As of December 1, 2017, The Medical Station has changed organizational structures and is now a Family Health Organization (FHO).
FHO stands for Family Health Organization – an initiative of the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.
IMPORTANT
The Medical Station wishes to notify its patients and the community that it no longer offers an open walk-in service to patients NOT under the direct care of one of our family physicians.
How to Access Care
To access our Urgent Care services, you must become a patient of one of our FHO physicians.
If you have any questions at all, please contact us.
How does an FHO work?
Your Family Health Organization (FHO) is a group of family physicians who work together giving your family best access to personalized care and quality services – with a focus on illness prevention.
FHOs provide care during regular and extended office hours and patients also have access to a nurse-staffed Telephone Health Advisory Service. (See After Hours Care)
For FHOs to be effective, enrolled patients must commit to receiving their primary health care Monday to Friday from their primary physician or, if she is not available, from another doctor in the FHO.
Additionally, as a patient of an FHO, you will have access to referrals to specialists and having your doctor informed of your care both in and out of the hospital.
What Does This Mean For Patients?
When you are a patient at the Medical Station, you may access:
- Ability to call for same day appointments based on availability
- Requests for us to advocate for you to get the tests and services you need
- Requests for us to make appropriate referrals on your behalf
- Telephone health advice 24/7 through the Telephone Health Advisory Service
- Extended hours on evenings and weekends
General FAQs
What is an FHO in Ontario?
A Family Health Organization (FHO) is an initiative of the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. An FHO is a group of family physicians who are working together to give you and your family better access to quality primary health care services.
Can I join your FHO?
Yes. The Medical Station is currently accepting new patients to be rostered to our FHO.
Can I go to another walk-in clinics if I am part of your FHO?
The preference is that you DO NOT go to another walk-in clinic outside The Medical Station.
If you belong to the The Medical Station FHO, your doctor will be billed by OHIP if you visit a different clinic.
Additionally, if you go to a different walk-in clinic, that clinic DOES NOT FORWARD YOUR RECORDS to the Medical Station, so our records of your health will not be complete.
The government compensates The Medical Station for remaining open extra hours and into the evening many times per week to ensure you have access to urgent medical care.
What services are not covered by OHIP for patients that are part of a FHO?
The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) pays for most of your medical visits to our office.
There are, however, uninsured services, which OHIP does NOT COVER, such as:
- prescription refills by phone
- medical forms for insurance
- legal or employment purposes
- photocopying, faxing and transferring medical records
While you can pay for these services on an as-needed basis, Family Physicians at The Medical Station offer an Annual Fee Plan as a more convenient and cost-effective way to manage these charges.
Please speak to a receptionist to enquire about this plan.
What is a same day appointment
Same day appointments are only available Monday through Friday.
A very limited number of these appointments are available on a first-come basis with your own doctor for appointments that are urgent and cannot wait for a regular booked appointment.
Examples of this include:
- urinary tract infections
- strep throat
- respiratory tract infections.
A physical cannot be booked as a same day appointment.
Can my child been seen in the clinic if they have a pediatrician?
Unfortunately, we are unable to see a patient that is under the primary care of a doctor in another clinic. Please call your pediatrician’s office for direction.
Urgent Care FAQs
What is Urgent Care?
Urgent care is when a patient requires immediate medical attention that cannot wait for a regular booked appointment.
What if I get sick outside of regular hours?
Our clinic will be open for after-hours urgent care. View Hours »
If you are sick outside of these hours you can call the Telephone Health Advisory Service (THAS) at 1-866-553-7205.
Emergency cases should always go to the Emergency Department of your local hospital.
Can I book a physical in the After-Hours Urgent Clinic?
No. These times are reserved for urgent cases that cannot wait for a regular appointment.
You should ALWAYS try to contact your family doctor to book an appointment before using our after-hours service.
If you are unable to get a same day appointment and need medical attention, you may use the after-hour service.
Can I come in to the After-Hours Urgent Care Clinic to get a renewal on my narcotic prescription?
No. You will need to see your regular physician during daytime hours for a renewal of any narcotics or controlled medications.
Will I be seeing own primary doctor in the After-Hours Urgent Care Clinic?
Booked regular appointments will always be seen by your family doctor, however our urgent care clinic is staffed by our own team of family doctors who rotate being on-call.