Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
WN 5018- 820 Sherbrook Street
R3H 1R9
Phone: 204-787-4184
Fax: 204-787-2920
hpymar@hsc.mb.ca
Helen Pymar, MD, FRCSC, MPH
Research summary
Dr. Pymar has trained summer research students and BSc medical students in research projects relating to early pregnancy and ultrasound.
Her main interests include best practices for early pregnancy complications, and emergency department utilization.
Her research advocates for the use of manual uterine aspiration in the emergency department.
Keywords
- Early pregnancy complication
- Ultrasound
Teaching philosophy
Dr. Pymar is privileged to teach a variety of health care providers throughout their training including medical students, residents, nurse practitioners, international medical graduates and physician assistants with didactic lectures, supervision of patients, simulation models, OSCEs, and rounds presentations.
She organizes, and provides training and curriculum development for PGY2 residents in the Ryan Program Family Planning rotation and the PGY1 rotation in ultrasound related to early pregnancy assessment and medical abortion.
She provides continuing medical education to graduated nurse practitioners, midwives, family physicians and obstetrician/gynecologists.
Leadership roles
Dr. Pymar is the director of the Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic (EPAC) and Pregnancy Counselling Clinic.
Her future goals for EPAC are to create electronic patient records to better document treatment success and complications for quality assurance, patient safety and research purposes, and to make ultrasound reports and images available on echart.
She would like to improve patient care in remote centres related to early pregnancy complications by engaging and training local providers to use manual uterine aspiration, point of care ultrasound, and have point of care human chorionic gonodotropin.
She advocates for no-cost contraception for all Canadians, and is a founding member of the twitter group Birth Control Access for Manitoba.
Biography
Dr. Pymar is a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Manitoba.
She completed her medical school at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Western University in London, Ontario.
She completed a fellowship in Family Planning and Contraception at Magee Women's hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania under the direction of Dr. M Creinin and a MPH at the University of Pittsburgh.
She began working at University of Manitoba in 2004 after 2.5 years as director of family planning and contraception at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Ontario.
She was instrumental in starting the Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic in 2006 with ultrasounds provided by initiating the first Ryan Family Planning Program in Canada.
She co-chaired the Special Interest Group in Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinics in the Society of Family Planning (A proposal for high-value care that can lev el health disparities) with Dr. Jade Shorter in 2020.
She was able to expand the Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic in the new Women's hospital to accept all Winnipeg Emergency and Urgent Care Departments in 2020.
She assisted in the training and provision of medical abortion and Nexplanon implants and is currently working towards establishing a centre of experience for difficult Nexplanon removals.
Education
- Master of Public Health (MPH), University of Pittsburgh (2001)
- Fellow Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC), Obstetrics and Gynecology, Western University (1999)
- Medical Doctor, (MD) Medicine, Queen's University (1994)
Awards
- Outstanding Teacher award, Max Rady College of Medicine (Medicine) from Ruth Habte (Academic year 2018-2019)
- Undergraduate 2016 Undergraduate Medical Education Teaching Award Health Sciences Centre (Academic year 2015-2016)
- Undergraduate, 2011 Undergraduate Medical Teaching Award Health Sciences Centre (Academic year 2010-2011)
- Nominated for Manitoba Medical Student Association awards for professionalism, mentorship, and patient advocacy
Contact us
Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
260 Brodie Centre - 727 McDermot Avenue
University of Manitoba, Bannatyne Campus
Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5 Canada
204-787-3175
204-787-2887