It has been a long time since we’ve written an update letter to remind and encourage our patients in a few important matters.
APPOINTMENT AVAILABILITY:
Some of you have been disappointed and/or upset with our current decrease in appointment availability. We understand this is frustrating for you. There are a number of reasons why appointment availability fluctuates. One of the reasons is that doctors need to take time away from work. It is always a challenge when a doctor needs time off and it's never good timing for patients. In the past, we had many locum doctors who would come and provide coverage for doctors when they took time off. Unfortunately, it has been next to impossible to find locum coverage these last few years (and this is a province-wide issue). This means if any of our doctors take time away, it results in an appointment backlog for them as well as a temporary overload on fellow physicians. It also means they must continue to check their messages and results while trying to have a break from work.
The doctors are balancing many responsibilities and they try to attend to urgent messages on a timely basis. We realize this is difficult for anyone who is waiting for a phone call or message. We encourage you to call our clinic anytime if you don't hear back in the timeline you were expecting, and we will do our best to fit you in with another Provider if needed. All the Providers are able to access your results, with your consent, and can help facilitate the next step if it can't wait until your doctor returns.
Abuse of our doctors and staff is rare but increasing. Please be reminded that we have a ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY for abuse/harassment at Kneehill Medical Clinic.
FORMS:
Please be reminded that most forms are NOT COVERED by Alberta Health Care. Check your form and take note of who is responsible for payment. Unfortunately, most of the time this will be you.
Please expect to pay for forms when you bring them to your doctor. Fees depend on complexity and type of form. You can refer to our website for a list of these Uninsured Services and fees at: http://www.kneehillmedicalclinic.ca/for-patients/non-insured-services/. There is also a list posted in every exam room in our clinic.
PATIENT PORTALS:
Currently, we have the Pomelo portal that allows you to initiate a message to your family doctor if you have given us your email and consent to register. At the beginning of May, we will be switching to a different program called “AVA Industries” and we anticipate it will be more user-friendly with fewer technical issues. If you have not given us your email address to date, please consider doing so the next time you come in. Registration with our online portal allows for greater access to your family doctor, as well as online booking, appointment reminders, etc., and soon, any results/reports your physician wants to share with you.
Alberta Health & AHS also have portals you can sign up for MyHealth and MyConnect. My Connect is thru Connect Care and can be initiated the next time you visit an AHS site, such as our local hospital. Please note that KMC is not an AHS site. These portals give you direct access to your labs and diagnostic imaging results.
ONGOING RECRUITMENT & RETENTION:
As a rural clinic with 9 physicians and 1 nurse practitioner, we are in a far better position than many other communities around Alberta. Despite this, we continue to work with the Recruitment and Retention Committee, to maintain and expand the healthcare team that we have at Kneehill Medical Clinic. Retention of physicians is complicated and often more difficult in the rural setting. We would like to invite our community members to join us in making all physician families feel welcome and valued. A big thank you to the Recruitment and Retention Committee for all that they do in welcoming physicians and healthcare providers in our area.
In closing, THANK YOU for your patience and understanding as we strive to serve our clinic patients, service the local ER, and round on inpatients admitted to Acute Care and the nearby Long-Term Care units.
Many of our doctors are also involved in various committees, teaching and administrative duties. The support and kindness shown by so many of you over the years have not gone unnoticed, and we extend our deepest appreciation to all of you who value what we do.
Thank you,
Physicians and Management
Kneehill Medical Clinic
