Preparing for your appointment

Please take a moment to read the following information about our practices and policies.

Please note – we try to keep to our appointment schedule as closely as possible. However, urgent problems may arise that require your doctor’s time. Please be understanding, as one day your urgent problem may require additional time and delay other patients.

Help us avoid delays

Please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time. This will give you enough time to register and also allow the nurse to do the intake assessment if required, which may include a brief history, questionnaire completion, vital signs measurement, and the collection of specimens for testing.
Please allow yourself extra time to find parking.

What to bring to your appointments

A valid OHIP health card is MANDATORY if you wish to be seen by a nurse or physician at this clinic. Patients without a valid health card or patient who do not bring in their OHIP Card at time of visit will be asked for payment for a visit service. Payment MUST be made prior to visit. There will be NO Reimbursement of payment if OHIP card is brought in after visit . Payment can be made via cash, Debit card or Credit Card. Please note that the credit card processing fee will be added to the service fee
Please bring a list of your active medications to each appointment, including prescription medications, holistic/natural medications, and any over-the-counter medications you take on a regular basis.

Accessing care

Appointments are booked in advance, usually by a few weeks; please call if you would like to see your physician.
Appointments can be booked over-the-phone Monday to Friday between 8:30-12:00 and 13:00-16:00.
It is highly preferable for you to try to see your regular family doctor to maintain continuity of care.
If you need to be seen the day of, we will do our best to accommodate you. Each doctor reserves some urgent same-day booking spots in his/her daily schedule.
We ask however that you call before coming in. We cannot guarantee you being seen as a walk-in.

Urgent After-hours care (Dr. Roger’s patients only)

As a rostered patient within a Family Health Organization(FHO), you have access to after-hours care clinics for urgent medical issues. After-hours appointments are scheduled on the same day and are triaged according to medical urgency. A limited number of time slots are available from Monday to Friday between 7:30 pm and 8 pm. You must call reception at Heart of Ottawa to schedule after hours apt. Please note that the after hours appointment are being see at 595 Montreal Road, at the Rideau Rockliffe Family Medicine Office .
For very serious issues, please proceed immediately to your nearest Hospital Emergency Department!

Appointment time allotment

Visit times are allocated according to reason for visit, so please let the receptionist know the reason you are wishing to see a doctor at the time of booking. This helps everyone to stay on schedule!
Most regular appointments: 15 minutes
Same-day emergency visits: 5 minutes.
Periodic health exams (previously known as “complete physicals” or “annual exams”): 30 minutes. Note: These extended visits are no longer required annually, with their frequency depending on your age and health status. Please ask your doctor at your next visit if and when you should have a periodic health exam.

Cancelling appointments

If you are unable to make your appointment please provide 24 hours notice- 1 business day’s notice to our receptionist so we have the opportunity to offer your appointment time to another patient who needs it.
If it is suddenly impossible to make an appointment the day of an appointment, calling as soon as possible may help you to avoid a missed appointment charge.

Late for appointment

It is recommended you arrive 10 minutes early for an appointment.
Patients arriving late may be refused to see the doctor and will be required to rebook the appointment. If at any point a patient arrives late for an appointment and the physician is not able to see him/her, this appointment will be deemed a “No Show”. A “No Show” fee will be applicable.

Missed appointment fees

Appointments missed without 24 hours cancellation notice, or without compassionate reasons, will be billed directly to the patient and electronic invoice will be sent. Patients will be required to pay invoice within 10 business days

Referrals

We work hard to find excellent specialists for special tests you may require from time to time. Making referrals can be a lengthy process and wait times can be long for certain tests or specialties. Each specialist has their own process for notifying patients of appointments – they will either contact you directly or notify our office and we will mail you a letter with your appointment details. Please allow up to 1 (one) month to receive appointment times for routine referrals.
Referrals must be discussed with your doctor in person at the time of your visit. Phone requests for referrals or requisitions will not be processed.

Prescription renewals

At each appointment, please ensure that you ask your doctor for refills of your medications to last until your next visit. Please do not allow your regular medications to run out.
For Dr. Doiron, we do not accept medication renewal requests by phone fax or email. Patients must schedule an appointment for prescription renewal. In case of an emergency, Refills authorization via fax from a pharmacy or call from a patient provided outside of a regular office visit will be subject to a fee.
For Dr. Rogers, medication renewal requests can be made by fax received from your Pharmacy. Renewal authorization may take up to 5 business days to process. Please ensure you have enough medication(s) until your next visit.
Please Note: It is the patient’s responsibility to managed their medications renewals at time of visit. If in doubt of what needs to be renewed, ask your pharmacy for a complete list of medication prior to your visit at the office.

Narcotic and Benzodiazepine medication policy

Your doctor will require you to sign a “Narcotic Contract” or “Benzodiazepine contract” if he/she believes it would be beneficial to your care. If you are found to have breached the conditions of the contract, your doctor may cease prescribing you these medications.
You may be asked to submit to random urine or blood testing to verify compliance.

Uninsured services

Certain services are not covered by OHIP. Fees for these uninsured services are set based on the standard published guidelines of the Ontario Medical Association.
Charges are payable by you in person at the time of your visit via cash, debit card, or credit card.Please note when paying by credit card, the credit card processing fee charged by the bank will be applied to the invoice.

Moving out of the Province

If you are an Ontario resident moving to Quebec or another province we regretfully inform you that you will no longer be able to remain as a patient with your doctor at the Heart of Ottawa Health Centre and will be required to find a new doctor.