Page 22 - SREMI 2020 Annual Report

SREMI Clinician Scien st
DR. CATHERINE VARNER
A national leader in emergency department pregnancy care, Dr. Catherine Varner produces impactful research, educates frontline nurses and doctors, and advocates for more maternal health research in Canada.
In just ve years, Dr. Varner has built a successful early pregnancy research program with clinical researchers, dedicated patients with lived experience, and clinician experts. With the program’s delivery of impactful research studies, Dr. Varner has become a nationally regarded expert in emergency department pregnancy care and is a recognized leader in policy, education and advocacy for maternal health in Canada.
Canadian emergency departments frequently care for pregnant patients. Dr. Varner’s recent health services study revealed that between 2002-2017 nearly one in three pregnant women in Ontario sought treatment in the emergency department during or shortly after their pregnancy. In addition, four in ve women experiencing early pregnancy loss, also known as miscarriage, are cared for in emergency departments. These ndings suggest Canadian women do not have urgent access to obstetrical care when early pregnancy complications are most likely to occur, and emergency departments may be the only option for patients experiencing symptoms such as bleeding or pain.
Thus, the onus is on Canadian emergency departments, especially the emergency department of Mount Sinai Hospital, an international leader in women and infant’s health, to develop the best models of care for this most frequent complication of pregnancy. To accomplish this goal, Dr. Varner and her collaborators at North York General Hospital are leading educational training sessions for both hospitals’ emergency and obstetrical providers. Dr. Varner also teaches emergency care providers at national continuing medical education courses.
Dr. Varner now leads the charge advocating for more research funding for early pregnancy complications. Pregnancy research tends to focus on pregnancies that end in live
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