Alberta Health Services (AHS) is extending a new parent and newborn line to rural Alberta after a successful trial run in the Edmonton and Calgary Zones.
The line, which refers Health Link 811 callers to registered nurses specializing in postpartum — the post-childbirth period that lasts until roughly the eight week mark — is intended to help new parents with questions and concerns in the provinces rural sectors, where things like 24/7 clinics and immediate access to a doctor aren’t always a sure thing.
“We wanted equal opportunity for all new parents and also new moms and newborns to be able to have access to a registered nurse a little more quickly than they do calling through the regular 811 line,” said Yvonne Ewanicke, the AHS director for Health Link.
“It’s a vulnerable population; parents are tired, their babies are small and young. We want to make sure we’re getting to that population as quickly as possible.”
Ewanicke said the hotline can answer a variety of questions, from what to do if the baby isn’t latching properly to feed, to jaundice. The nurses answering the phones can also provide future support, including helping to develop a feeding schedule or providing info on growth and development.
“For mom, sometimes postpartum they’re asking questions about breast infections, or what their normal recovery looks like; is there too much bleeding or whatnot. We can answer those questions as well.”
In cases where the nurse is unable to fix the problem through a phone call, the health link operators have the ability to send the patients info along to a doctor’s office or a medical clinic for a follow-up visit.
“We’re able to send the notice to a public health unit saying, “Mrs. Jones called in the middle of the night and this is what’s going on” and if they feel it’s appropriate they can then follow up with the family,” said Ewanicke.
Healthcare access in rural Alberta is still far from equitable — in the surrounding region, the Boyle Healthcare Centre is still on reduced hours, and hospitals in Smoky Lake and Lac La Biche routinely close due to lack of staff — but Ewanicke hopes programs like this phone line help to bridge the gap a little at a time.
“We do recognize that there’s a need. There are less resources, so it’s important for these new families to be able to access a registered nurse quickly,” she said.
Albertans can reach the phone line by calling 1-833-805-2229 (BABY), with nurses available at all hours of the day.
