The purpose of the MNCYN is to support the consistent delivery of safe, quality maternal, newborn, child, and youth care across our region. We achieve this by promoting and advocating for a consistent standard of care.
Our Network is seen as adding significant value through its ability to:
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WHAT WE DO
MNCYN fulfills its mission by offering a number of deliverables and services in our geographical region in Ontario to help healthcare organizations meet their objectives and exceed professional regulations.
Deliverables:
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Our logo stylishly depicts the progression of newborn, child and youth in a maternal embrace. It represents a strong sense of confidence, community and cultural diversity emblematic of Canadian society.
The logo speaks to the creativity, cooperation and professionalism required of such an organization. Modern and dynamic, it symbolizes the collaboration and positive partnerships that the MNCYN strives to achieve for the regional health care sector.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Align and support the work of the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health
A strategic planning session is held every three years with our regional partners and key stakeholders. The strategic priorities are determined by the feedback (themes) as voiced by our partners. The themes are then positioned under the strategic pillars of MNCYN, Quality Health Outcomes, Systems Integration, Improved Asset Management and Enhanced Learning and Growth.
The MNCYN strategic plan is a living document that is frequently revisited and updated as required to ensure our priorities are relevant, aligned with public health care outcomes and meeting the needs of our partners.
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Provide focus on Levels of Care and HumanHealth Resources to support care closer to home.
Perinatal and Paediatric Standardized training programs to support Perinatal and Paediatric care across the spectrum.
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Provide outstanding education and skill building opportunities, including focus on mental health, intimate partner violence, and trauma-violence-informed care.
Virtual and Experiential learning.
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HISTORY
[qode_workflow animate=”yes” line_color=”#cccccc”][qode_workflow_item title=”1970s: BIRTH” subtitle=”(The Regional Perinatal Outreach Program of Southwestern Ontario)” text=”Established in 1979 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, London, Ontario, the Program was the vision of Dr. Graham W. Chance, a Neonatologist, who was born in Birmingham, England and educated in the UK. Dr. Chance immigrated to Canada in the 1970’s and spent his first years at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, before coming to London, Ontario. A collaborative and multidisciplinary approach was undertaken, based on needs assessment, to provide perinatal education and support to 33 regional hospitals in the southwest catchment area.” image=”16259″ circle_border_color=”#cccccc” circle_background_color=”#cccccc”][qode_workflow_item image_float=”yes” title=”1980s: TODDLER” subtitle=”(Beginnings)” text=”The program focused on building relationships with the regional hospitals and promoting collaboration through the organization of district perinatal nurse leaders, as well as promoting standardized care through the development of standardized chart forms, maternal newborn education and the development of a regional obstetrics database to provide metrics by which to measure outcomes and benchmarking. Collaboration on a national level was realized with the creation of the Canadian Perinatal Programs Coalition (CPPC) in 1989.
A collaborative study conducted to determine the impact of the Outreach Program concluded that perinatal care in southwestern Ontario is regionalized and not centralized. The final report, “Is Perinatal Care in Southwest Ontario Regionalized?”, was published in 1991 (CMAJ).” image=”17340″ circle_border_color=”#cccccc” circle_background_color=”#cccccc”][qode_workflow_item title=”1990s: TERRIBLE TWOs” subtitle=”(Challenges)” text=”With challenges faced by Regional hospitals due to economic recession, funding cuts, nursing staff layoffs and hospital amalgamations, the Perinatal Outreach Program maintained ongoing support and was identified by the Ministry of Health in a provincial maternal newborn care survey to be an exemplary model for ongoing education in perinatal matters. Regional and provincial collaboration were also continued through the establishment of a Regional Perinatal Care Steering Committee (1998) and the Ontario Provincial Perinatal Partnership (OP3) to advocate for consistent and collaborative care between hospitals and community agencies, including CritiCall and Best Start.” image=”17341″ circle_border_color=”#cccccc” circle_background_color=”#cccccc”][qode_workflow_item image_float=”yes” title=”2000s: EARLY CHILDHOOD” subtitle=”(Transitions)” text=”The Southwestern Ontario Perinatal Partnership (SWOPP) (formerly Regional Steering Committee), initiated discussions around shared governance and the anticipated merging of all perinatal services at LHSC. An external review was undertaken (2007), which recommended that a shared governance model, funding and sustainability plan be assumed collectively by the member hospitals that formed SWOPP. Over the next several years the SWOPP was reorganized to become the Maternal, Newborn, Child & Youth Network (MNCYN), which included a new paediatric education component known as the Paediatric Advancement Program (2009).” image=”17342″ circle_border_color=”#cccccc” circle_background_color=”#cccccc”][qode_workflow_item title=”2010s: MIDDLE CHILDHOOD” subtitle=”(Rebirth & Renewal)” text=”In 2011 the city-wide merger of Perinatal and Women’s Health Programs (St. Joseph’s Health Care London & LHSC) was completed with Program moved to LHSC (June 2011).
MNCYN continued to promote collaboration regionally and provincially through participation on the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) (2010), supporting initiatives such as the Southwestern Ontario Perinatal Capacity Assessment Study, funded by the Southwest LHIN, aimed at determining the levels of maternal-newborn care required to support the needs of the population in Southwestern Ontario, minimize acute transfers and foster care closer to home.
Several new initiatives were introduced, including development and implementation of core competencies and assessment tools for perinatal and paediatrics, and development and launch of a Regional Paediatric Orientation (RPO) Program.
MNCYN celebrated its 40th anniversary (2019).” image=”17343″ circle_border_color=”#cccccc” circle_background_color=”#cccccc”][qode_workflow_item image_float=”yes” title=”2020s: YOUTH” subtitle=”(Expansion)” text=”Ministry of Health LHINs’ boundaries change and expand geographically. The former SW Ontario region will be known as “West Ontario”.
In order to achieve the best outcomes with the lowest possible cost to the system and to patients and families, an integrated, comprehensive, and coordinated provincial approach is required to change practices and drive improved quality and access across the province. To that end, a unified proposal was made by PCMCH and other key stakeholders including MNCYN, to the Ministry of Health to develop a “Network of Networks” that would include CMNRP, SOON, MNCYN, SOMCHN and, eventually, a North Network.
A MNCYN rebranding project, undertaken to reinforce regional shared governance of the Network, involved the launch of a new logo and website and transition of program names (Regional Perinatal Program and Regional Paediatric Program).” image=”17344″ circle_border_color=”#cccccc” circle_background_color=”#cccccc”][/qode_workflow]
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The MNCYN follow the Accountability & Operational Structure (shown below), with top priority being given to our patients and their families.
Reporting to the Partner organizations’ CEO/ Medical Officer of Health, the Network Regional Steering Committee will make strategic decisions as they apply to the Network and will plan for the successful evolution of program developments in Southwestern Ontario as agreed to by the Partners. The Regional Steering Committee will ensure that the key goals, vision and mission of the Network are consistent with the direction of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ministry of Health Promotion and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, nationally recognized best practice standards, and the needs of The Partners and other stakeholders. Additionally, the Regional Steering Committee will review reports and recommendations resulting from the work of the Task and Working Groups. The Regional Steering Committee consists of one representative from each Partner organization.
In order to facilitate the operations and management of the Network, an Executive Committee will be formed to represent the Regional Steering Committee. The Executive Committee will report to the Regional Steering Committee at minimum semi-annually or more often when necessary.
MANDATE
The Executive Committee undertake the following responsibilities:
Develop the Network’s strategic directions and annual operating planning process(es);
Receive regular reports from the Task Forces/Working Groups;
Review reports and recommendations resulting from the work of the Task Forces/Working Groups;
Provide advice to LHINs, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ministry of Health Promotion and the Ministry of Children and CEOs of member stakeholders on advancing and integrating the activities of the Network to further development of the maternal/newborn and paediatric regional services systems;
Provide a forum to receive and provide updates on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care policy initiatives and other activities impacting the Network mandate to LHINs, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ministry of Health Promotion, the Ministry of Children and Youth, and the CEOs of member stakeholders;
Support the work of the Provincial Council on Maternal, and Child Health;
Carry out fiduciary responsibilities related to the Network including taking an active role in review and approval of a sound operating budget and Membership fee schedule.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is voluntary and will include the following:
Regional Leader of the Network, ex-officio
3 Medical Leads – Obstetrician, Neonatologist, Paediatrician
3 representatives of the Regional Steering Committee (including one CCAC or Health Unit representative, when possible)
Chairs (or an alternate) from each of the Task Forces/Working Groups
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Reporting to the MNCYN Regional Steering Committee, the Perinatal and Paediatric Educators Committee (PPEC) will coordinate efforts to support regionalized education for all partner organizations. This group will provide an opportunity to share resources, assist MNCYN in identifying educational and clinical skill gaps, and strategize to ensure equal access to education resources. As well, this PPEC Committee will support/participate in bi-annual nursing skills days in order to improve equal access to best-practice care across the region. The MNCYN Professional Practice Consultants will formulate agenda items prior to each meeting, with additions from the PPEC Committee.
Dr. Lim is a Professor and Medical Director / Section Head of the Paediatric Emergency Department at the Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre. He began his training at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario where he completed his B.Sc in 1992 and M.D. in 1995 at Queen’s University. In 1995, Dr. Lim joined Western University for his Paediatric Residency training. Upon completing his residency in 1998 he stayed on at Western for his fellowship in Paediatric Emergency Medicine.
Dr Lim is a founding member of the Wellness Emergency Medicine Committee at the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) and has a strong interest in Physician Wellness. He is the Chair of the Wellness Committee, Co-Chair of the Academic Leadership Section, and the Past- Chair of the Paediatric Committee at CAEP. He is the current President-Elect / Standards Lead for the Pediatric Special Interest Group at the International Federation of Emergency Medicine. For the Royal College Specialty Committee in Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Dr. Lim served as Vice Chair, as well as Ontario regional representative.
Dr. Lim has been thankful to have been awarded multiple awards including Undergraduate Teacher of the Year, Postgraduate Teacher of the Year, Paediatric Emergency CANMEDS Teacher of the Year, and the USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence. Nationally, he has received the Marilyn-Li Paediatric Leadership Award, a CAEP Special Merit award, A COVID leader award from the Paediatric Chairs of Canada, and an Honorary Director award from the Children’s Health Foundation.
Dr. Lim is an Associate Scientist at the Child and Health Institute and has various research interests. He has been fortunate to have authored numerous peer-reviewed publications. His main areas of research interest include: Paediatric Emergency clinical trials, Physician Wellness, and educational research.
Dr. Rahul Ojha, MBBS, DCH, MD, FRACP (Australia)
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.
Kristine is a member of both the Children’s Hospital, LHSC’s CME Committee, and the Paediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) Refresher Day Scientific Planning Committee. She works closely with the Paediatric Regional Outreach Program (PROP) team when providing regional high-fidelity simulation workshops and enjoys partnering with her physician colleagues to provide professional education and consultation. Kristine is a member of the TREKK Knowledge Mobilization Advisory Committee, as well as a member of the Provincial Council for Maternal-Child Health (PCMCH) Asthma Expert Panel. Kristine recently joined the Ontario Health West Clinical Quality Initiative working group, creating a High-flow Nasal Cannula (HHFNC) Oxygen Therapy algorithm for the region. Kristine has maintained her certification credentials in Paediatric Critical Care Nursing with the Canadian Nurses Association since 2009. She is a registered NRP and ACoRN Instructor with the Canadian Paediatric Society as well as a PALS Instructor with the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Dr. Kevin Coughlin, BScH, MD, MHSc, FRCPC
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.
Dr. Jordan Schmidt, MD, FRCSC
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. Henry Roukema, MD, MSc, FRCPC
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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Gwen Peterek, RN, BScN, PNC(C)
Gwen is a Perinatal Professional Practice 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.
Dr. 
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.
Gwen is a Perinatal Professional Practice 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.