Our Policies

“To create a practice environment that provides the highest quality of care and service for the patient and the best possible professional satisfaction for the physicians, nurses and staff. We strive to be a practice recognized as a model for Canadian primary care.”

Welcome to our Family Health Organization!

COFMA is committed to communicating with you in a respectful, professional, and civil manner. Similarly, we expect the same courtesy from you.

We understand that the circumstances or issues about which you are communicating with us may be stressful. However, we will not accept abusive behaviour or communications towards our staff or physicians. This includes threats, vexatious or harassing comments or conduct, sexual harassment, intimidation, yelling or screaming, or obscene, racist, or discriminatory statements.

COFMA is required by law to protect our staff from abusive behaviour and will not tolerate such behaviour against our staff. Behaviour of this kind may result in permanent dismissal from our practice.

Accessible Customer Service Policy

In providing health care services, Central Ottawa Family Medicine Associates (COFMA) strives at all times to respect the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are also committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunities to access and benefit from our services, in the same place and in a similar way as other patients.

COFMA is committed to excellence in serving all patients including people with disabilities and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the areas described below.

Assistive devices

We will ensure that our staff members are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by patients with disabilities while accessing our services.

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.

Service animals

We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the areas of our premises that are open to the public.

Support persons

A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises.

Notice of temporary disruption

COFMA will endeavour to provide patients with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities. This notice may include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available. The notice will be placed in the building main lobby and the office reception area, if appropriate. We will attempt to call patients with disabilities who have an appointment if the premises are not accessible (e.g. if elevators are not available).

Training for staff

We will provide training to all our employees regarding the provisions and ways to ensure accessible services and an accessible workplace. Training will occur on an ongoing basis and whenever changes are made to relevant policies, practices, and procedures.

Hiring

COFMA welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Procedure for requesting accommodations

To request accommodation or assistance, please contact us in person, by phone, by email, or in writing (see below for contact information).

Feedback

Patients or others who wish to provide feedback on the way we provide services to people with disabilities, can do so through the following methods:

1. In person, by speaking with our Office Manager
2. By phone, at 613-760-3700
3. In writing, at:

267 O’Connor Street, Suite 500

Ottawa, Ontario

K2P 1V3

All feedback will be directed to our Office Manager.  A response will be provided within thirty (30) days.

Modifications to this or other policies

Central Ottawa Family Medicine Associates are committed to ensuring that our policies, practices and procedures are consistent with and promote the core principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. Any policy that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities will be modified or removed.

We are open Monday to Friday with doctors in the office for urgent visits on Monday through Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Click here for our doctors’ office hours.

All visits are by appointment and will be booked only with your regular doctor, except in case of emergency when your doctor is unavailable. If you require attention the same day, we will try to find room with one of the doctors.

Please arrive 10 minutes early to your appointment time. This allows time for you to remove outerwear, register with the front desk, and have the nurses bring you to the exam room and perform appropriate pre-assessment.

We are happy to deal with as many issues as necessary at one appointment if you book adequate time for this purpose. When making an appointment, please inform the staff of the nature of your problem(s) so they can book the appropriate amount of time for your visit. A standard visit is typically 15 minutes long. Also, please inform the staff when booking an appointment if you will need a form or note completed.

The appointment you have means that we have reserved time for you. If you miss an appointment without 24 hours notice or reasonable explanation, we will bill you at Ontario Medical Association recommended rates, which are posted in the waiting and examining rooms and are also here.

Phone appointments may be booked if your doctor feels that it is appropriate. Please do not ask us to make a diagnosis over the phone, as this can be very difficult.

As a member of the FHO, you are entitled to have access to your regular doctor, another physician in the office, or telephone health advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When the office is closed, the phone system will provide detailed instructions on how to reach the nurse advisory service, which will provide assistance.

In return for our obligation to be available to you, your enrolment in the FHO means that you agree to always call us first and to stay away from “walk-in” or “after-hours” clinics. Please note that if you do go to a clinic, OHIP payment to the clinic doctor will be deducted from your doctors earnings and a report of the deduction will be sent to your doctor.

Phone calls are handled by our office staff. If you wish to speak to a doctor, it usually is preferable to make an appointment, so that the problem can be properly assessed and addressed. In order to allow us to provide the best possible care, please do not ask for a diagnosis or a new prescription by phone.

Please take your medications exactly as prescribed for best results. If you suspect a mix up in your prescription or a reaction to a drug, please notify us immediately. Managing your medication is both safer and easier if you keep all your prescriptions with one pharmacy. We also ask you to bring your medications with you to each office visit to help assure that there is no confusion in your drug therapy. Please do not forget to inform us of alternative treatments you may be receiving (e.g. herbal or homeopathic medications).

The doctor will give written prescriptions for your medication for the maximum length of time, including repeats, that he or she feels can be allowed to safely pass without reassessing your medical status. Ask your pharmacy to explain their way of noting the remaining number of refills on your bottle and make sure you make your appointment for reassessment before you are due to run out of medication.

The great volume of test results makes it impossible to call patients with every normal result. You will, of course, be informed of significant abnormal results and if we feel the results require discussion, we will arrange for appropriate follow-up. If you wish, you may make an appointment to review your results either by phone or in person.

We may make house calls, but limit this service to people who are chronically housebound. If you need emergency care, you should be transported to hospital where proper and life-saving facilities are available.

Whenever the opinion or skills of a specialist are in the best interest of your health, the doctor will write a consultation request and the staff will arrange the appointment. Please do not try to arrange specialist care for a new problem without first contacting our office. In many cases, your family doctor can provide the assessment and treatment that you are seeking. If your doctor agrees that seeing a specialist is appropriate, contacting us first will assure that we send the specialist physician your updated medical history and background information to assist the specialist in diagnosis and treatment.

When our records indicate you are overdue to receive recommended immunizations or tests that are used to detect disease in its earliest stages, we will generally send you a letter recommending that you get the test or vaccination. If you do not respond to the letter, we will have our staff phone you as an additional reminder.

Please note that although we will try to notify you, you still have an active role to play in assuring that you receive these important interventions. If you think that you are due for an immunization or test, please contact our office immediately.

You must present your health card each time you come to the office. Patients who do not present a valid health card will be asked for payment. Patients covered by Quebec health plans must make payment arrangements at the time of service.

For services not covered by provincial health plans, current charges are posted in the waiting and examining rooms and are also here.

Occasionally, there will be a medical student or resident spending several weeks accompanying the doctors in the office. A full explanation of the teaching arrangement will be given to you should there be a student doctor or resident present. Your participation in their learning would be optional.

The confidentiality of your health information is of the utmost concern to us. Our office is fully compliant with Ontarios Personal Health Information Protection Act, and our computerized records system is meticulously protected against loss of data and unauthorized access.

Under no circumstances will any details of your health be released without your prior consent, usually written. When calling your home, we will not leave any message other than to call our office unless we have been previously told that we may communicate with you through a family member or friend.

If you move, change work or home phone number, or get a new OHIP card, please be sure to notify us so that we have current contact information for you. We can only get in touch with you regarding important health issues such as abnormal test results, overdue immunizations or preventive tests, and new warnings about medications if we have your correct phone numbers and address.

We would be grateful if you would take the time to discuss with us any suggestions you have about our service to you. We run this practice for our patients and your feedback is very important to us.