Photo caption: Dr. Rick Kvas, Dr. Brooke Wilson, Dr. Gabrielle Lambert, Dr. Kiersten Parr and Dr. Sebastian Diebel
When the Timmins and District Early Pregnancy and Women’s Health Clinic opened its doors this October, it quietly filled a longstanding gap in care for pregnant people across Timmins. It emerged from health care providers noticing a gap, talking to one another, and collectively deciding to step into it. The clinic saw its first patient on October 20, 2025, marking the start of a new, coordinated approach to early pregnancy care in the region.
The clinic supports patients without a primary care provider from early pregnancy through 28 weeks gestation, providing care for those navigating early pregnancy, pregnancy loss, ectopic pregnancy and complex decision-making. In a region facing persistent shortages in primary care as well as obstetrics and gynecology, the impact is already having a ripple effect. Since opening, 52 patients have already been seen, underscoring both the demand for the service and the speed at which the clinic has become an access point for care.
“It was about acknowledging that patients were falling through the cracks simply because there was nowhere appropriate for them to go early on, and early intervention is key to positive outcomes. Meanwhile, wait times for obstetrics and in particular gynecology were ballooning due to the number of patients being seen in early pregnancy by OBs rather than in a primary care setting,” says Dr. Kiersten Parr.
“It was about asking who was already here, who already had the skills, and how we could work together differently.”
That question became the foundation of the clinic. Dr. Parr brought together a group of physicians with experience in obstetrics, along with hospital leadership and operational staff, to design a model that would strengthen the existing system. Physicians Dr. Rick Kvas, Dr. Brooke Wilson, Dr. Gabrielle Lambert, and Dr. Sebastian Diebel joined the initiative.
The timing could not have been more urgent. With one of Timmins’ OB/GYN practices closing earlier this year, the hospital currently relies on a small number of specialists and locums to provide 24/7 coverage across a vast geography. In 2024/25 alone, 179 of the 621 deliveries at Timmins and District Hospital involved patients without a family physician and with limited or unknown access to prenatal care, highlighting the scale of the access gap the clinic is designed to address.
By shifting early pregnancy management and certain reproductive health services to GPs with obstetrical expertise, the clinic allows OB/GYN specialists to focus on later-pregnancy care, gynecologic consults, cancer cases, and surgical backlogs. Freeing up clinic space previously used for prenatal care has already enabled OB/GYNs to see more gynecology patients in office, contributing to early improvements in wait times for gynecological surgery.
“We’re already seeing better flow,” says Dr. Parr. “Because prenatal care has shifted into a more appropriate setting, OB/GYNs now have more in-office capacity for gynecology, which is translating into shorter waits for surgical care. Meanwhile, patients who need early support are getting timely, appropriate care closer to home.”
Importantly, the clinic also creates a structured, compassionate space for patients experiencing pregnancy loss or uncertainty — care that is often fragmented or delayed in overstretched systems.
Rather than operating in isolation, the clinic is embedded within Timmins and District Hospital, leveraging hospital space, equipment, and clinical pathways. It also aligns closely with community partners, including the Northeastern Public Health Unit, the Timmins Academic Family Health Team, Centre de santé communautaire de Timmins Misiway Milopemahtesewin Community Health Centre, and the Équipe Santé Ontario Cochrane District Ontario Health Team.
“From the beginning, this had to be integrated,” Dr. Parr says. “No one group can carry this alone. The strength of the clinic is that it sits between primary care, hospital care, and community partners, and everyone has a role.”
Looking ahead, the team will continue monitoring outcomes, including reductions in patients delivering without prenatal care and improvements in gynecology wait times.
For Timmins and District Hospital, the Early Pregnancy and Women’s Health Clinic stands as a practical example of health system transformation rooted in collaboration.
“In my work, I see the gap in primary care every single day, as well as the impact this crisis has on wait times for OB/GYN services. If we were waiting for someone else to fix this, we’d still be waiting,” Dr. Parr says. “Sometimes leadership just means pulling people into the same room and getting started.”
And for many patients in Northern Ontario, it means earlier care, clearer pathways, and reassurance at a moment when it matters most.