The North Peel Family Health Team offers patients the option to have minor procedures done at the Family Health Team office. This may provide more flexibility than the traditional path of visiting a hospital. Minor surgery staff always strive to make your visit as comfortable as possible in an office setting.

Notes For Your Visit:

- On the day of your surgery there are no food restrictions, you can eat normally.

- Wear comfortable clothing that can be removed easily.

- If you do not speak English, please bring an adult with you who is able to translate in your language.

- You may receive a local anaesthetic or "freezing" in the area where your procedure will be performed.

- With a few exceptions, most patients may leave shortly after surgery.

- Please report to the Registration Desk with your Health Card for Minor Surgery 15 to 30 minutes before your appointment.

- Late arrivals may have their procedure cancelled. If you fail to cancel, or do not show up to your designated appointment your rebooking fee will be $35.00

- Please notify your Family Physician's office at least 48 hours in advance if you wish to change or cancel an appointment.

Please Note

- We wish to advise patients that many services are not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) and therefore it is the patient's responsibility to cover all costs associated with the procedure

- Only cash or cheque payments are currently accepted. Please see the receptionist to make payment at the time of your procedure.

After your Procedure:

Your Physician will provide you with after-care instructions. Should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask the Physician.

As our population and patients age or become infirm, we know some will have a hard time coming to visit us in the office. Speak to your physician if you have difficulty coming into the office or may require a home visit. While we do our best to accommodate patients, it is also subject to availability and feasibility.

If you or a family member are in need of a home visit by a healthcare practitioner, please call us.

The family physicians and nurse practitioner of the North Peel Family Health Team provide the majority of medical primary care.

To ensure your health is maximized, we will be performing regular reviews on all patients with chronic diseases. To provide comprehensive care, your health care team now includes:

• Your doctor • A nurse practitioner

• A dietician • A registered nurse

• A social worker • A kinesiologist

• A chiropodist • A clinical pharmacist

Prenatal, Obstetrical and Well Baby/Child Care

Currently we offer patients full prenatal care until approximately 30 weeks when the patient is then referred to an obstetrician for ongoing prenatal care and delivery.

After delivery, you and your baby will be referred back to us for ongoing post delivery care together with periodic Well Baby and Well Child checks for immunizations and to ensure that your baby is developing and growing normally.

We use a family centred approach and encourage both parents to attend as many visits as possible.

We ask that all eligible patients to be involved in their own preventative care by participating in breast screening (mammography), cervical screening (PAP test) and colorectal screening (FIT or colonoscopy). When patients are screened regularly, we can detect cancer early and improve our follow-up of patients with abnormal results to ensure that they are managed appropriately.

Speak to your health care provider for more details.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses with additional training after finishing nursing school. They have an extended scope of practice and provide care to patients of all ages. Whilst working alongside family physicians and their patients, a nurse practitioner can provide independent primary care services.

Their extended scope of practice, through regulation, allows for the provision of the following services:

- diagnose and treat illnesses and/or injuries

- perform physical check ups

- order and interpret diagnostic tests

- write prescriptions

- provide counselling and education

- provide supportive care through illness

- provide treatments and/or procedures and

- make referrals to family physicians, specialists and other health professionals

Registered Nurses at North Peel Family Health Team perform some or all of the following roles depending on the needs of their patients:

- initiating the patient record, taking vital signs, and preparing patients for the physician visit

- completing immunizations, allergy shots and TB testing

- suture removal and dressing changes, ear syringing

-care coordination

- telephone triaging regarding clinical symptoms

- responding to telephone questions regarding treatment plans and test results

- providing patient education and management of chronic diseases

- working with other members of the health care team to develop and deliver chronic disease management programs

The Ontario Ministry of Health has replaced "yearly physicals" and/or "annual physicals" with “Periodic Health Exams”.

You will be seen periodically throughout the year as needed for followups and re-evaluation.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Our Family Health Team will provide you with comprehensive COPD care where you will receive education by our health care team to assist in managing your COPD. Patients are encouraged to ask questions, be involved in decision-making around their health care and take responsibility for managing their own health. Patients will have the opportunity to meet with specialized members of our health care team to discuss smoking cessation, medications and other quality of life issues that may arise that affect your ability to manage your COPD.

The goal of the COPD program is to empower patients with the knowledge to optimally manage their COPD on their own and improve their quality of life.

The primary goal of the Clinical Pharmacist is to help ensure the maximum benefits from medications, with the fewest side effects or drug related complications.

Our clinical pharmacist compliments your local community pharmacist or hospital pharmacist by working collaboratively with your family physician and the interdisciplinary team through services such as:

- consultation with physicians regarding complex care patients on multiple medications

- patient counselling regarding new medication or medication issues

- individual patient assessment to identify, prevent and resolve drug-related problems

- providing continuity of care with patients upon discharge from the hospital and ongoing liaison with hospital and community pharmacists

- assistance with management of discontinued medications and samples

- assistance with processes related to management and processing of new prescriptions and prescription renewals