Tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Dr. Kate Pizzuto and I’m an OBGYN at Humber River Hospital. I officially joined the team at Humber in July after completing my residency training at McMaster University.

“Humber is one of the best hospitals in the city to have a baby thanks to our access to paediatricians, anaesthesiologists, and ultrasound technologists dedicated to labour and delivery, 24/7,” says Dr. Pizzuto.

I was fortunate to have spent part of my residency training here at Humber learning from the Department. It has definitely been an interesting time to start practice in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but I am happy to be back working close to home!

How would you explain your job to a friend?

OBGYNs have the privilege of caring for women throughout their lives: through puberty, pregnancies, deliveries, and the transition to menopause. We can treat our patients medically, perform surgeries, and assist with family planning. Our job involves a lot of late nights and early mornings because babies don’t just arrive nine to five.

What makes you proud of our Obstetrics & Gynaecology Program at Humber?

We have excellent leadership and great colleagues willing to support one another. Humber is one of the best hospitals in the city to have a baby thanks to our access to paediatricians, anaesthesiologists, and ultrasound technologists dedicated to labour and delivery, 24/7.

We have grown our gynaecological surgery services, and have access to state-of-the-art laparoscopic equipment, which is improving recovery times.

And, we are continuing to offer our subspecialty clinics like the Early Pregnancy Clinic, our new Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic, and our IUD Clinic.

What do you love about your job?

My favourite part is the look on people’s faces when we pass them their baby for the first time.

“My favourite part is the look on people’s faces when we pass them their baby for the first time,” says Dr. Pizzuto.

You inspired a Gifts of Gratitude donation during a recent delivery where the mother needed an emergency C-section. What is it like telling a patient that there will be a change in their birth plan?

At the end of the day, all that the parents want and all that we want is a happy, healthy baby and mom. We deal with emergencies every day. Our job when that happens is to walk them through it. It might feel like chaos for the parents, but the unpredictability of labour and delivery is what we have trained for.

How has COVID-19 impacted the Program?

First, the administration and department Chiefs have been really forward-thinking and instituted our Hospital’s pandemic plan seamlessly. This has made Humber River Hospital a very safe place for both patients and our healthcare workers. The building itself was designed for a pandemic like COVID-19, so features like single-patient rooms for all of our Birthing Unit patients both in labour and postpartum have made a big difference!

We know how important it is for our pregnant moms to have their partner or support person with them while in labour or at the time of their C-Section and we have made every effort to allow partners to be present for the delivery and postpartum so that bonding can occur as a family.

In the beginning of the pandemic, we ran through many simulations of emergencies that could come up, including emergency C-sections and careful attention to PPE.

A lot of thought went into how we would continue to provide great patient-centered care.

What is one awesome thing you’ve done in the last year?

I went to Greece and took a cooking class there!

What inspires you?

My patients and my community inspire me the most. I grew up in Woodbridge, a stone’s throw away from the Finch Legacy Site. Throughout my life, Humber has been there to take care of my loved ones. I always hoped that after my training I would be able to come home and use my skills to help my own community, so I’m really happy that I can pay forward the exceptional care we have received during my time here at Humber.