Yukon opens its 1st regulated midwifery clinic

Yukon's first government-run midwifery clinic is now open and accepting clients in Whitehorse.

It marks the first time regulated and integrated midwifery care is available through the territory's health care system. Two midwives have already been hired and government officials say two more will be added to the clinic's staff this fall.

"We know that offering free, integrated and regulated midwifery services is important to patient safety and to support healthy pregnancies, birth and care after birth. We know that this matters deeply to Yukoners," said Health Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee at a news conference on Wednesday to show off the new clinic.

"Before today, only Yukoners who can afford to pay out of pocket could access midwifery care."

The facility, on Quartz Road in Whitehorse's industrial area, is considered a temporary location until a "larger, more permanent space" opens later this year, McPhee said.

The clinic has long been promised, and the government frequently came under fire for delays in launching the midwifery program. McPhee has in the past blamed the pandemic and hiring challenges for the delay.  

Elizabeth Morrison, the clinic manager and a registered midwife, said before midwifery was regulated in Yukon midwives were limited in what kind of services they could provide.

"Midwives could only provide labour care outside of the hospital, and didn't offer comprehensive primary care," Morrison said.

Now, midwifery will be fully integrated into the territory's health care system.

"This means that midwives will now provide full-scope pre-natal, deliver babies and postpartum care. We can order routine diagnostic tests like ultrasounds, lab work, and can write prescriptions," she said.

They will also have hospital privileges, and will be able to provide direct referrals to other care providers and specialists as necessary, Morrison said.

Babies will not be delivered at the Whitehorse clinic. Rather, the facility will focus on pre- and postnatal care.

The space is designed to be as welcoming and "home-like" as possible, Morrison said. There are plants, a lending library of books, and refreshments on hand such as fruit or tea.

"We want to try to make our care as non-authoritarian and collaborative as possible. So we really want to partner with our clients to provide non-hierarchical care. And so as such we try to make our clinic environments comfortable," Morrison said.  

Already seeing clients

The clinic is already seeing clients as of Thursday. Morrison said they're already expecting to deliver "about three" babies in November, four in December, "and then more as we move forward."

So far, the service is only available to people who live in Whitehorse. McPhee said the aim is to provide midwifery care elsewhere in the territory, but that will take some more time.

"It's just that all the services are not quite in line yet. We expect with the additional midwives coming on board that those expansions will be able to take place."

Morrison said it's about making sure that health workers in rural communities are trained in how to support midwifery clients.

"We need to make sure that we do that training with our partners and physicians and community nursing so that we can take people into care, and be on call for them 24/7," she said.

"They've never worked with registered midwives before. There's a bunch of new things they need to learn."

McPhee says the clinic model, with the facility based in Whitehorse, was determined to be the "best, safest, most integrated method" to deliver midwifery services in Yukon.