As you may have already seen, we are shifting away from a #VirtualFirst approach and reopening all of our clinics to allow more access for patients to book virtual AND in-person appointments themselves.
We have made some adjustments in order to keep our clinic capacity at a safe number that still allows for physical distancing where possible. We will continue to maintain safety protocols including regular disinfection of all of our clinics. Please also continue to wear a mask when attending any in-person appointment at our clinics. We are working to balance the need for in-person medical care with the need to keep everyone safe as part of our new normal.
We have answered some common questions and outlined some of the changes we are implementing below. We ask that you review the below carefully before booking or emailing in to ask questions about our reopening plans.
Will I be able to use the online booking pages to book in-person appointments?
In general, yes, but there are some physician specific nuances. Please refer to your own physician’s booking page for more information on booking appointments.
Are you still screening patients for Covid-19 symptoms?
Yes, we will still be screening all patients when they arrive at a clinic for in-person appointments.
If you answer yes to any of our screening questions AND your appointment can be postponed (as explained here), you may be asked to leave and reschedule your appointment.
We are also asking that all patients self-screen prior to their in-person appointments.
Can I be seen for an in-person appointment if I have symptoms of Covid-19?
For infection control purposes, patients who screen positive on our Covid-19 self-screening questionnaire should avoid visiting the clinic in person until infection symptoms have resolved. Patients who have screened positive can book virtual appointments as usual, but in-person appointments are available only under exceptional circumstances.
How do/Can I schedule X type of appointment?
Please refer to your own physician’s booking page for specifics on how to schedule each type of appointment. We have taken great care to include instructions for broad types of appointments.
If you do not see your concern listed, it can likely be booked as an “any other reason” appointment.
Can more than one caregiver attend appointments?
As mentioned above, we will be running all of our clinics at a reduced capacity.
In light of this, we continue to ask that patients limit the number of accompanying caregivers to one person. Please be sure to self-screen both individuals who will be attending the appointment for Covid-19 (there will be a link in the appointment confirmation email to do so).
In-person urgent care clinics are returning!
Our in-person urgent care clinics are returning! The clinics will now be rotating through all 3 locations (Riverside, Midtown and Beaches) so please keep this in mind when booking and double check your appointment location before coming to the clinic.
They will be offered by APPOINTMENT ONLY (no walk-ins), in the evenings Monday through Thursday and Saturday mornings.
Will my physician be penalized if I use a walk-in clinic (virtual or in-person)?
Yes, the government has resumed penalizing physicians when their patients seek health care outside of Magenta Health. For example, visits to walk-in clinics (in-person and virtual), or seeing another family physician.
We understand, of course, that there are sometimes exceptional circumstances where you will need to visit a walk-in clinic for an urgent concern but please consider this a gentle reminder that, in general, we ask patients to not use walk-in clinics (virtual or in-person). In fact, we offer urgent care appointment options within the clinic for all patients so they don’t have to go elsewhere.
Please note this does not apply to seeing a specialist or accessing the emergency department virtually or in-person.
My doctor asked me to come for an in person appointment. Why can’t we do this over phone or video instead?
Please see this page.
I have moved out of Toronto. Can I keep seeing my Magenta Health physician?
Please see this page.
What will happen if Ontario (and/or Toronto) goes back into a lockdown?
We will continue to monitor the situation with Covid-19 and will make any necessary adjustments to scheduling and our clinic practices to ensure the safety of patients, staff and the community.
We will inform all patients should there be any changes.
If you have questions after reading through this blog post, please feel free to contact us.