South Okanagan Primary Care Maternity Project

The South Okanagan Primary Care Maternity Project was initiated as a response to declining family physician numbers and difficulties recruiting and retaining new colleagues. The loss of family physicians and the potential closure of the Primary Care Maternity Clinic (PCMC) would severely impact patients, other maternity provider groups and Penticton Regional Hospital (PRH).

In April 2013, the South Okanagan Similkameen (SOS) Shared Care Steering Committee. received funding support from the Shared Care Committee for a primary maternity care project to address this issue. The over-arching goal of the project was to develop a sustainable model of primary care, one that keeps all provider groups practicing and is supportive of patient choice. 

A South Okanagan Similkameen Maternity Care Community Model was developed consisting of all networked stakeholders - family physicians, midwives, obstetricians, paediatricians, patients, Interior Health and allied professionals. 

You can read the full evaluation report of the project HERE