CritiCall Ontario connects physicians with neonatologists from Ontario’s designated pediatric hospitals when arranging patient transfers between facilities. The neonatologist can provide consultations and assist in coordinating with the designated neonatal – pediatric transport team the patient transfer to the facility equipped to provide the required advanced level of care. (See below.)
Hospital-based physicians in Ontario can contact CritiCall Ontario at 1-800-668-4357 (HELP) to access neonatal acute consult, and support with coordinating patient transfer and transport.
This service is a partnership between PCMCH, Ontario’s designated pediatric hospitals, neonatal- pediatric transport providers and CritiCall Ontario.
For more information, contact or download information about CritiCall to share with clinical areas at your organization that will use this service.
Learn More About the Levels of Care
PCMCH’s Perinatal, Birthing and Newborn Levels of Care and Paediatric Levels of Care (LOC) guidance documents provide information on the services, admission criteria and resources available at Ontario hospitals, outlining the type of care they can provide to pregnant individuals, newborns, children and youth. The LOC help ensure that these patients receive care at hospitals that have the resources to meet their needs.
Healthcare providers and administrators at Ontario hospitals should be aware of the definitions and criteria that make up their facility’s LOC, and others within their region, as these help to inform where patients could be transferred if they need care at a hospital with specialty resources, and back to their home hospital when these resources are no longer needed.
Midwives, physicians and other professionals caring for pregnant patients, babies, children and youth outside of hospital settings may also find these useful to consult so they will have knowledge of the level of care local hospitals can provide to their patients.
- Learn more about the Perinatal, Birthing and Newborn Levels of Care (formerly titled the Standardized Maternal and Newborn Levels of Care Definitions).
- Learn more about the Paediatric Levels of Care.
- Critical Care Services Ontario has also developed guidance for Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Visit their website for the NICU Levels of Care Guidance Document.
