Winter 2005 Newsletter

( 9 0 2 ) 4 7 0 6 7 9 8 h t t p : / / rc p . n s h e a l t h . c a 1 The re i s g row ing awa reness t ha t Canada a s a w h o l e s u f f e r s f r o m a s h o r t a g e o f hea l t h ca re p ro fess i ona l s p rov i d i ng m a t e r n i t y c a r e f o r p r e g n a n t w o m e n ; t h a t t h i s s h o r t a g e i s h a v i n g a d e t r i m e n t a l i m p a c t o n t h e a v a i l a b i l i t y a n d q u a l i t y o f ca re ava i l ab l e t h roughou t t he coun t r y ; and t h a t t h i s s i t u a t i o n i s p u t t i n g a s i g n i f i c a n t s t r a i n o n h e a l t h c a r e p r o v i d e r s w h o m u s t ex pend s i gn i f i can t ene rgy t o m i t i ga te t he e f f ec t s o f t he sho r t ages and ma in ta i n q u a l i t y c a r e . M u l t i d i s c i p l i n a r y c o l l a b o r a t i v e m a t e r n i t y c a r e i s b e i n g advoca ted by many gove rnmen ts and hea l t h ca re p ro fess i ona l s as a so l u t i on t o t he g row ing human resou rce sho r t ages .