Registered Patients:

To help us improve the quality of your care, please take a moment to read the following information about the East End Family Health Team and our policies.

About our Team

The East End Family Health Team is a department of Northern College, and we were established in 2006 to offer primary healthcare services to our community. Our team consists of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, counsellors, medical receptionists, and a manager/executive director. 

Rules & Guidelines for Appointments

• Calling for an appointment: Please let the receptionist know the reason for your appointment (e.g., Pain, bowel concerns, Blood pressure, forms, referrals, fatigue, anxiety, etc.). This helps the team prepare for your appointment. 

• Arriving: When you arrive for your appointment, please present yourself at the reception area to check in with your health card. You may have to wait for your appointment as unexpected delays can occur. Your patience is appreciated.

• Cancellations & No-Shows: Please call at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. This allows other patients to book an appointment. If you no-show or do not cancel an appointment within 24 business hours, you may be charged a fee that has to be paid before you can book another appointment.

• Late Arrivals: To help us stay on schedule and minimize wait times, please arrive on time for your appointment. If you arrive after ½ of your appointment time is over, your appointment may be cancelled. Please arrive on time.

• Appointment Time: A typical appointment with your primary care provider is 20 minutes. Please bring up only one or two issues per visit. Please come prepared for your appointment with any questions, your updated medication list, and any other documents.

• Virtual or Telephone Appointments: At times, you may be scheduled for a virtual or telephone appointment. Please make sure your email address and telephone number are up to date.

Same-Day or Same-Week Appointments

We try our best to offer some same-day or same-week appointments for urgent, non-emergency health issues. Please speak with the receptionist if you feel your concern is urgent and our team will try our best to get you seen in a timely manner.

*If you have a serious health issue, such as severe chest, pelvis or abdominal pain, or a suspected stroke, please call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department.

Reminder Calls/Emails

We do not issue reminder calls. If we have your email on file, and you have consented to email communication, you will receive a reminder email 2 days prior to your appointment. If you forget your appointment time, please call us and we can confirm the date and time with you.

Conduct

We want to create a safe and respectful atmosphere for our staff and our patients. We have a mutual respect policy and we do not permit disrespectful behavior, abuse, aggression, intimidation, harassment, or violence of any kind. Immediate action will be taken when incidents occur.

Prescription Refills

Please ask your pharmacy to fax us a prescription renewal request at least 2 weeks before your prescription runs out. We need time to process these requests.

In some cases, your Primary Care Provider may want to book an appointment with you before renewing a medication.

Test Results

Our office will contact you if your Primary Care Provider needs to discuss a test result with you. If you have questions about a test result, you can request an appointment. You may be scheduled an appointment with a nurse to review results.

Forms & Requested Paperwork

Forms that are brought into the office may take up to 8 weeks to complete. Please fill out your portion of the form before bringing it into the office. You may be charged a fee for us to complete certain forms.

Confidentiality

We are committed to promoting privacy and protecting the confidentiality of the health information we hold about you. Unless you tell us not to, we may collect, use, and share your health information to communicate or consult with other health care providers within the circle of care.

There are circumstances where we require your written consent to disclose your health information, such as when you want us to share information with your insurance company, your employer, or a family member, unless they are your substitute decision maker. 

We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have about our privacy practices. If after contacting us you feel that your concerns have not been addressed to your satisfaction, you have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.  The Commissioner can be reached at 1-800-387-0073.

Request for Records

With limited exceptions, you have the right to access the health information we have about you. If you would like a copy of your health records, please ask the medical receptionists or your Primary Care Provider. You may be charged a fee to obtain your records or to have your records transferred to another healthcare facility.

We make every effort to ensure that all your information is recorded accurately. Please let us know if there is something that is incorrect. You have a right to ask for a correction to your record if you disagree with what is recorded.

Discharge of Registered Patients

The East End Family Health Team services patients who live in South Porcupine and surrounding communities. If you move away from our region, you may be de-registered from our practice.

You may also be de-registered from our practice if there are significant communication breakdowns that make it impossible to provide primary care, if you frequently miss appointments without appropriate cause or notice, if you attend other clinics for primary care, and if you engage in inappropriate or disrespectful behavior.

Comments & Feedback

We want to hear from you! The East End Family Health Team is committed to listening to patient and community member feedback and complaints and responding in a fair, timely and respectful manner. Complaints can provide us with insight into how we can improve our services.

To provide feedback or a complaint, please email: EEFHTComplaints@northern.on.ca. All feedback and complaints are reviewed by the Executive Director and the Senior Vice President of Cooperate Services. You can also call 705-235-6900 and ask to speak with the Executive Director.