Patient Communication Policy

How the Clinic will contact you:

Phone Calls
Phone calls will be our primary method of contacting you. Depending on the nature, sensitivity and importance of the message, we may attempt to reach you through the various phone numbers you have provided and in some cases, we may attempt to reach you through your emergency contact. On your patient registration form, you will be asked to mark which phone number you prefer to be reached at, please mark this accordingly. Should you require us to remove a phone number from our records, please ask one of our receptionists upon your visit to the Centre. Please note in order to protect your privacy, this must be done in person.

Voicemail
At times, we may be required to leave messages on your voicemail, such as appointment confirmations/reminders, the time and place of a specialist referral or to notify you to book a follow-up appointment. We will, however, leave only very general information on voicemail. Therefore, please ensure that you provide us with the most confidential phone number that you have. During your registration you will be asked to mark which phone number we may leave voicemails on. If one of your phone numbers is not to be used to leave any voicemail whatsoever due to confidentiality reasons, please ask us to remove this phone number from your chart.

Email
The clinic is now using OceanMD, a secure encrypted email system to send emails and book appointments online. If you see an email from "Glazier Medical Centre" (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), please click the secure link and view the contents as it may contain important information from our office. Our office staff and physicians use reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of email information sent and received. However, because of the risks identified, we cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of email communication. Please speak to your health care provider regarding additional information.

Please note: It is your responsibility to ensure that our Clinic has your most up-to-date contact information, including phone numbers, email address and mailing address and that your voicemail is working. For more information on updating your contact information, please refer to Updating Contact Information.

 

 

Glazier Medical Centre is committed to providing high quality service to all our patients. In order to do this, we need you to give us any compliments, comments or concerns about our service. We will listen to your concerns, treat them seriously, and learn from them so that we can continuously improve and make changes as required.

If you have any concerns, we encourage you or your family to first discuss them with the appropriate member of your healthcare team. The physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals who have been involved in your care are most familiar with your particular situation. Usually, they will be able to quickly resolve any issues you have.

If they are unable to resolve your concern, you may make a formal complaint, in writing, which will be directed to the management team.

We understand that family members and friends play important roles in advocating for our patients. If you wish to file a complaint on behalf of a family member or friend, please note that we must respect privacy and patient confidentiality under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004. We will need to know that you are acting with the individual’s permission. A note, signed by the person concerned, will be needed unless you are the individual’s substitute decision maker in which case evidence of this will also be required.

Please visit the link to complete the Patient Feedback Form.

Once you have completed the form, save it to your computer and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. If you are unable to submit your form electronically, you may print the form and submit a paper copy to:

Glazier Medical Centre
11 Gibb Street
Oshawa ON L1H 2J9
Attn: Management Committee

(please note that email may not be secure – while we try to protect our emails we cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of any email you send us through this process. If you have any security concerns, please mail or deliver to our offices)

Our process for resolving issues is as follows:

• Complete feedback form and submit; only written comments will be reviewed;
• The management team will acknowledge receipt of the form within a reasonable time frame (within 10 business days). Incomplete forms will not be acknowledged;
• The management team will then meet to investigate;
• In order to address concerns, the team may review the comments with the appropriate healthcare team member and ask them to provide input to a written response;
• The team may also arrange to meet with an individual regarding the concern;
• Findings will be communicated back to you within four weeks, unless otherwise notified, i.e. timelines may be impacted by staff availability, statutory holidays, etc.

What will be reviewed:

• Standard of service we provide
• Behaviour of our staff
• Any action or lack of action by staff affecting an individual or group

Our process does not cover:

• Comments about our policies or policy decisions
• Matters that have already been fully investigated through these procedures
• Anonymous complaints

Please note: concerns related to Lifelabs, Impexxus Imaging (xray, ultrasound), Lovell Drugs, Blacks Optometry, Glazier Dental, Andrew Springer Chiropody, Hearing Canada and Dynamic Physiotherapy should be directed to the management of those providers. They do not under the management of Glazier Medical Centre and therefore are not part of this process.

For various reasons, patients may wish to transfer to another family physician. It is in the best interest of patients, physicians and the Clinic that the patient/doctor relationship be positive.

If a patient is not happy with their family physician, patients are encouraged to speak with their family physician directly about any concerns they may have.

Glazier Medical Centre does not a have a specific policy regarding the switching from one family physician to another, however the patient will need to ask a physician to take them on as a patient and the new physician will have to agree to the transfer request. Please note that even if a family physician is taking on new patients, they may personally have a policy that precludes them from taking on patients of another physician within the clinic or patients who already have a physician in the community.   The administration of the clinic cannot compel a physician to take on a patient or foster a switch between physicians.   This can only be done amongst the two physicians involved and the patient.

When considering a transfer or request to another physician, patients should be aware:

• Physicians at Glazier Medical Centre work in a collaborative team environment to provide the best patient care possible. A patient may see a physician other than their own in our Urgent Care department if their physician is not available. And, although a patient may leave one physician for another, the original physician may still be involved in their care and the patient may still have to interact with them
  
  
• It is difficult for a physician to provide objective medical care in the patient’s best interest, especially in situations in which their professional opinion conflicts with a patient’s request. A common situation in which this occurs is when a patient requests a prescription renewal for a controlled medication (such as a narcotic) and the physician’s professional opinion is that this is not safe or appropriate.   Patients may be disappointed when they switch physicians, expecting different diagnosis, decisions on ordering of tests or prescribing certain treatments only to find that the new physician holds the same opinion as their original physician.
  
  
• If a patient is not happy with how their family physician is providing care and wish an independent second opinion, the best option is to seek an opinion from a physician a different clinic altogether.   There are many medical offices/walk-in clinics in the area willing to see patients.
  
  
• Patients also have the choice of registering with Health Care Connect (once the relationship has ended) and they may be able to help match a patient to a physician who is accepting patients.
  
  
• If a patient has been barred from the Centre due to abusive, violent, intimidating or threatening behaviour, to protect the safety of all our staff and physicians, requesting another physician at the Centre will not be permitted.

Where are you located?

We are located at 11 Gibb Street in Oshawa. On the south west corner of Gibb and Simcoe Street.

What is the Urgent Care Department?

A service provided to patients who are unable to book with their own Family Doctor. We will see patients for short appointments during the walk-in clinic on a first come first serve basis. Patients are advised to call 911 for any major medical emergencies such as chest pains, shortness of breath, major trauma.

What are your Urgent Care hours?

Monday to Thursday 8:30 am to 8:00 pm

Friday 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

Saturday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm 

Sunday 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm

Please note wait times vary depending on the number of patients and the urgency. During the day there are two physicians in Urgent Care. In the evenings and weekends there is only one.

Do I need to bring my health card to each appointment?

Yes, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care requires that a patient present their health card for each visit. The receptionist will ask to see the card and verify the information that we have on file for you.

What is Telehealth Ontario?

Telehealth Ontario is a free, confidential telephone service you can call to get health advice or general health information from a Registered Nurse, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. This means quick, easy access to a qualified health professional, who can assess your symptoms and help you decide your best first step. Please note that Telehealth Ontario should not replace an urgent situation and all such calls should be made to 911.

1-866-797-0000 TTY : 1-866-797-0007

How do I book an appointment?

Please see the section under patient information, Appointments. Most of the physcians in the Clinic use a centralized booking service. This means that you will have access to your physician's office even if they are not there. Please note that certain times are busier than others and there may be a bit of a wait. Every effort is made to book an appointment as quickly as possible. Please call 905-579-1212 and press 1.

If your physician is not listed under the directory for central booking, then please call the office directly.

How do I cancel an appointment?

We understand there are times and/or extenuating circumstances when patients are unable to keep their scheduled appointment(s). We respectfully ask that you contact us at 905-579-1212 press 1 at least 24 hours in advance or as soon as possible, so this time can be made available to other patients.

Are any of the Physicians taking on new patients?

Please call central bookings 905-579-1212 Press 1 and the attendant will give you a list of physicians taking on new patients.