Frequently Asked Questions
Where are you located?
Our address is: #107-3500 Carrington Rd, Westbank, BC, V4T 3C1. It can also be found at the bottom of the Home page, and at the top of the Contact page, on our website.
What are the clinic hours?
Our usual clinic hours are: Monday - Friday: 8:30 - 17:00, Saturday: 9:00 - 16:00 (except for long weekends, when we are closed; please check current availability), Sunday: Closed.
The schedule may vary for each physician. For an up-to-date schedule please visit the News and Updates and Our Clinic pages on our website.
Are you open during the weekends?
Please see the answer to the question above.
Are you a walk-in-clinic?
No. Each doctor within the clinic has a roster of patients, for whom they provide ongoing, longitudinal care. When a certain doctor is temporarily away, the other doctors ensure coverage.
In most cases, we are able to offer our clinic's patients same-day appointments, if possible with their own physician, if not with the first available physician (other than their own). We do our best to accommodate a walk-in visit from one of the clinic's patients.
I am a patient of this clinic. Can I just walk in if I need to be seen or I have a question?
We recommend, if possible, to phone ahead and try to understand how busy the schedule is and the availability of an appointment on the same day. As per the answer to the question above, in most cases we are able to offer our clinic's patients same-day appointments, if possible with their own physician, if not with the first available physician (other than their own).
We do our best to accommodate a walk-in visit from one of the clinic's patients.
We encourage same-day, including walk-in visits from the most vulnerable of our patients, including infants, provided their needs are not better served by a visit to the Emergency Department of the hospital.
How many doctors are in the clinic and who are they?
There are currently 5 doctors in our clinic. You could meet them on Our Doctors page of our website.
How can I know who the staff person (MOA-medical office assistant) with whom I communicated is?
Hopefully our assistants introduce themselves during your encounter. Please visit Our MOAs page of our website to meet our staff.
Are you currently accepting new patients?
At certain times, our clinic accepts new patients. Please check the New Patients page of our website (under Our Patients tab) and the News and Updates page to learn about any current changes in our patients acceptance policies.
How can I book an appointment?
We offer PHONE and ONLINE bookings. For details, please visit the Book Online and Contact pages of our website.
The phones are always busy. What do I do if I cannot get through?
We strive to answer all our phone calls timely and keep your wit time on the phone under 2 minutes. Of course, this may vary with the time of the day and other factors that are often independent of us. After answering, our assistant may out you on hold for a few minutes if she is also dealing with another pressing issue at the same time.
We strongly encourage ONLINE booking, to avoid any problems with waiting on the phone.
If your appointment is not relatively urgent, we offer the option to request a booking via E-MAIL.
If one prefers to request a booking by PHONE, here are some suggestions to reduce your need to wait on the phone:
- Try phoning later in the morning (rather than at the first hour), to avoid the morning rush.
- Try making your appointment at the front desk, before you leave the office next time.
If you book online, please specify if your request an in-person, videoconference or telephone appointment. Our assistants may call you to clarify your request.
Do you offer telehealth (i.e. videoconferencing) appointments?
Yes. Our clinic is happy to offer telehealth visits, via a secured videoconferencing connection, or (usually) by telephone. Please visit the Book Online and Our Clinic pages to learn more about the procedure.
The availability of telehealth appointments is at the discretion of each physician.
If you book online, please specify if your request an in-person or telehealth appointment. Our assistants may call you to clarify your request.
Can I contact you via e-mail?
We are also able to offer the [email protected] address, so that you could send us general questions (i.e. about schedule, taking new patients etc), forms that your doctor may need to complete, or photos (i.e. of skin lesions) that your doctor may need to help with the diagnosis during a telehealth visit.
Please DO NOT send clinical questions via e-mail; book an appointment for any clinical question you may have. The photos and/or forms that you send via e-mail will only be used in conjunction with an actual visit (telehealth or in-person).
If you send forms, please complete and sign/date your part (usually on the first page), so that we know to whom the document belongs, and that we have your permission to proceed with it.
Of note, any matter addressed to us via e-mail, including a booking request, is considered NON-URGENT.
If I contact you via e-mail, will the doctor answer?
The short answer is no. The information that you send (ideally NOT a clinical question) will be attached to your chart and viewed by the doctor, but you will be strongly encouraged to book an appointment to discuss your questions or concerns.
I just had tests done. Is no news (from the clinic) equivalent to good news?
The short answer is no. We strive to get back to you with a message, directly by the doctor or through one of the office assistants, regardless of the result of the test. However, it is mainly the patient's responsibility to follow up on their test results. We will always answer your inquiries about the tests.
Will the doctor phone with my test results?
Please see the answer above. We strive to get back to you with a message, directly by the doctor or through one of the office assistants, regardless of the result of the test. However, it is mainly the patient's responsibility to follow up on their test results. We will always answer your inquiries about the tests.
I would like to have a physical. When can I have one?
We understand by a "physical" an in-office review and head-to-toe examination that usually takes at least 30 minutes; we use the term "complete physical examination". As per the scientific information available, the yield of a complete physical examination in a healthy person, especially without any symptoms, is low. We discourage the practice of "yearly physicals" without a clinical reason or rationale. Exceptions are made based on the patient's clinical condition, age and the overall clinical assessment by one's physician. Our assistants WILL NOT book a complete physical examination just because a patient requests one. They are instructed to offer you an appointment with your physician to discuss the need for one, and it will be up to your doctor to book one, following such a discussion.
Sometimes a patient needs to have a physical for employment, for participation in sports or for travel/insurance. These services are not covered by the Medical Services Plan (MSP), so if one really needs these, they should be prepared to pay privately.
I have forms that need to be completed. Do I need to come in?
This depends on the type of form requested. If this follows a discussion with your doctor that included the need and request for a form completion, then the answer is no. In most cases, however, the completion of a form is the result of a clinical assessment, which may be just a discussion (including over the phone or video call), or may require an actual examination. In this case, an appointment will need to be booked.
You do have the option to send ahead the form: dropped-off at the clinic, mailed, or e-mailed ([email protected]). If you send forms, please complete and sign/date your part (usually on the first page), so that we know to whom the document belongs, and that we have your permission to proceed with it.
Is the completion of forms a covered service?
With a few notable exceptions (of government-requested forms), the completion of forms is NOT a covered service. While in some cases the patient's private insurer or lawyer may pay for the form completion, this is often left to the patients themselves. Please visit the Uninsured Services page under the Our Patients tab on our website for a list of the usually requested fees for form completion. Exceptions and variations to these fees are at the discretion of each physician.
I plan to travel. Can you advise me on travel precautions and vaccinations?
Our clinic provides travel consultations and related vaccinations. A travel consult however, as well as most of the travel-related vaccines, ARE NOT covered by MSP. As such, a privately paid fee will be requested. Please visit our Travel Clinic page under the Our Patients tab on our website for a current list of the usual fees for travel consults and vaccine prices.
I am not a patient of this clinic. Can I book an appointment for a travel consult?
Our clinic does offer travel consultations to individuals who are not part of our patient roster. A chart with one's demographics will be created, for the visit. The visit and possibly related vaccines are privately paid and the responsibility of the patient (or their insurer), as per the answer to the question above. Please check the Travel Clinic page on our website for more details.
A patient seen for a travel consultation may need to be seen again, for a booster vaccine. At that time, they can be seen by the same (ideally) or another doctor in the clinic who provides travel consults.
The people who are seen just for travel consults DO NOT become patients of our clinic, unless this was a specific request on the patients' part which was explicitly approved by the consulting physician.
Are the travel consultations and vaccines covered? Why not?
No. A travel consult however, as well as most of the travel-related vaccines, ARE NOT covered by MSP. As such, a privately paid fee will be requested. Please visit our Travel Clinic page under the Our Patients tab on our website for a current list of the usual fees for travel consults and vaccine prices.
Our public health system covers many things that pertain to health care, however not everything (such as dentists, most optometry visits, physiotherapy, chiropractic etc). Travel medicine is considered a non-essential service. Most people travel for their leisure, at their own expense and their own risk (for many who travel in the interest of their job, their employer and/or work insurance plan may cover these costs). If you ask your doctor to give you a travel consult free of charge, he/she has the option to either do a quick and poor job (which most doctors try not to do), or to offer you his/her time and clinic resources for free, while they could have been used for providing an essential service to someone else.
We buy with the clinic resources the travel vaccines that we offer, for your convenience.
How can I stay up-to-date with the most recent changes to your clinic or schedule?
The easiest and fastest way is to check the Home, Our Clinic and/or News and Updates pages of our website.
You can also PHONE or E-MAIL us, to inquire.
My doctor often works with students. Do I have to accept to be seen by one?
While we appreciate if our patients accept to participate in the training of the next generation of Canadian doctors, your participation is entirely voluntary. Both your doctor and their trainee will ask for your consent, before an encounter involving a trainee. It is totally appropriate to let us know if, for one reason or another, you feel uncomfortable having a trainee present for your visit.
I have feedback about the clinic (including organization and staff). Where can I mention this?
We always appreciate direct, real-time feedback, ideally in a polite and respectful manner, to our doctors and MOA staff, during or following an encounter. It is our promise to you that we will take to the heart your suggestions and try to improve the services we offer based on your input and feedback.
We also try to collect ongoing feedback through our website, in the form of one general survey and occasional event-related surveys, on the Give Us Feedback page on our website. The page is currently being built and may be down at times, as it gets updated.
I cannot find what I need in your website. Is there an easier way to find things here?
Yes. At the left-hand side of the bottom of the Home page, and the right-hand side of the top of the Contact page, there is a "Search the website" box. Just type in one or multiple words related to your query, click the "search/magnifying glass" icon and a list of the pages containing the query word(s) will be displayed.
Where are you located?
Our address is: #107-3500 Carrington Rd, Westbank, BC, V4T 3C1. It can also be found at the bottom of the Home page, and at the top of the Contact page, on our website.
What are the clinic hours?
Our usual clinic hours are: Monday - Friday: 8:30 - 17:00, Saturday: 9:00 - 16:00 (except for long weekends, when we are closed; please check current availability), Sunday: Closed.
The schedule may vary for each physician. For an up-to-date schedule please visit the News and Updates and Our Clinic pages on our website.
Are you open during the weekends?
Please see the answer to the question above.
Are you a walk-in-clinic?
No. Each doctor within the clinic has a roster of patients, for whom they provide ongoing, longitudinal care. When a certain doctor is temporarily away, the other doctors ensure coverage.
In most cases, we are able to offer our clinic's patients same-day appointments, if possible with their own physician, if not with the first available physician (other than their own). We do our best to accommodate a walk-in visit from one of the clinic's patients.
I am a patient of this clinic. Can I just walk in if I need to be seen or I have a question?
We recommend, if possible, to phone ahead and try to understand how busy the schedule is and the availability of an appointment on the same day. As per the answer to the question above, in most cases we are able to offer our clinic's patients same-day appointments, if possible with their own physician, if not with the first available physician (other than their own).
We do our best to accommodate a walk-in visit from one of the clinic's patients.
We encourage same-day, including walk-in visits from the most vulnerable of our patients, including infants, provided their needs are not better served by a visit to the Emergency Department of the hospital.
How many doctors are in the clinic and who are they?
There are currently 5 doctors in our clinic. You could meet them on Our Doctors page of our website.
How can I know who the staff person (MOA-medical office assistant) with whom I communicated is?
Hopefully our assistants introduce themselves during your encounter. Please visit Our MOAs page of our website to meet our staff.
Are you currently accepting new patients?
At certain times, our clinic accepts new patients. Please check the New Patients page of our website (under Our Patients tab) and the News and Updates page to learn about any current changes in our patients acceptance policies.
How can I book an appointment?
We offer PHONE and ONLINE bookings. For details, please visit the Book Online and Contact pages of our website.
The phones are always busy. What do I do if I cannot get through?
We strive to answer all our phone calls timely and keep your wit time on the phone under 2 minutes. Of course, this may vary with the time of the day and other factors that are often independent of us. After answering, our assistant may out you on hold for a few minutes if she is also dealing with another pressing issue at the same time.
We strongly encourage ONLINE booking, to avoid any problems with waiting on the phone.
If your appointment is not relatively urgent, we offer the option to request a booking via E-MAIL.
If one prefers to request a booking by PHONE, here are some suggestions to reduce your need to wait on the phone:
- Try phoning later in the morning (rather than at the first hour), to avoid the morning rush.
- Try making your appointment at the front desk, before you leave the office next time.
If you book online, please specify if your request an in-person, videoconference or telephone appointment. Our assistants may call you to clarify your request.
Do you offer telehealth (i.e. videoconferencing) appointments?
Yes. Our clinic is happy to offer telehealth visits, via a secured videoconferencing connection, or (usually) by telephone. Please visit the Book Online and Our Clinic pages to learn more about the procedure.
The availability of telehealth appointments is at the discretion of each physician.
If you book online, please specify if your request an in-person or telehealth appointment. Our assistants may call you to clarify your request.
Can I contact you via e-mail?
We are also able to offer the [email protected] address, so that you could send us general questions (i.e. about schedule, taking new patients etc), forms that your doctor may need to complete, or photos (i.e. of skin lesions) that your doctor may need to help with the diagnosis during a telehealth visit.
Please DO NOT send clinical questions via e-mail; book an appointment for any clinical question you may have. The photos and/or forms that you send via e-mail will only be used in conjunction with an actual visit (telehealth or in-person).
If you send forms, please complete and sign/date your part (usually on the first page), so that we know to whom the document belongs, and that we have your permission to proceed with it.
Of note, any matter addressed to us via e-mail, including a booking request, is considered NON-URGENT.
If I contact you via e-mail, will the doctor answer?
The short answer is no. The information that you send (ideally NOT a clinical question) will be attached to your chart and viewed by the doctor, but you will be strongly encouraged to book an appointment to discuss your questions or concerns.
I just had tests done. Is no news (from the clinic) equivalent to good news?
The short answer is no. We strive to get back to you with a message, directly by the doctor or through one of the office assistants, regardless of the result of the test. However, it is mainly the patient's responsibility to follow up on their test results. We will always answer your inquiries about the tests.
Will the doctor phone with my test results?
Please see the answer above. We strive to get back to you with a message, directly by the doctor or through one of the office assistants, regardless of the result of the test. However, it is mainly the patient's responsibility to follow up on their test results. We will always answer your inquiries about the tests.
I would like to have a physical. When can I have one?
We understand by a "physical" an in-office review and head-to-toe examination that usually takes at least 30 minutes; we use the term "complete physical examination". As per the scientific information available, the yield of a complete physical examination in a healthy person, especially without any symptoms, is low. We discourage the practice of "yearly physicals" without a clinical reason or rationale. Exceptions are made based on the patient's clinical condition, age and the overall clinical assessment by one's physician. Our assistants WILL NOT book a complete physical examination just because a patient requests one. They are instructed to offer you an appointment with your physician to discuss the need for one, and it will be up to your doctor to book one, following such a discussion.
Sometimes a patient needs to have a physical for employment, for participation in sports or for travel/insurance. These services are not covered by the Medical Services Plan (MSP), so if one really needs these, they should be prepared to pay privately.
I have forms that need to be completed. Do I need to come in?
This depends on the type of form requested. If this follows a discussion with your doctor that included the need and request for a form completion, then the answer is no. In most cases, however, the completion of a form is the result of a clinical assessment, which may be just a discussion (including over the phone or video call), or may require an actual examination. In this case, an appointment will need to be booked.
You do have the option to send ahead the form: dropped-off at the clinic, mailed, or e-mailed ([email protected]). If you send forms, please complete and sign/date your part (usually on the first page), so that we know to whom the document belongs, and that we have your permission to proceed with it.
Is the completion of forms a covered service?
With a few notable exceptions (of government-requested forms), the completion of forms is NOT a covered service. While in some cases the patient's private insurer or lawyer may pay for the form completion, this is often left to the patients themselves. Please visit the Uninsured Services page under the Our Patients tab on our website for a list of the usually requested fees for form completion. Exceptions and variations to these fees are at the discretion of each physician.
I plan to travel. Can you advise me on travel precautions and vaccinations?
Our clinic provides travel consultations and related vaccinations. A travel consult however, as well as most of the travel-related vaccines, ARE NOT covered by MSP. As such, a privately paid fee will be requested. Please visit our Travel Clinic page under the Our Patients tab on our website for a current list of the usual fees for travel consults and vaccine prices.
I am not a patient of this clinic. Can I book an appointment for a travel consult?
Our clinic does offer travel consultations to individuals who are not part of our patient roster. A chart with one's demographics will be created, for the visit. The visit and possibly related vaccines are privately paid and the responsibility of the patient (or their insurer), as per the answer to the question above. Please check the Travel Clinic page on our website for more details.
A patient seen for a travel consultation may need to be seen again, for a booster vaccine. At that time, they can be seen by the same (ideally) or another doctor in the clinic who provides travel consults.
The people who are seen just for travel consults DO NOT become patients of our clinic, unless this was a specific request on the patients' part which was explicitly approved by the consulting physician.
Are the travel consultations and vaccines covered? Why not?
No. A travel consult however, as well as most of the travel-related vaccines, ARE NOT covered by MSP. As such, a privately paid fee will be requested. Please visit our Travel Clinic page under the Our Patients tab on our website for a current list of the usual fees for travel consults and vaccine prices.
Our public health system covers many things that pertain to health care, however not everything (such as dentists, most optometry visits, physiotherapy, chiropractic etc). Travel medicine is considered a non-essential service. Most people travel for their leisure, at their own expense and their own risk (for many who travel in the interest of their job, their employer and/or work insurance plan may cover these costs). If you ask your doctor to give you a travel consult free of charge, he/she has the option to either do a quick and poor job (which most doctors try not to do), or to offer you his/her time and clinic resources for free, while they could have been used for providing an essential service to someone else.
We buy with the clinic resources the travel vaccines that we offer, for your convenience.
How can I stay up-to-date with the most recent changes to your clinic or schedule?
The easiest and fastest way is to check the Home, Our Clinic and/or News and Updates pages of our website.
You can also PHONE or E-MAIL us, to inquire.
My doctor often works with students. Do I have to accept to be seen by one?
While we appreciate if our patients accept to participate in the training of the next generation of Canadian doctors, your participation is entirely voluntary. Both your doctor and their trainee will ask for your consent, before an encounter involving a trainee. It is totally appropriate to let us know if, for one reason or another, you feel uncomfortable having a trainee present for your visit.
I have feedback about the clinic (including organization and staff). Where can I mention this?
We always appreciate direct, real-time feedback, ideally in a polite and respectful manner, to our doctors and MOA staff, during or following an encounter. It is our promise to you that we will take to the heart your suggestions and try to improve the services we offer based on your input and feedback.
We also try to collect ongoing feedback through our website, in the form of one general survey and occasional event-related surveys, on the Give Us Feedback page on our website. The page is currently being built and may be down at times, as it gets updated.
I cannot find what I need in your website. Is there an easier way to find things here?
Yes. At the left-hand side of the bottom of the Home page, and the right-hand side of the top of the Contact page, there is a "Search the website" box. Just type in one or multiple words related to your query, click the "search/magnifying glass" icon and a list of the pages containing the query word(s) will be displayed.
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