This is part of a year-long ‘Love for Local’ series called NB365: portraits of New Brunswick entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations. Huddle is a media partner with Love for Local. Today, we hear from Katie Kelly and Eryn Matheson of ReConnect Health Centre in Moncton.

I THINK OUR PREDOMINANT REASON FOR OPENING RECONNECT HEALTH CENTRE WAS DUE TO A LACK OF SPECIALIZED WOMEN’S/PELVIC HEALTH SERVICES FOR PEOPLE IN THE GREATER MONCTON AREA (AND THE WHOLE PROVINCE REALLY).

We wanted a place for women who had questions about puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, and menopause to get answers. We also wanted one space, where a number of health professionals could support our community.

For this reason, we offer a variety of services including pelvic floor physiotherapy, massage therapy, gynecology, psychology, dietetics, acupuncture, chiropractic care, pediatric physiotherapy and a number of community sessions and classes.

It was important that our team was made up of practitioners who love their job and passionate about offering great care. We also wanted to strive for innovation in healthcare, from telehealth to group-based treatments, to online courses and webinars. We are trying to be a beacon for women’s health and pelvic health in Atlantic Canada.

We’ve learned a great deal this year about supporting local. Firstly, it has broadened our awareness of other local businesses that share the same values and passion as ReConnect Health Centre. Secondly, supporting other local businesses has given us a greater sense of community and connection.

From a healthcare standpoint, we feel an improved sense of communication between our staff and other local providers – doulas, exercise specialists, gyms and fitness spaces, parenting groups, and businesses that sell products of value to our clients. This has expanded our list of available local resources to which we can refer when a product or service is not available in-house.

It’s been a wild first year for our business. Opening during such an uncertain time has had many challenges and we’ve had to be able to quickly adapt and pivot. We’ve been incredibly fortunate and we are so grateful for the support from our local community. Moving forward, we would love to expand our services to mothers and children, and expand our capacity and community space for classes and information sessions. We look forward to a bright future.