Patient Information
Management Communication
Dear Patient,
We are writing to update you with some important information about the uninsured services (non-OHIP covered services) that
you may access through the clinic. While OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) covers the costs for most of your medical
needs, there are many services we provide that are not covered by the Ministry of Health. We cannot bill these services to
OHIP, and they often can require significant time and resources to administer. The demand for these uninsured services has
increased dramatically in the past several years. Examples of these include, but are not limited to:
Prescription renewals by phone or fax.
Sick notes
Referrals for physiotherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic etc. for insurance coverage.
Insurance forms
As you know, healthcare is changing rapidly, and we have embraced changes in our practice that will enable us to provide all
the services you and your family need, while allowing the clinic to operate at maximum efficiency while maintaining the focus on
providing quality care. We are excited to let you know about a new program we have introduced to the clinic, PatientSERV, the
Ontario Medical Association’s partner in uninsured services management. PatientSERV allows patients to easily manage their
uninsured services payments through an online platform and dedicated support team, which will help you cover the costs of
uninsured services in a hassle-free and efficient manner.
Through PatientSERV, we will also be offering the PS365 plan. This optional annual fee plan covers the costs of most
uninsured services for one year (see full list of services for more details). We believe that the PS365 plan is fairly priced and
hope that you will seriously consider the benefits for both you and your family.
Of course, you may choose not to participate in the PS365 plan program. In this case, any uninsured services you receive will
be charged on a Pay-As-You-Go basis. Patients will receive invoices for uninsured services used and have the option of paying
invoices online at www.patientserv.ca, by telephone, in-person (at the clinic) or via mail.
The administration of the PS365 program is handled for us by PatientSERV*. If you have any questions about this program, or
would like to pay over the phone, please contact PatientSERV at 1-800-385-3210.
Regardless of the choice you make, please be assured that it will have no bearing upon the medical care you receive from us as
your healthcare is our top priority. Thank you for placing your trust in us to provide you with the highest quality healthcare
possible, which we hope to fulfill for many more years to come.
Sincerely,
The Physicians of Meadowlands Family Health Centre
Several of our physicians offer 1or 2 Same Day appointments to their patients on certain days of the week. To try to book one of these appointments, you may try calling in the morning as early at 8:00AM. Same Day Appointments Same Week Appointments
Many of our physicians offer Same Week appointments to their patients. These spots can only be booked the Friday prior to each week. Please call us as early as 8:00AM.
These spots are limited. Fisrt call, First serve!
Please Note for Dr Lofaro, patients may only call on Monday to try to book a same week appointment.
Requesting an appointment
To book, change, confirm or cancel an appointment with your family physician, please use the BOOK AN APPOINTMENT button on the main page of this website or call us at 613-228-2882.
When calling to book an appointment, you will be asked to provide your name, date of birth and reason for your appointment.
It is important to give the receptionist some idea of the reason for your appointment. This will help the physician be better prepared for your visit. This will also allow our front team to schedule your appointment with the right length as the time scheduled for certain appointment depends upon the appointment type. Example: Periodical Health Review are usually 30 minutes depending on the physician.
Please note that our receptionists do not have medical training and are not qualified to answer your health questions. They cannot give the results of any tests at anytime. If you have any health concerns, come and see your family doctor or ask to speak with a nurse.
For advice or concerns after hours, you can always call the Telephone Health Advisory Service (THAS) at 1-866-553-7205; TTY: 1-866-250-3379 or Telehealth to speak to a registered nurse at 1-866-797-0000
Also note that your doctor may not work every day. Other days, your physician may be heavily booked, out on an emergency or off on Holidays. On these occasions, if an appointment is urgent and cannot wait, you can request an appointment with our urgent care doctor (please see the urgent care section for details on our urgent care clinic procedures).
***** Periodical Health Review:
Annual Physical Exams are no longer covered by OHIP. Pap smears are covered every 33 months for healthy patients. You may book a Periodical Health Review with your family physician every year for a review of your health status, tailored to your individual health need. The visit’s length can vary between 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on your physician’s assessments and/or recommendations.
This change became effective as of January 01st, 2013.
Cancelling an Appointment
All appointments must be cancelled at least 24 hours prior the scheduled appointment or no show fees will apply.
Missing an Appointment
Appointment confirmation through text nessaging is now offered to our patients. Please ensure that we have a valid demographic information for yourself and your family.
It is the responsibility of the patients to remember their appointment information. No reminder calls will be made prior to appointments.
Missed appointments take valuable time away from ill people who are waiting to see their doctor. Please provide advance notice for appointment cancellations. If you miss or arrive too late for your appointment, no show fees will apply ($50 for a regular appointment and $75 for a Periodical Health Review or half hour appointment). An invoice will be sent to your email address through PatientServ.
Preparing for your Appointment
Always remember to bring your valid health card with you when coming to see a physician or a nurse. If invalid or forgotten, a cash deposit of $25 will be taken and held for a month.
Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your appointment. To avoid being late for your appointment, give yourself extra time to find parking, get to the clinic, check in with reception and complete any required forms for your visit. If you arrive late for your appointment, your doctor or health professional may not be able to see you and you may be required to reschedule your appointment.
Well Baby Visits
- Arrive 20 minutes prior to your appointment: the babies will first be seen by our nurses or medical assistant for measurements.
- Bring extra diapers, wipes, a blanket or soother/bottles to suit your baby and make him/she feel more comfortable.
- Strollers are not allowed inside the clinic; please leave them at the front in the dedicated area when arriving to our facility.
- If a vaccine is to be given to your child, you may choose to give your baby a fever reducing medicine before their appointment.
18 months: At the 18 months visit a developmental scale form will have to be completed by the parents. It is available online. You can choose to print it at home and fill it out before coming to your appointment.
Please Note:
- The vaccines will be given only after the patient has been seen by the doctor.
- If the child has a fever, the vaccine will be postponed for a minimun of 48 hours. However parents should still bring their child to their scheduled appointment if baby is well enough.
Should vaccines have been postponed, you can return to the clinic anytime after the 48 hours to see the nurses, no appointment is required.
Older Children, Teens and Young Adults
Annual Visits are not mandatory. Patients should come every 2-3 years to learn about new medical information and keep their health profile up-to date.
If there are ongoing health concerns, patients will see their doctor and plan their medical visits accordingly.
14-16 years old: Plan to come and book an appointment with your family doctor as you will need your tetanus booster.
Should you receive a letter/notice from Public Health, call us to find out how to obtain the needed vaccines.
If you will need the nurse to go through your chart and update your immunization record based on vaccines received here at the clinic, drop off your card or leave a message for the nurses. They will call you once ready. Please allow 2 weeks for completion.
Adults
Are you due for your periodic health review (PHR)?
Please call us well in advance to schedule your PHR appointment.
During this visit ensure you have discussed your preventative care screening needs such as mammograms, pap tests, bone density testing and FOBT/colonoscopy Testing. Discuss with your MD to see when they shoud be done.
If abnormal results were previously noticed, visits will need to be more often as indicated by your physician. Your family doctor will plan your care accordingly.
Emergency Situations
Always remember to bring your valid health card with you when coming to see a physician or a nurse. If invalid or forgotten, a cash deposit of $25 will be taken and held for a month.
Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your appointment. To avoid being late for your appointment, give yourself extra time to find parking, get to the clinic, check in with reception and complete any required forms for your visit. If you arrive late for your appointment, your doctor or health professional may not be able to see you and you may be required to reschedule your appointment.
In the case of an emergency, call 911 immediately.
Our office is not equipped to handle major health emergencies.
Certain emergencies (chest pain, stroke, collapse, problems breathing, severe allergic reactions, major lacerations, bad burns, etc.) will be redirected by our staff to the closest hospital emergency department.
Responsibility of Each Patient
Arrive on time for your appointment. Please always call us first before visiting other walk-in clinics or urgent care clinics. If any of your demographic information has changed such as your address, email address or phone numbers (home, work, cell), please call to advise us. Check the expiration date on your card, and arrange for a new one before it expires. Please bring along your own slippers or indoor shoes as you will be required to remove your boots during wet or snowy weather.Specialist Referral
If your physician initiates a referral to a specialist, please note that the wait times vary widely. Once we have confirmation of your appointment, our office will notify you by telephone, unless mentioned otherwise. Sometimes certain specialist offices call the patients directly to let them their appointment information. We will outline the appointment time, date and location and any specific instructions you are required to follow. Please ensure our office has your current demographic information.
Chart Transfer
Once we received a written request for a chart transfer we will contact the patient for a fee of $80+HST.
We send all chart transfers on CD and in an effort to ensure confidentiality all disks will be encrypted. Passwords are sent out separate to the encrypted CD by at least 3 days. All charts are sent either through the medical courier or by regular post.
Pick-Up of Medical Documents
Please call the office to arrange a day and time to pick up items, please do not just drop in. This allows us to be prepared and know who is coming to the clinic.
Photo I.D. will be required when picking up a medical document at the clinic (Blood requisition, etc.).
3rd Party Pick-Up:
For a 3rd person to be able to pick a document on your behalf, you will need to have sign a consent form allowing them to pick up a specific document. Photo I.D. will also be required from that person.
Protecting Your Privacy
We respect your privacy. Only the Meadowlands Family Health Center Team involved in your care have access to your personal health information. Any personal health information we collect from you remains confidential. Your medical record is considered private and confidential. All patient information is stored electronically, and is protected by passwords and firewalls.