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After being discharged from the hospital after their daughter was born, new parents Manon and Adrian hoped to find a paediatrician who could provide a check-up for their newborn, Emilie.
It was a weekend, and the two were unable to find a paediatrician who could take them on short notice, and their family doctor was difficult to get in touch with.
After facing these challenges, they reached out to Michael Garron Hospital (MGH)’s new Family and Newborn (FAN) Clinic, which provides midwife-led postnatal care for families who do not have access to care through another primary care provider.
After reaching out to the FAN Clinic, Manon and Adrian were able to make a quick, last-minute appointment for Emilie’s check-up.
“As new parents, it’s a challenging time. This is our first child,” Adrian says. “It’s been very helpful to have the clinic.”
The FAN Clinic operates on a holistic model, providing care for both the newborn and the birthing parent.
“Here, the midwives care for me and the baby at the same time, which is nice,” Manon says.
The joint care provided for mother and child ended up being helpful for the couple. Shortly after their first appointment, Manon was worried her C-section scar was not healing properly and got back in touch with the FAN Clinic for another appointment. The midwife working in the clinic that day arranged a prompt follow-up with MGH’s obstetrician on-call, which was possible due to the clinic’s interprofessional hospital-based care model.
“We were wondering if we had to go to the Emergency Department, but we called the FAN Clinic and they could take us,” Manon says. “They've been very efficient, and we didn't have to wait in the Emergency Department.”
The FAN Clinic, which opened in early 2025 inside MGH’s new BMO Child and Youth Centre, has already served more than 300 families, most of whom are receiving care for both the baby and parent. It is staffed by midwives seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Expanding access to midwifery care, the FAN Clinic is helping to improve access to postnatal services, decrease the length of patient stays at MGH and decrease the number of families seeking non-urgent postnatal care through the Stavro Emergency Department (ED).
“When you have a baby and leave the hospital, you typically need timely access to care,” says Christie Lockhart, Chief of Midwifery and Medical Director of Quality, Research and Innovation at MGH. “This can be difficult to find. You may not have a primary care provider, or your primary care provider may not be available in a timely manner.”
“The alternative is the ED, which is fantastic if you need it for a true emergency, but we never want minor complications to come in that way. This clinic provides the rapid access that new parents need, and connects to specialists when needed.”
The clinic takes self-referrals and referrals from primary care. Eligible patients include those who gave birth at MGH or reside in the MGH catchment area. More information about the FAN Clinic’s eligibility criteria can be found on MGH’s website.
The FAN Clinic also operates an Early Discharge Program, which gives eligible low-risk patients the option of early discharge from MGH three to 12 hours after their baby is born. More than 50 patients have participated in this program since the clinic’s launch.
As part of the Early Discharge Program, a FAN Clinic midwife visits the patient’s home 24 to 48 hours postpartum to perform routine screening tests and assessments, allowing new parents and babies to recover in the comfort of their own homes.
“At home, they receive the same tests, procedures and standard of care that they would get in the in the hospital,” Christie says. “This way, they can be with family and rest in the comfort of their own home. This also saves hospital resources for those who need it the most.”
Because it is housed at MGH, the FAN Clinic is connected to additional hospital services and is able to provide referrals to practitioners such as paediatricians and obstetricians for complex cases.
The clinic also provides feeding support and can make referrals to specialized services such as breastfeeding clinics.
Even if patients don’t need a referral, the FAN Clinic midwives are experts in feeding and can provide guidance to patients.
“Feeding support is part of how we help our patients,” says Mary Dirmeitis, Midwife at the FAN Clinic. “We will talk about feeding with our patients and support them through the process. We help support parents’ decisions, however they choose to feed their baby.”
Manon says that the feeding support that she received through the clinic has been helpful as she navigates the first weeks of being a parent to Emilie. “It’s my first time breastfeeding, and you just don't know what to do,” she says.
For Manon and Adrian, the FAN Clinic fills an access-to-care gap, providing a unique service that has greatly benefited them.
“It’s great the community has this clinic,” Adrian says. “The main benefit has been the emergency support – the last-minute appointments and the availability on weekends.”
“For us, it’s been a safety net.”
Learn more about the Family and Newborn (FAN) Clinic at MGH.
