Infants, children and youth have unique healthcare needs compared to adults; a range of paediatric expertise and resources is essential in hospitals to ensure that paediatric inpatients receive appropriate, safe and quality care throughout the continuum of inpatient care. PCMCH developed three distinct paediatric levels of inpatient care that take into consideration the acuity of […]
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Please note: The content on this webpage may contain outdated information and was accurate at the time it was published. Healthcare providers are encouraged to consult current evidence and resources on the topic. Substance use during pregnancy is a risk factor for negative pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Infants at risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Read More »
Complex Care for Kids Ontario (CCKO) is a provincial program led by the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) to improve care continuity, collaboration, and service delivery in keeping with the needs and requirements of children/youth with medical complexity (CMC) and their families. The program aims to provide integrated and coordinated care across
Complex Care for Kids Ontario Read More »
The Clinical Handbook for Low Risk Birth aims to address the variation in caesarean section rates across the province in the low-risk patient, promote normal birth and improve patient outcomes by focusing on delivery of standardized evidence-informed practices. The Clinical Handbook for Low Risk Birth was originally developed as part of the Ontario Health System
Children entering the emergency department (ED) have unique needs, and it’s crucial that Ontario’s EDs are ready. Every child deserves optimal, high-quality ED care, regardless of their presenting health concern or where they live in the province. It is imperative that all EDs in Ontario are paediatric ready – a state achieved by having care
Emergency Department Paediatric Readiness Initiative Read More »
Neonatal follow-up plays a critical role in Ontario’s healthcare system, monitoring and offering early intervention for high-risk infants with varying diagnoses. The Neonatal Follow-Up Program (NFUP) refers to neonatal follow-up clinics collectively that are part of a larger collaborative provincial system. PCMCH has developed NFUP resources with the aims of reducing variations in practice among
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The Quality-Based Procedures (QBPs) for Paediatric Tonsillectomy with and without Adenoidectomy were developed as part of the Ontario Health System Funding Reform (HSFR) initiative. The purpose of the HSFR was to strengthen the link between high-quality healthcare delivery and fiscal sustainability. Read the Quality-Based Procedures Clinical Handbook for Paediatric Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy (November 2016) The
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In 2018, PCMCH reviewed low-volume, rural and remote intrapartum services and completed an analysis of access to safe and high-quality intrapartum care services in lower-volume centres (less than 500 births a year) across Ontario. The gap analysis used a mixed-methods approach, including: An environmental scan Interviews with representatives from lower volume intrapartum care sites Data
Maternal-Newborn Gap Analysis Read More »
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
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In 2021, the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) worked in collaboration with expert advisors from across Ontario to strengthen existing levels of care accountabilities for newborn level 1 and all labour and delivery units. The definitions and criteria for each level of care were revised to reflect updated practices and to provide
Perinatal, Birthing and Newborn Levels of Care Read More »
