Dear Patient,

 

It has been almost three months since we have been back to our “pre-covid” office procedures and we are reaching out to give you an update and some reminders.

 

1. Missed appointments: We have had a surprising number of missed appointments over the last couple months, including those that are booked for extra time due to the nature of the medical issue (pap smears, counselling, male exams, etc).  As you can imagine, the office is EXTREMELY busy as we attempt to return to full in-person visits and deal with a variety of your medical issues that have arisen over the last 2.5 years of the pandemic.  We appreciate your compliance and efficiency with prioritizing only one important issue to deal with at each appointment time, it becomes problematic and unconscionable when individuals miss their appointments!! Those appointment slots could have been used for another patient’s needs and merely adds to the backlog of more appointments that will need to be rebooked in the future.  Please be advised that patients who miss appointments without 24hr warning will be billed $75 according to the OMA guidelines.  Please note that EMAIL is an unacceptable mode of cancelling appointments. You must call the office and speak to Mary or Kim.

 

    2.  Office email was discontinued 18 months ago because of medico-legal concerns yet we are still receiving from patients email requests                  for appointment bookings or medical advice.  Email is only used for information that WE request (such as for pictures of a skin rash) and                  it is NOT checked on a regular basis, nor is it ever used to deliver medical advice. Email usage is also restricted to patients who are enrolled         in the block fee  program.(please see our website or ask in office about the block fee program)

 

   3. Phone call medicine has proven to be a substandard way to practice medicine and just has not worked safely for physicians or patients. Our          office is fully open for  in-person appointments just it was pre-covid, so please call and book an appointment to have your medical issues                dealt with.   

   4. Same day appointments and Booked appointments: Our new office hours are posted in the office and online at our website                                         www.drfosterfamilyphysician.ca.  Same day appointments are BOOKED ON THAT DAY to allow for rapid access for urgent medical issues.                 Please remember these are not walk in appointments.  We have same day appointments three days per week, so our goal is to see you within         24-48hrs.  Booked appointments (those done in advance) are reserved for very specific medical problems such as pap smears, diabetic                   checks, male exams, MTO physicals, counselling, etc.  After your appointment, I will tell you when to return for follow up but that means you          call the office THAT WEEK to be seen (i.e., in 4 weeks) for a same day appointment. 

 

  5. Phone Appointments: During the covid pandemic, phone visits were acceptable given the risks to patients and staff.  They were a temporary            measure and could never replace what is garnered by the physician during an in-person visit.  Some individuals have not been seen by a                physician in over 2.5 years.  We are fully open and are deferring phone appointments currently in order to facilitate an in-person assessment.       We are mandating masking in our office (So please COME WITH YOUR MASK) and are continuing with heightened disinfection protocols. 

 

  6. Walk in Clinics: As a reminder to all patients: the government considers rostering to be a two-way street between physician and patient. We            contract to look after your medical needs, and you contract to obtain all your medical needs through our office. Every single time a patient              attends a walk-in clinic or family physician not affiliated with our group of physicians, I am “negated “and penalized so I PAY FOR ALL THOSE          MEDICAL SERVICES out of my own pocket.  We have reinstated our same day appointments to allow you to rapidly access your OWN physician       (who knows your medical problems, medical history, family history, medications, allergies/etc.  Please call our office prior to attending any             walk-in clinic. Repeat offenders will jeopardize their position on our roster. 

 

  7. Fax Prescription renewals: Our fax prescription renewal fee was reinstated on October 1, 2022.  This policy was in place long before the                  pandemic in the times of my father.  Given our inability to see patients in person for prescription renewals during the pandemic, we                           courteously waived this fee and waived the block fee.  Prescription renewals are done on my own personal time after office hours and at                 night and are not as simple as quick 2 second “click and send”.  Medico-legally prior to refilling medications without seeing you in person, a             multitude of time-consuming different factors must be checked: updated bloodwork, blood pressures, weights, periodic screening tests, pap           smears, colonoscopies etc. If you wish to use fax prescription renewals, your best option is to participate in the block fee program (which                 would also cover sick notes and forms/ etc). If you do not wish to pay the block fee, you will be charged $30 PER FAX.  Alternatively, we can             see you in-person in the office for fax renewals, at which time a longer duration of medications can be prescribed (ie 6mo – 1 year). Please             ensure your pharmacy is faxing ONE request only as multiple faxes not only add to your costs (if you are requesting three refills and your                 pharmacy sends one medication per faxed page, you will be billed $90 (3x$30/fax) but also add to the paperwork backlog and add to Mary               and Kim’s administrative duties.  PLEASE bring a list of your medications and medication containers to those appointments to ensure we                correctly renew all your medications at that time.  With the arrival of over 40 fax renewals per day, a 24-48hr turn-around for approval is                impossible!  It is your responsibility to ensure that you are contacting our office well in advance of running out of medication. Do not ask for a          renewal the day your meds run out!

 

 8. Counselling: The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health, and we have noticed a drastic increase in the number of patients                requesting counselling appointments.  While we prioritize accommodating all patient’s problems, the reality is counselling has a very long             wait-time. Counselling is an intensive commitment, and I can only allocate so many counselling appointments per day and per week.  Patients        should explore work EAP (employee assistance programs) for benefit coverage of counselling services prior to an appointment with me. All           mental health issues require counselling and my expertise in psychiatric medication prescription may not be required. There are many well            trained counsellors in Burlington with whom you can establish a productive long-term relationship. There are other mental health resources          available on our website.

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9.Harassment: It is unfortunate that this topic must be addressed. I understand that the pandemic has changed the landscape of many people’s         lives adding immensely to individual stresses, but over the last year, our office has been subject to an unbelievable number of patient                       interactions that can be described not as rudeness rather harassment and intimidation! both in person and over the phone.  It is completely           unacceptable and will NOT be tolerated. If you treat Kim and Mary with disrespect, you are disrespecting me, and I have a ZERO TOLERANCE           policy. Any unacceptable behaviour by patients may result in their dismissal from the practice. 

 

 

I appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these important issues as we transition back to the pre-covid office times.  BACK TO NORMAL TIMES!! I look forward an old fashioned  in-person appointment with you, as there are so many patients with whom I have only spoken to on the phone since I took over from my father some 18 months ago.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dr. Laura

 

 

P.S.  The original Dr. Foster is doing very well.  He is enjoying a well-deserved change of pace in retirement. While he does still assist Dr. Pyper in the OR with orthopedic surgery and knee and hip replacements, his most important job is grandbabysitting my 8month old on his days off J.   He is looking forward to getting back onto the slopes this winter (yes, his neck is OK!), albeit maybe skiing a little more cautiously than he used to.