The Clinic & Our Team of Health Professionals
What is a Family Health Team (FHT)?
Family Health Teams are health care organizations that include a team of family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, dietitians, and other professionals who work together to provide health care for their community. Family Health Teams provide more service and a wide range of health options, especially for people who don’t have a doctor.
Family Health Teams ensure that people receive the care they need in their communities, as each team is set-up based on local health and community needs. They focus on chronic disease management, disease prevention and health promotion, and work with other health care organizations, such as public health units and Community Care Access Centres.
Since April 2005, 170 teams have been created across the province. It is expected that the 170 teams will improve access to health care for more than 2.7 million Ontarians. In August 2010 the government announced 30 more teams bringing the total number of Family Health Teams in Ontario to 200.
What kind of services and programs are available to me at this clinic?
Our team provides a variety of primary care programs and services that are focused on health prevention and educating and helping people manage their chronic conditions. Please visit PROGRAMS AND SERVICES for more information.
Our team also provides a series of workshops run by our social workers, dietitians, nurses, and Diabetes Education Program. Please visit our CALENDAR for an up-to-date list of our past and upcoming in-house and community outreach events.
What are your office hours?
Our office is open seven days a week - Monday through Friday our office is open from 8:00am to 8:00pm and Saturday and Sunday our office is open from 8:30am to 12:00pm. The office is closed on statutory holidays.
Where is your clinic located?
Our clinic is located at 1 York Gate Blvd., Suite 136A and Suite 211 on the North West corner of Jane and Finch in York Gate Mall. We have two offices within the mall. Our main office is located on the first floor of York Gate Mall beside IDA Pharmacy - here, you will find our physicians and some of our nursing staff. Our second office is located on the second floor of York Gate Mall beside Optical Value - here, you will find our Nurse Practitioners, Social Workers, Dietitians, and Diabetes Education Program.
For our full clinic mailing address including a map, telephone number, and fax number, please visit our CONTACT page.
I currently do not have a family doctor - are you guys accepting new patients?
Unfortunately, all of our physicians currently have very full rosters and are unable to take on new patients. To assist you in this regard, we recommend you contact HealthCare Connect by going to the following website:
https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ms/healthcareconnect/pro/
The above website is setup to assist Ontarians in finding a doctor who is taking on new patients in an area close to where you live.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
Please bring your health card (OHIP), a list of your current medications, and the name of your previous family doctor to your first appointment in our office.
I'm currently a patient at the clinic and would like to register my family as well, can I do that?
This is sometimes possible. Please call our office at 416-745-4555 to schedule an appointment with your family doctor for your family member(s). Please advise the receptionist of how many people you are booking an appointment for so that she can allocate enough time for each patient the doctor will be seeing.
My family doctor is unavailable - what do I do?
The Jane Finch Family Health Team is a very busy clinic and it could be possible that your family doctor is completely booked for a same day or next day appointment. Because we function as a team, if your doctor is unavailable for when you need to be seen, then another member of our team will be able to assist you. You may either book an appointment with one of our Nurse Practitioners or attend our After Hours Walk-In Clinic that evening. However, if it is an emergency, then please go to your nearest Emergency Room Hospital or call 911.
What is a Nurse Practitioner (NP)? Can an NP refer me to specialists, prescribe medications, send me for diagnostic tests, and complete my school/work forms?
Nurse Practitioners (NP) are nurses with advanced university education who works both independently and in collaboration with other health professionals to provide patients with quality health care services. NPs can diagnose illness and injuries, perform physical check-ups, order and interpret diagnostic tests, provide counseling and education, provide treatment, order procedures, refer patients to other health care professionals and specialists, prescribe some medications, and order blood products and oxygen.
NPs can fill out some forms, but not all. Patients are advised to call ahead to inquire whether or not their forms can be completed by an NP.
Please call 416-745-4555, extension 6 for additional inquiries regarding how our NPs can best serve you.
What is a Social Worker? How can they help me?
Social workers are concerned with helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. They aim to help people develop their skills and their ability to use their own resources and those of the community to resolve problems. Social workers are concerned with individual and personal problems, but are also concerned with broader social issues such as poverty, unemployment and domestic violence.
Our social workers hold workshops that focus on cognitive based therapy methods. For more information about these workshops, please visit our CALENDAR.
What is a Dietitian? How can they help me?
Dietitians have a university degree in foods and nutrition from an accredited university program and hundreds of hours of supervised, hands-on training. Our dietitians work with you to help you feel your best and would not just hand you a diet or a list of foods not to eat and send you on your way. The nutritional advice you will receive from our dietitians will be tailored to you and your family's needs.
Phone System and Appointments
What are your phone hours?
Our phones turn on at 9:00am everyday and turn off at 5:00pm on weekdays and 12:00pm on weekends. The phones are also turned off from 12:00pm - 1:00pm on weekdays.
How do I book an appointment?
To book an appointment with a member of our team, call 416-745-4555 and listen to the following options.
What is advanced access?
Our office offers patients the ability to book an appointment with their family physician or other members of the team either the day before or the same day the patient needs to be seen. For instance, if you need to medical attention, our office does it's best to accommodate you within 24 hours of your call. If your family physician is not available either the same day of your call or the next day, then patients have the option of booking an appointment with one of our highly skilled Nurse Practitioners or attending our next After Hours Walk-In Clinic. For a full schedule of our After Hours Clinic, please visit our CALENDAR.
Please note that some appointments are able to be booked in advance: yearly physical check-ups, diabetes check-ups, well-baby check-ups, and prenatal visits. If you need to schedule one of these appointments with your family physician, then you may call ahead to book an appointment.
We believe that implementing the advanced access booking method best serves our patients medical needs in a timely and efficient manner.
What kind of appointments can I book ahead of time?
Yearly physical check-ups, diabetes check-ups, well-baby check-ups, and prenatal visits are all appointments that can be booked ahead of time.
What do I need to bring to my appointment?
You are required to bring your health card (OHIP) to every single one of your visits, regardless of which health professional you will be seeing. If you are a refugee claimant, then you are required to bring your Interim Federal Health (IFH) papers to every single one of your visits, regardless of which health professional you will be seeing. You will be asked for your health card or IFH papers by the receptionist at the time of your arrival for your appointment. The receptionist will also ask for your address and phone number to ensure that we have the most up to date information about you in the event that we need to contact you regarding test results or for any other medically related matter.
If your health card is lost, stolen, or damaged, please contact the Service Ontario INFOline at 1-866-532-3161. You are required by law to notify the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care if you change your address. Please contact your local OHIP office or Service Ontario sites. Please refer to the ministry website www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/publications/ohip/address.aspx for more options.
Please note that it is your responsibility as a patient to produce your health card or IFH papers at every single one of your visits and to keep the office informed of any changes to your address and/or phone number or contact information.
I want to see a social worker/dietitian/pharmacist. Do I need a referral to see them?
Yes. If you have never seen one of our social workers, dietitians, or pharmacists and you would like to see them, then simply ask your family doctor for a referral. The receptionist will make an appointment with them for you before you leave our office.
I need to speak with an NP, social worker, or dietitian - how do I get a hold of your upstairs office?
If you would like to speak with a member of our team in our upstairs office (NP, social worker, dietitian, Diabetes Education Program), then please call 416-745-4555 and press 6.
I was referred to a specialist - how do I get information regarding my specialist appointment?
If you were referred to a specialist, our office will arrange an appointment for you. After seeing your doctor, you will be given a referral that you then give to the receptionist before leaving the office. Our office will fax the referral to your specialist and you will be required to call our office within 7 days to receive information regarding your appointment time and date. When you call our office, please call our mainline at 416-745-4555 and press 7. Failure to contact our office regarding your specialist appointment could result in missed appointments. It is your responsibility to call within 7 days to receive your appointment.
For a complete list of specialists to whom we commonly refer, please visit our PATIENT RESOURCES page.
I am unable to attend my specialist appointment - how can I cancel or reschedule my appointment with them?
If you are unable to attend your specialist appointment, are unhappy with your scheduled date and time, or missed your appointment with the specialist and would like to reschedule, then you may call the specialist's office directly to either cancel or reschedule your appointment. Again, as a patient, it is your responsibility to keep track of all of your appointments.
My health card (OHIP) is expired. What do I do?
If your health card is expired on the date of your visit, there will be a $40.00 fee for your visit. If you renew your OHIP on that same day, then you may return to our office with your new OHIP information to receive a full refund. Similarly, if you do not have valid health coverage, the standard fee of $40.00 will also apply.
When your health card expires, you need to renew it at Service Ontario. Please bring your new health card to your next appointment for the receptionist to update our information in our medical records. The nearest Service Ontario location to our office is
Unit 51, 1170 Sheppard Avenue West
Toronto ON M3K 2A3
General Inquiry: (416) 781-1398
Health Card Inquiry: 1-888-376-5197
Test Results, Forms, and Prescription Renewals
After-Hours Clinic
How long does it take for my test results to come back?
It depends on the type of test that was ordered and where the test was completed.
Blood Work ~ 1-10 days
Urine Tests ~ 1-7 days
X-Rays/Ultrasounds ~ 2-5 days
Pap Smears ~ 4-6 weeks
Mammograms ~ 2-7 days
CT/MRI's ~ 7-14 days
Specialist Consults ~ 1-14 days
Will your office notify me when my results come back?
Our office will only contact patients with abnormal test results. If you have not heard from our office within a few weeks of completing the test, then your test results likely came back normal.
At the Jane Finch FHT, we make every effort to contact you regarding your abnormal test results via telephone or mail, which is why it is so important to inform our office of any changes to your address and/or phone number.
I need a doctor's note for school and/or work. Do I need an appointment for that? Is there a fee?
Yes. If you require a doctor's note for school and/or work, then you require an appointment to be seen. There is an associated fee for all notes and forms that is to be determined by your family doctor. Please contact your doctor's receptionist for information regarding fees for doctor's notes.
I have forms that need to be filled out by my family doctor. Do I need an appointment?
Yes, an appointment is required for form completion.
Is there a charge for the completion of my forms?
Yes, there is a charge for the completion of forms. Fees for forms vary so it is best to contact our office to determine the cost of your form completion to avoid any surprises.
Can a Nurse Practitioner fill out my forms?
Nurse Practitioners can fill out most forms, but there are some that they may not be able to complete. If you have a specific form to be completed and would like it to be completed by a Nurse Practitioner, then it is advised that you contact our office ahead of time to inquire if they are able to do so.
How will I know when my forms are completed?
Our office will contact you when your forms are completed. If you have any questions regarding your forms, please call our office mainline at 416-745-4555 and press 5.
I ran out of my prescription medications - how do I get my prescription renewed?
If you are running low or have run out of your regular prescription medications, then please have your pharmacy fax over a refill request to our office at 416-401-4491. Our office will typically respond to pharmacy requests within 48 hours upon receipt.
I lost my child's immunization record - can I get a new one from the office?
Yes - if you have lost your child's immunization record you may contact your doctor's office to receive a new one. It may take up to two weeks to complete and there is a fee of $10.00 for a new yellow immunization record. Our office will contact you when your child's immunization record is ready for pick-up.
What is the After-Hours Clinic?
If you are unable to make an appointment or are unable to see your family doctor or nurse practitioner during our regular business hours and need to be seen, then you may come to our After Hours Clinic. The After Hours Clinic is held on the first floor of our office in York Gate Mall from 5:00pm - 8:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and from 8:30am -12:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. No appointments are necessary for the After Hours Clinic, as patients are seen on a first come, first serve basis. For this reason, patients are encouraged to arrive to the clinic early. Registration for the After-Hours Clinic begins at approximately 4:20pm. While there is no set rule or number of patients to be seen during the after-hours clinic , the physician or NP working sets that number randomly on that particular day, as some nights are busier than others and it may not be possible to accommodate everybody who walks in. It should be noted that every other Monday, the clinic is held at Dr. Sax's office. Please call them at: 416-249-3180 from 10AM to 5 PM for details on how their After-Hours Clinic is run. Please visit our CALENDAR to see which member of our team will be working the After Hours Clinic.
Please note that the After Hours Clinic is only available to patients currently registered in our practice. If you do not have a family doctor at our office, then you cannot use our After Hours Clinic.
What time does the After-Hours Clinic start? What time does the After-Hours Clinic close?
Registration for the After Hours Clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays begins at approximately 4:20pm. The receptionist will announce registration around 4:20pm so please have your health card ready for her to swipe. Patients will begin being seen at 5:00pm. Registration for the After Hours Clinic on Saturdays and Sundays begins at 8:30am. Patients will begin being seen at 9:00am and the clinic closes at 12:00pm.
Some patients drop by to pick-up pre-arranged forms or to drop off samples. These patients are encouraged to do so prior to 7:00pm.
I want to come to the After-Hours Clinic. What time should I be there?
Because there are no appointments for the After Hours Clinic and patients are seen on a first come, first serve basis, patients are encouraged to arrive early for registration. Registration for our After-Hours Clinic begins at approximately 4:20pm from Mondays through Thursdays and 8:30am on Saturdays and Sundays.
Can I drop off my health card or call during the day to put my name on a list to be seen first at the After-Hours Clinic?
No. In an effort to be fair to all of our patients, we do not accept health cards or calls during the day for patients wishing to come to the After Hours Clinic. There is no list to put your name on - if you want to be seen in the walk-in clinic, you must come in during the After Hours Clinic.
How do I find out which doctor is working the After-Hours Clinic?
To find out which health doctor of nurse practitioner is working the After Hours Clinic on the evening you are interested in, please visit our CALENDAR.