Interior Health and Thompson Region Division of Family Practice are pleased to announce that the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics (TRFO) clinic will begin accepting new referrals for expectant parents starting next week.
“This clinic is a vital resource for new and expecting families in Kamloops and surrounding communities who require access to local maternity care,” said Minister of Health Adrian Dix. “I want to applaud all the efforts that allowed these services to resume.”
Collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Health, Thompson Region Division of Family Practice, local maternity care providers, and Interior Health have addressed concerns related to the stability of the clinic, which resulted in a temporary interruption to referrals for new expectant parents.
The TRFO clinic provides care for parents and families in Kamloops and surrounding communities, like Merritt, Barriere, Ashcroft, Lillooet, Lytton, and Clearwater starting from early pregnancy up to six weeks following the birth of their babies. The clinic supports on average about 600 to 700 deliveries per year.
“Interior Health knows how important access to stable, quality care is for expectant parents and families,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health President and CEO. “We are committed to working with all partners to ensure this clinic is successful moving forward and to keeping patients at the heart of all these discussions.”
The TRFO clinic will start accepting new referrals next week, and work collaboratively with the newly opened antenatal care clinic to ensure timely access to care for expectant parents.
“TRFO physicians believe that the support provided by IH and the Ministry of Health for the clinic will help to ensure its ongoing sustainability,” said Dr. Shaun Davis, co-lead of the TRFO physician group. “We are optimistic that the supports put in place will allow for the permanent recruitment of family doctors who work in obstetrical care. The collaboration with the antenatal care clinic will ensure timely access to all maternity services in Kamloops.”
The Thompson Region Family Obstetrics clinic is located on the first floor of the Clinical Services Building at Royal Inland Hospital. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers 24-hour call shifts.
