These initiatives are led by the integrated university health adn social services center of Mauricie-et-du-Center-du-Québec (CIUSSS MCQ), in collaboration with CHU Sainte-Justine and the Fondation pour la Santé du Haut-Saint-Maurice.
The newborn hearing screening project now allows all babies born in Haute-Mauricie to benefit from a simple and quick test to detect hearing loss or congenital deafness in the first few weeks of life. Four clinical nurses from the Centre multiservices were trained by CHU Sainte-Justine to perform this screening. If the results are concerning, children are referred to specialized audiology services, and then to otolaryngology if necessary.
“In Quebec, between four and six babies out of 1000 are born with hearing loss to varying degrees. Early screening allows for rapid intervention and reduces the impact on their social, cognitive and language development.”
– Laurie Martel, head of service, critical care, general care and birth-family center
According to the website of the Quebec Newborn Hearing Screening Program (PQDSN), deafness can result from a malformation or dysfunction of the outer, middle or inner ear. It can affect certain sounds,
Haut-Saint-Maurice Healthcare Services Expand Newborn Support
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Healthcare services in the Haut-Saint-Maurice region of Quebec have been expanded to provide increased support for newborns in their early weeks of life, focusing on skill development for local teams.
Regional Healthcare Context: Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal)
The Haut-Saint-Maurice falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal), which is responsible for healthcare service delivery in the region. This CIUSSS is one of several in Quebec responsible for integrating health and social services.
Newborn Support Initiatives
The expanded services aim to bolster support for newborns during the critical early weeks of life. this includes initiatives focused on training and skill development for local healthcare teams, enabling them to provide more complete care.
While specific details of the “nouveautés” (new developments) are not detailed in the source, the focus is on enhancing the capabilities of the existing healthcare workforce.
as of January 22,2026,there is no publicly available details detailing the specific nature of these expanded services beyond the general statement of increased support and team development. A search of the Government of Quebec website and the CIUSSS Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal website did not yield further details regarding this specific expansion as of this date.
Local Team Development
A key component of the initiative is the development of skills within the local healthcare teams. This suggests a focus on capacity building and ensuring that healthcare professionals in the Haut-Saint-maurice region have the necessary expertise to deliver high-quality newborn care.
The CIUSSS Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal regularly invests in professional development programs for its staff, as outlined in their strategic directions, which prioritize workforce development.
