File photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / BalazsTFile photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / BalazsT
Windsor

Windsor Regional Hospital shuts down clinic for high risk pregnancies

The Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) for high-risk pregnancies is closing.

The hospital said it will cease the service beginning November 1, 2019.

WRH has been the only hospital with such a clinic.

"This is after an independent review indicated the internal funding of both the clinic and the physician’s stipend and other payments is unsustainable given the Level 2c program operated at WRH," the hospital said.

The physician’s privileges to practice medicine at WRH are unaffected but the physician has not notified the hospital of his future intentions.

The hospital has been funding the clinic on its own for several years at more than $460,000 a year.

“The provision of service as a Level 2c Maternal Newborn Program will continue at Windsor Regional Hospital,” said Dr. Greg Hasen, chief of OBGYN at WRH. “We will continue to pursue a Level 3 program but the move to Level 3 will most likely no occur until we move to a new state of the art acute care hospital."

WRH said the OBGYN team and administrative clinical team will work together to ensure a seamless transition occurs.

“As clinical care has evolved in this area we have an outstanding group of OBGYN physicians and midwives that will continue to care for high-risk pregnancies locally and/or rely on the Level 3 centre in London for their care, if needed, as happens currently,” added Dr. Gary Ing, chief of staff.

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