Dear Patient,

We are pleased to welcome you to Village Family Health Team (FHT). Now that you have booked your Meet & Greet appointment with a practitioner, we would like to provide the following information about our clinic operations.

Please plan to arrive 15 minutes in advance of your first appointment to complete paperwork. Please also visit our website at www.villagefht.ca

NOTE: If you do not show up for your first appointment, you will not be offered another meet and greet appointment.

1. Team Based Care

As an enrolled patient of Village FHT, you will have access to our team of healthcare professionals. Currently we have eleven physicians, one nurse practitioner, three registered nurses,  two social worker, a Pharmacist, a Registered Dietitian and a Chiropodist.

2. Access to Care

Village FHT is open to see patients at the following times:

Monday through Thursday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Our phone lines are closed Monday at lunch, from 12:30 – 1.30 pm.
Our phone lines are busiest weekday mornings. For non- urgent calls or to schedule a non urgent appointment, please consider using MEDEO or calling later in the day.

Please sign up for MEDEO when you receive the email invitation at your first visit. MEDEO is a virtual care feature that:

  • Enables easy online appointment booking

  • Seamless video visits

  • Secure messages and documents sent from your chart.

Each physician has their individual clinic hours and days.

Outside of our clinic hours you can call 8-1-1. An experienced registered nurse will provide you with advice about your health concern or refer you to medical or emergency service if required.

We schedule appointments on a system of Advanced Access. This system improves timely access to your doctor and health care team. Visit our website to learn more about advanced access www.villagefht.ca or http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/ecfa/action/primary/pri_access.aspx. Please do take the time to understand this concept of appointment booking at our FHT.

A NOTE ABOUT APPOINTMENT TIMES: We know your time is important and we make every effort to see patients at their schedule appointment time. If you are late, your health care provider may: shorten your appointment time, ask you to wait until a break in their schedule or ask you to re-schedule.

3. Enhancements to Preventative Care Strategies

We provide enhancements to preventative care strategies including:
• Flu shots and childhood Immunizations
• Pap tests, mammograms and colorectal cancer screening
• Enhanced management of patients with chronic illness – Diabetes, Hypertension, Mental Illness, COPD
• Smoking Cessation
• Education sessions

4. Prescription Refills

Prescription refills can be requested completed via fax from your pharmacy. Appropriateness of this method should be established with your individual physician. If your pharmacy does send us a faxed refill request, please allow at least 5 business days and do not phone the front desk before then to check on status of a refill request. Never wait until the last day of a prescription before making the request through your pharmacy, as the process can take up to 5 business days.

5. Privacy

Village FHT complies with the Personal Health Information Protection Act 2004 (PHIPA) for the collection, use and disclosure of patient personal health information (please refer to subsections 34, 37, 38 and 39 of PHIPA http://www.elaws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_04p03_e.htm).

It is your responsibility to inform the Village FHT staff if there is a change to your personal health or contact information.

6. Working Together

For us to be successful and to be able to provide you with our full range of current and future services, we need your commitment. At your Meet & Greet appointment please sign the Patient Enrolment Form and Consent to Release Personal Health Information. By doing so, you are agreeing to come to us for non-emergency primary health care. This means that you will no longer utilize community Walk-in Clinics or Urgent Care Clinics for non-emergency medical issues. While it is not mandatory for you to enroll in Village Family Health Team, we would strongly urge you to do so in order to benefit from the full range of services. You may choose to end your enrolment at any time.

Sincerely,

Village FHT Physicians & Staff
June 2022