your commitment to advancing the knowledge base to others and helping smaller centres grow in order to remove barriers to accessing opportunities to learn.”
Participant in
7th Ed NRP New Instructor Course
April, 2019
"Amazing keynote presentation. Well done presentations on culturally sensitive hospital environment and trauma-informed skills. Communication and team effectiveness presentation was so good! Really appreciated such a rich learning day. "
Midwife, BORN Ontario and Attendee at
Annual MNCYN Conference
2019
MNCYN is a partnership of public health, acute care and community care organizations focused on providing integrated family-centric health care. Our Network members are increasingly being recognized as leaders among peer organizations in Ontario. We offer organizational, health care professional and student membership levels. Invest in our future – join MNCYN today!
View all members
Jocelyn has been a Registered Nurse since 2007, and IBCLC certified since 2015. She is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick-Humber Bachelor of Nursing program, and a current student in the Masters of Nursing Program at Athabasca University. Jocelyn is a Fetal Health Surveillance instructor and will be contributing to regional perinatal nursing education through MNCYN, while also working part-time as a staff nurse in rural maternal, and child nursing and maintaining a small private practice in lactation consulting. Jocelyn is a homeschooling mom of four and lives on a hobby farm in Grey Count
Kerri has been the Manager of the Maternal Child Program and Scheduling Department at the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) since 2017. A graduate of Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Nursing Science, her professional development continues as she is currently completing her Masters of Nursing Leadership in Professional Nursing Practice at Western University.
Kerri has been an instrumental partner with MNCYN for many years, contributing through the dissemination of lessons learned and resources developed to support partner organizations to drive change and evidence-based care. She has been a key stakeholder as MNCYN pilots many new resources, tools, and surveys.
Anita has been a Program Assistant at Maternal, Newborn, Child & Youth since June 2015. She has a wide variety of experience and skills she brings to the program and supports the team with her knowledge of administrative software and technology. Anita provides administrative support to the Executive Director and Paediatric Nurse Consultant. She coordinates committee meetings and provides administrative support with MNCYN regional events, including workshops and conferences.
Anita graduated from Lambton College (Sarnia) in 1988 with a Diploma in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting. She began her career working for the Sarnia-Lambton Small Business Development Corporation as a secretary/bookkeeper to the CEO. Anita worked as a Business Consultant for Whitney Business Development. During this time, she partnered with the Seven Bands Economic Development to provide business support services to the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Kettle and Stoney Point First Nations, and Walpole Island First Nation, small business owners. Anita obtained a Diploma with honours for Child & Youth Work (1999) at Lambton College, practicing for four years, following which she was allowed to complete her degree in International Development with a major in Community Development (2005) at the University of Western Sydney (Sydney, Australia). She returned to working the frontlines as a CYW for the next three years and then moved to London to work as a PSW alongside children and adults to support their quest for a meaningful life. In 2015 she received her Diploma in Medical Office Administration at Fanshawe College and began working for MNCYN.
Anita was the Administrative Coordinator for the NRP program at LHSC until 2019 and worked briefly as a Unit clerk for the Mental Health Department.
Anita enjoys spending time with her grandsons, being active by cycling and walking, and is a self-taught artist and music lover.
Gwen is a Perinatal Nurse Consultant with the MNCYN – Regional Perinatal Program. She received her BScN from the University of Western Ontario in 1980. Gwen has dedicated her career to perinatal nursing. She was employed for several years on the antenatal, labour/birth, mother/baby care units and the NICU at St. Joseph’s Health Care London, which was the tertiary perinatal centre for southwestern Ontario at the time. Gwen has been a nurse consultant with the Regional Perinatal Program since 1987. In this role, she has also facilitated a Maternal Newborn Nursing course as a joint venture between the MNCYN and Fanshawe College and has worked alongside her physician colleagues to provide ongoing professional education and consultation regarding the care of mothers and infants.
Gwen is an associate member of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) and the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS). She is also a member of the Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health (CAPWHN). She sits on the Canadian Perinatal Partnership Coalition (CPPC), an organization of perinatal/reproductive care programs across the country, committed to fostering and supporting optimal care and outcomes for mothers, babies and childbearing families. Gwen has maintained her certification credentials in Perinatal Nursing with the Canadian Nurses Association since 2001. She has also maintained her status as a registered Neonatal Resuscitation Instructor/Trainer and an instructor of the ACoRN (Acute Care of at-Risk Newborns) program. During the last several years, Gwen has participated in the Canadian Fetal Health Surveillance Steering Committee. As part of this committee, she was also a member of the FHS Refresher course working group.
working group.
Dr. Roukema received his medical degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1987. He received his Paediatric certification from UWO in 1992 and his Neonatal-Perinatal Subspecialty qualifications from the University of Toronto in 1995. Also, he completed a Master’s Degree in Clinical Epidemiology from U of T in 2003. Dr. Roukema has been a staff Neonatologist at SJHC since 1997 and was the Program Director for the Neonatal-Perinatal subspecialty training program from 1999-2003. He is also an Associate Professor for the Dept. of Paediatrics at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, UWO.
Dr. Roukema is clinically active in the NICU at London Health Sciences Centre, and administratively is the Director of Nurseries and the Neonatal Director of the Paediatric and Neonatal Transport Team at LHSC. Regionally, he actively participates in the Perinatal Outreach Program for South-Western Ontario as an Executive Committee member of the Maternal, Newborn, Child and Youth Network (MNCY&N).
Provincially, Dr. Roukema is very involved with Critical Care Services Ontario (CCSO). CCSO serves to monitor and Coordinate critical care across the province. NICU has recently come under the jurisdiction of CCSO. Dr. Roukema co-chairs the Ontario Intensive Care Advisory Committee (ONICAC) through CCSO. CCSO acts as the coordinating body for Neonatal care. He also Chairs the Performance Management Workgroup (one of two sub-committees from ONICAC) and this serves to develop evaluative metrics for NICUs and the development of a near real-time database for NICU care through the Critical Care Information System (CCIS) at CritiCall Ontario
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Dr. Tijssen completed her medical school at McGill University in 2006, and went on to complete her Paediatric Residency, and obtain her FRCPC in 2010 from the joint training program of McMaster University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She completed her critical care training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where she was also the Chief Fellow. She completed her Masters of Science in Health Services Research at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Tijssen is the interim director of the paediatric critical care unit at Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, a co-medical director for the Regional Paediatric Program of MNCYN, and the medical director for the Children’s Hospital’s Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) education program and the Paediatric Critical Care Outreach Team. She is a member of the Paediatric Life Support Taskforce for the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and is involved in producing internationally accepted resuscitation guidelines adopted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Dr. Schmidt is a native of North York, Greater Toronto Area and attended the University of Guelph for his undergraduate degree in Human Biology from 1990-94. Following graduation, he moved to London for his medical degree, graduating from the University of Western Ontario in 1998. He did his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in London and then completed a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at St. Joseph’s Health Care, London. He joined the staff as a full-time obstetrician in March of 2007 and then joined the MFM team in 2007.
Dr. Schmidt became a member of the medical consulting staff of the Perinatal Outreach Program (now the Maternal Newborn Child Youth Network) in the summer of 2007 and is currently the obstetrics Medical Director and a member of the MNCYN Executive.
Dr. Schmidt became the Chief of Obstetrics at London Health Sciences Centre in April 2018. He continues to be highly involved in both clinical and academic aspects of the residency program and the undergraduate education program at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University.
Dr. Coughlin is a Neonatologist and Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. He serves as the Neonatal Medical Director of the Maternal Newborn Child Youth Network of Southwestern Ontario and Medical Director of the Neonatal Developmental Follow-up Clinic at Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre.
Dr. Coughlin has a Master’s Degree in Bioethics. He has contributed to the dissemination of Neonatal-Perinatal knowledge provincially and nationally through his involvement on MNCYN, CPS and Ontario NRP Steering Committees and ACoRN Executive. His involvement with these organizations includes educational, guideline and curriculum development, review of research projects, granting requests and regional administrative duties.
Dr. Coughlin’s educational and research interests include neonatal transition, resuscitation and stabilization and bioethics. His foundation in qualitative methodologies offers a unique opportunity to study the complex psychosocial phenomenon in difficult clinical settings, such as resuscitation of extremely preterm infants and priority setting in health care.
Dr. Coughlin is currently the Chair of the Ontario Nunavut Provincial NRP Committee, and a member of the National NRP Steering Committee. He is also the current Chair of the Canadian Paediatric Society’s Acute Care of at-Risk Newborn (ACoRN) Program.
Kristine is a Paediatric Nurse Consultant with the MNCYN – Regional Paediatric Program. She received her Nursing Diploma from Mohawk College in 2001 and her Bachelor of Nursing Degree from Athabasca University in 2012, followed by her Master of Nursing in 2018. Kristine has dedicated her career to paediatric nursing, specifically critical care. She began nursing at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton after graduating, working there for several years before deciding to travel and practice nursing in California. While at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Kristine was fortunate enough to work within the paediatric cardiac stepdown unit, gaining first-hand experience caring for critically ill infants and children. In 2006, Kristine moved back to Ontario and joined the Children’s Hospital, LHSC’s Paediatric Critical Care Unit and became a member of the Paediatric Critical Care Outreach Team (PCCOT). Kristine also did a contract position at the Middlesex London Health Unit working on the Early Years Team, providing breastfeeding support and care to new mothers and families. Kristine joined the MNCYN team in June of 2018 as the Paediatric Nurse Consultant with the Regional Paediatric Program. Since joining the team, Kristine created the Regional Paediatric Orientation Program, an online paediatric nursing course for our regional partners.
Kristine works closely with the Children’s Hospital, LHSC’s CME Paediatric Regional Outreach Program (PROP) and is a CME committee member. She has partnered with the PROP team when providing regional high-fidelity simulation days and enjoys working alongside her physician colleagues to provide professional education and consultation regarding the care of children and youth. Kristine is also a member of the TREKK Knowledge Mobilization Advisory Committee, a Canadian organization dedicated to creating high-quality, evidence-based resources for hospitals in order to reduce barriers for the best possible care for children. Kristine has maintained her certification credentials in Paediatric Critical Care Nursing with the Canadian Nurses Association since 2009. She is also a registered Neonatal Resuscitation Instructor as well as a Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Instructor with the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Dr. Ojha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the Western University, Ontario and in 2014 became an Academic Paediatrician at the Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre. He earned his Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical degrees from India. He completed his Fellowship in Paediatrics from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and worked at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia. He served as a lecturer at Sydney Medical School- Nepean (University of Sydney) before moving to Canada. Dr. Ojha has vast clinical and teaching experience in the field of Paediatrics. He has worked as a Paediatric specialist in India and served the Ministry of Health in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Ojha became a member of the consulting staff of the Maternal Newborn Child & Youth Network (MNCYN) Regional Paediatric Program in 2019. He has a keen interest in teaching and has been a faculty examiner and reviewer. He has been a part of various administrative and clinical committees looking into establishing and directing clinical programs for paediatric trainees and quality assurance activities. He also contributes to the planning, drafting and publishing of paediatric guidelines; and has various publications to his credit. He has been an active advocate for the health needs of children and youth. He was awarded a gold medal for his outstanding efforts toward improving child health care.
Dr. Ojha has a strong research interest in Medical Education. His focus is on Continuing Medical Education and Simulation and its role in paediatric education.
Sheila has been the Program Assistant for the Perinatal Outreach Program since September 2000, providing administrative and team support, as well, for the Maternal, Newborn, Child & Youth Network (MNCYN), since the establishment of the network in 2009. Sheila graduated from St. Lawrence College (Kingston) in 1976 with an Honours Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE), and subsequently received an Honours certificate in 1978 as a Registered Nursing Assistant (now Registered Practical Nurse). Sheila pursued a nursing career at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London from 1979 to 1992, working primarily in the areas of Gynecology and General/Family Medicine. Sheila also served for 10 years on the Executive of her local Union and later joined the staff at the London & District Service Workers’ Union, Local 220 in 1992. In 1998, Sheila graduated from Fanshawe College with an Honours diploma in Office Administration (Medical) and returned to St. Joseph’s Hospital in August 2000 as a data analyst for Neonatal Associates. In September of the same year, she joined the staff of the Perinatal Outreach Program (now MNCYN). She currently divides her time between MNCYN and the NICU database at London Health Sciences Centre. She retired her College of Nurses of Ontario membership in 2003, and is a former member in the Ontario Medical Secretaries Association. Sheila is currently a member of the Program Advisory Committee for the School of Information Technology at Fanshawe College and provides mentorship and placement opportunities annually to graduating students of the College’s Health Services program.
In her personal life, Sheila is a specialist in genealogy and family history research, providing consultation and assistance to the public through the London Family History Centre (LDS). She is also currently the Co-Chair and Recording Secretary of the London & Middlesex Branch of Ontario Ancestors (The Ontario Genealogical Society).Society).
Dr. Hardy is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and obstetrician-gynecologist. He completed his Medical Doctorate at Montreal University and obtained his specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology at McGill University. His subspecialty fellowship training was in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Ottawa.
Dr. Hardy is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Western Ontario. He has previously practiced as a general obstetrician-gynecologist in the urban and rural areas of Quebec and Ontario. Dr. Hardy recently completed a Masters in Health Economics, Policy and Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science.