Access to care during and after pregnancy can make a lifelong difference for both parents and babies. Yet for families without a regular family doctor, known as “unattached” patients, getting postpartum and newborn support can be challenging.
In Burnaby, where over half of residents are immigrants or non-permanent residents according to the 2021 Census, the demand for accessible, culturally responsive care continues to grow. To address this need, the Burnaby Primary Care Network (PCN) developed a new approach to ensure that parents and newborns receive the care they deserve.
At the heart of this work is the MOSAIC Community Clinic (MCC), which plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between hospital discharge and postpartum care, including when needed, long-term attachment to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Operated by MOSAIC as a community partner within the Burnaby PCN, the clinic provides team-based, full-service care for unattached postpartum parents and their newborns, ensuring they continue to receive compassionate, coordinated support after leaving the hospital.
A New Model for Continuity of Care
The Burnaby Maternity Clinic (BMC), located at Burnaby Hospital, has long provided care to birthing parents across the community. However, as the city’s population has grown and fewer family doctors provide care beyond 36 weeks, the BMC has faced increasing demand, particularly from unattached patients who need follow-up care after delivery.
To create a sustainable solution, Burnaby family doctors working within the PCN designed a new model of care that connects maternity, hospital, and community services through the MOSAIC Community Clinic. Acting as an extension of the Burnaby Maternity Clinic, the MCC provides postpartum and newborn care for families after discharge from Burnaby Hospital.
A Low-Barrier Pathway for New Parents
This new care pathway ensures that families receive consistent, coordinated support from pregnancy through postpartum recovery.
1. Referral to Burnaby Maternity Clinic (BMC)
Unattached patients can refer themselves to the Burnaby Maternity Clinic at any time during their pregnancy, ensuring no one is turned away.
2. Pregnancy care
BMC doctors work as a team to provide 24-hour access to seamless maternity care and delivery support at Burnaby Hospital.
3. Delivery and hospital care
The BMC team supports families through the birthing process, cares for new parents and newborns in-hospital, and makes the connection for postpartum care.
4. Connection to MOSAIC Community Clinic
Within four days of hospital discharge, new parents and babies who either do not have a family doctor or NP or are unable to get an appointment with their care provider are seen at the MCC for postpartum and newborn care, including lactation and feeding support.
Community-Driven and Sustainable Care
The MOSAIC Community Clinic was made possible through long-term relationship building in Burnaby and the collaborative efforts of Burnaby family physicians, the Burnaby Primary Care Network, and MOSAIC as the community clinic operator.
This community partnership keeps the model grounded in local expertise and responsive to real needs. It also ensures that care remains culturally safe, trauma-informed, and accessible for families who might otherwise face barriers to the healthcare system.
By connecting the Burnaby Maternity Clinic, Burnaby Hospital, and the MOSAIC Community Clinic, this model demonstrates how collaboration can strengthen health equity in meaningful, practical ways. Together, these partners are helping ensure that every new parent and baby can begin their journey with dignity, connection, and continuous care.
If you are an expecting parent in Burnaby who doesn’t currently have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, you can connect directly with the Burnaby Maternity Clinic for pregnancy and delivery care. Self-referrals are welcome at any stage of pregnancy.
