Implementing a collaborative maternity model in Dawson Creek, BC- featuring Dr. Magda Du Plessis

Dr. Magda Du Plessis is passionate about maternal care, providing the best patient care possible, and quality improvement. She is part of the multidisciplinary team at the Chickadee Maternity Collaborative in Dawson Creek, BC, that includes other physicians, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and administrative staff. Dr. Du Plessis led the team through a quality improvement project that aimed to have 100% of eligible pregnant patients in the South Peace registered with the Chickadee Maternity Collaborative, to ensure comprehensive, wrap-around care, while also seeking to decrease the rate of caesarean sections and patient safety events. With support from a physician quality improvement coach and a practice support coach, and the use quality improvement tools, the team met their goals; within the first year of operation 100% of eligible patients were registered within the collaborative, the caesarean section rate dropped from 33% to 25%, and there were zero patient safety reports. Dr. Du Plessis credits this success to teamwork, coaching, and the passion of the team. While there were challenges, patients ultimately appreciated the new, team-based, collaborative model of care that includes longer appointment times, and supportive discussions throughout the reproductive health experience. She also shares how her and her family enjoy all of the recreational activities the South Peace has to offer, from fishing, to skiing, to snowmobiling.