Rural health: North Island maternity care

Rural health is changing. Here Port McNeill resident, Danielle Lloyd, shares her family’s experience receiving prenatal care closer to home.

Now, instead of travelling for two hours there and then back, for her prenatal check ups, with a two year old in tow, Danielle can receive care that is more convenient. By travelling once a month to Port Hardy, Campbell River Maternity Clinic doctors have saved their patients over 200,000 kilometers in travel since 2014 and spared the many women having to make the journey heavily pregnant in less that ideal winter conditions.

“Patients in rural and remote communities are incredibly resilient and resourceful; they were advocating for themselves and their families, long before we got involved.” says Dr. Jennifer Kask, Campbell River Maternity Clinic physician who travels monthly to Port Hardy.

Island Health and partners like the Campbell River Maternity Clinic are continuing to improve and expand maternity care services for expectant families in the North Island, where in 2017, 105 births were recorded.

Listen to Danielle’s story, to learn how we are making life easier for North Island families: Rural health: North Island maternity care video.