Ms. Judy Watts, Dr Robert Roberts, Ms. Virginia Turner

Specialty Clinics at Qikqitani General Hospital- Iqaluit, Nunavut

The Qikqitani General Hospital is the only hospital in Nunavut. The hospital has twenty-five inpatient beds: nineteen acute care adult, and six pediatric beds. The hospital also has eight newborn bassinets.  A Chief of Staff guides a small team of doctors who provide family practice medicine, pediatric, anesthetics and surgical services.  As well, Community Health Centers, with their dedicated teams of community health nurses, serve all twelve communities on the island.   For medical care beyond that available in the Qikiqtani [formally the Baffin] Region, clients are flown to Ottawa.

Ottawa Health Services Network Inc. augments the care given at Qikqitani General Hospital by recruiting medical specialists, and their residents, to attend week long specialty clinics at Baffin Regional Hospital.

In year 2009- 2010, the following clinics occurred at Qikqitani General Hospital

 

Adult cardiology -2 clinics Pediatric cardiology- 1 clinic Gynecology - 3 clinics Ears, nose and throat- 4 clinics Adult orthopedics - 3 clinics Pediatric orthopedics- 1 clinic Respirology- 1 clinic

Ophthalmology- 2 clinics Internal medicine- 2 clinics Urology-3 clinics Dermatology- 2 clinics Rheumatology - 2 clinics Adult Neurology-  3 clinics Pediatric Neurology - 2 clinics Dental surgery - 3 clinic

This involved 47 medical specialists, 19 residents or fellows, 4 nurses and 10 applied health personnel (ortho tech., EEG tech, RT, ECHO tech, dental assistants) trips to the north.

 

OHSNI's staff assists each professional with Nunavut licensure, scheduling clinics, and, requesting travel and hotel accommodations.  As well, the Manager acts as a resource to the personnel travelling north, their families and their staff in Ottawa. 

OHSNI, also, expedites the process by paying these professionals for their work. Each physician signs a contract, with OHSNI, for a per-diem payment for his or her professional services.  After the actual days-worked is verified by the Manager of the Specialty Clinic, at Qikqitani Regional Hospital, OHSNI dispenses a cheque for services rendered. The Government of Nunavut, in turn, reimburses the OHSNI program, after they have completed their internal accounting processes.

OHSNI's Support Care Coordinator assists the specialist's office staff arrange follow up appointments, for any Nunavut resident seen in the north by the doctor, but who needs further assessment or treatment in Ottawa.