When it's broken, tell someone

Recent news about fax transmissions going to the wrong number have sparked more internal reviews for private walk in clinics in Winnipeg.

Along with the Provincial After Hours Program and multi departments at the Health Sciences Center, Four Rivers Medical Clinic has been mistakingly sending faxes to someone's home number.

Apparantly this has been happening for years. If that is the case ... why did it take so long for someone to find out? When I dropped a glass I was taught to tell Mom right away.

At least something can be done now, Four Rivers Medical Clinic is taking the initiative and contucting a full review of their procedures, as well as adding a special speed dial and disclaimer on the bottom of their fax cover sheets indicating where to call and who to tell in case this happens again.

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Taken from CBC News:

Medical faxes misdirected to Winnipeg woman's home
Last Updated: Thursday, September 13, 2007 3:19 PM ET
CBC News (CBC.ca)

Personal medical information from several health facilities in Winnipeg have been faxed to someone who has nothing to do with the cases — and the problem continued even after provincial health officials were alerted, CBC News has learned.

Christina Sikorsky said that, for years, she has been receiving faxes destined for the Mount Carmel Clinic in Winnipeg, which has a fax number similar to Sikorsky's home number.

The faxes — which have been sent from doctor's offices, the Four Rivers Clinic on Broadway, two departments at the Health Sciences Centre and the province's own after-hours office — contain detailed, personal medical information about patients.

"[It's] human error," said Heidi Graham, a spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

"Somebody is typing in a fax number and they type in the wrong digit at the end. That happens lots of times, you know, probably when you make phone calls."

Sikorsky complained about the faxes to provincial Health Minister Theresa Oswald and received a letter in return.

"The inappropriate disclosure of personal health information is a matter of great concern," Oswald said in the letter, dated Aug. 1.

"Manitoba Health and Healthy Living is taking action to remind facilities and practitioners that they must ensure that personal health information transmitted by fax is securely transmitted."

However, the faxes kept coming — and when the CBC contacted the facilities that had been sending them in error, they said they had not been notified of the problem.

"It's very unfortunate that that error occurred. I'm real happy that it wasn't to the magnitude of, you know, stacks of medical files in a dumpster or something like that … but it's still serious," said John Stinson at the Four Rivers Medical Clinic.

"We've dealt with it quickly, and frankly, thanks to you guys, in some ways," he added.

Stinson said the number for Mount Carmel Clinic's fax machine is now in their speed-dial, and the clinic is taking other steps to help prevent the problem in the future.

Sikorsky said the kind of medical information she received shouldn't be faxed at all. However, the practice isn't likely to change.

"We need to ensure the system is working every day to ensure that privacy is being protected, while at the same time achieving that balance of being able to transmit information rapidly so the people can get the care that they need as quickly as possible," said Oswald.

People whose medical information was inadvertently transmitted to the wrong person might not know, as there is no law in place to ensure they are notified.

The province and the federal government are both reviewing their privacy policies to determine whether changes should be made.

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In the news - recently numerous medical clinics have been under pressure by media due to rumours about screening patients.

Can a physician screen their potential patients? By law they cannot. But they also have to think of their practice as a business, and as a business owner do they have the right?

The College of Physicians and Surgeons says "No - The college certainly wouldn't condone screening or rejecting patients".

Four Rivers Medical Clinic in Winnipeg have stepped up to the table and publicly announced they will review their internal procedures so that everyone has the same rights to access medical services.



Taken from Sun news:

Walk-in history bars patients from clinic
Provided by: Sun Media
Written by: SHANNON VANRAES
Sep. 9, 2007


Hippocratic hypocrites?
Cherry-picking doctors
At least one Winnipeg medical centre is reviewing its practices after patients were rejected for previously visiting its walk-in clinic.

An official at Four Rivers Medical Clinic says it will examine its procedures after patients at the Broadway location were rejected by a family physician because they had visited its walk-in clinic.

"It's disappointing to hear that, and we'll look into it," said Daren Jorgenson of the Jorgenson Group of Companies, which owns the medical centre.

DIFFICULT OR AGGRESSIVE

He said doctors are allowed to set their own policies but he believes the rejections were based on a misunderstanding by administrative staff.

Sun Media spoke with Four Rivers staff on Broadway on two separate occasions last month and was told some doctors don't want to deal with walk-in patients because they may be more difficult or aggressive.

Jorgenson said policies will be clarified with staff, but added the purpose of Four Rivers is to provide medical services in areas where there is a strong need.

"We operate clinics in the toughest neighbourhoods in Winnipeg," he said, adding it isn't always easy to encourage physicians to work in inner-city locations.

Some physicians practicing family medicine enjoy meeting different people.

"It appealed to me because of the wide variety of people and interaction with people," said Dr. Benjamin Wiesenthal, who has been in practice since 1983.

Wiesenthal said doctors tend to focus on specific areas depending on their "temperament," adding he no longer treats children, referring them to other doctors instead.

ALL TYPES REPRESENTED

Jorgenson said doctors may limit who they accept as patients to ensure all types of patients are represented and that they don't end up with only one age group or sex.

Tom Bailey, president of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, said doctors are trained to deal with all types of patients.

"The college certainly wouldn't condone screening or rejecting patients," he said.

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This issue will be updated as it develops, reader comments are welcome.

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Four Rivers Medical
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
www.FourRiversMedical.com - Contact Us
Walk in Clinic
Kids Klinic
After Hours Program
Rise and Shine Program

Changing the Way Manitoban's Access Healthcare

Extended Hours - Four Rivers Medical

Four Rivers Medical Clinic

Time for change and growth is the flavor of the season; with the kids going back to school and parents either taking a deep breath of relief or getting back into work again it will be a busy 4 months until Christmas.

Four Rivers After Hours clinic is ready to meet your busy schedule head on and offers walk in clinic services until 10PM 7 days a week.

Physicians Availble 7 Days a Week Until 10 pm at:
647 Broadway Winnipeg
884 Main Street Winnipeg
* No Appointment Required *

visit us online http://www.fourriversmedical.com

Health and Wellness for Canadians

Four Rivers Medical is Changing the Way Manitobans Access Healthcare

Broadway Clinic new hours of operation - now open weekdays from 7AM to 10PM

For more information see the Broadway Clinic page online at FourRiversMedical.com where you can also request an appointment online.


In the news Alberta has been cited taking steps towards identifying household and airborne toxins in the blood of some 30,000 patients in the Alberta Healthcare System. It is not designed to be a service to patients rather it is designed to help the province better understand what they have to deal with in terms of pollution and how it effects Albertans.

What does this mean for the taxpayers? And what about the clinical research data that will become available? It is a good step towards the cleaner air concept and there are some speculations that Manitoba will not be far behind this initiative.

What if you didn't want to wait for the province to do your own personal blood work to identify any toxins or poisons? Some might say we should have services like this available to the public; free of charge or at a nominal cost, to better understand our own state of health. Watch for comments on this topic in the near future.

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Article taken from the Calgary Sun:
Mon, April 16, 2007

Province launches toxins testing
UPDATED: 2007-04-16 15:25:28 MST


By TARINA WHITE, SUN MEDIA


Blood samples from 30,000 pregnant Alberta women are being analysed for toxins found everywhere from homes to industrial plants.

Alberta Health and Wellness is embarking on the $1-million initiative to gain a better understanding of the amount of toxins absorbed by residents, said spokesman Howard May.

“The subtle link between the health of the environment and the health of the people is an important area to understand and to monitor,” he said.

Existing blood samples taken from pregnant women at doctor’s offices are being used for the anonymous testing, he said.

“It’s not like we’re going out and asking 30,000 people to roll up their sleeves,” said May.

The project is the first of its kind in Alberta to test for exposure to toxins, such as herbicides, pesticides and heavy metals.

“In the past, it’s been done using questionnaires and that’s unreliable,” said May.


Myles Kitagawa, associate director of the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta, is cautioning the testing shouldn’t be allowed to distract from the larger issue of industrial pollution in the province’s roaring resource-based economy.“What I hope I don’t see is diverting concern about pollutants in our environment away from industrial concerns toward lifestyle concerns,” said Kitagawa.

The University of Calgary’s Centre for Toxicology is conducting the testing, along with experts at the University of Alberta.

The blood samples will be pooled into categories, such as age groups and regions, to highlight the impact of the chemicals on certain areas and populations within the province.

The results are expected in the fall.

The province is already taking some steps to reduce industrial pollutants and is also studying a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by pumping and storing carbon dioxide waste underground using a pipeline network.Premier Ed Stelmach’s government has also tabled legislation to force large-scale producers to cut the intensity of such emissions by 12 per cent starting July 1. Alberta produces almost 40% of Canada’s greenhouse gases.

— with files from CP
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Take Care,
Four Rivers Medical Clinic

Winnipeg Clinic - 4 locations
Walk in Clinic - Male and Female physicians

Clinics in Manitoba small towns

Manitobans and health - it's what many take for granted. In Winnipeg we have access to walk in clinics and speaking generally you can almost always get in to see a doctor. Each of our Winnipeg clinc locations are walk in clinics, we also take booked appointments. You can request an appointment online at www.FourRiversMedical.com anytime of day or night, our hours of operation are from 7 AM to 10 PM - check online for individual clinic hours.

What about the small towns that scatter our province, especially northern Manitoaba? We have heard stories of patients driving to Winnipeg all the way from Thompson just to see a doctor because there was a wait time of 2 weeks! We all have busy lives, hectic schedules and high expectations from our employers - the healthcare system should not fall behind so far that anyone has to wait more than a few hours to obtain access to a physician.

Do you live in a town that could use help with medical services or are you fed up with waiting for an appointment to see a doctor? Help us locate your community! Four Rivers Medical Clinic has been active in the Wininpeg communuty and is looking to expand into small and rural towns where medical services are either backed up, missing or are short staffed.


Take Care,
Four Rivers Medical Clinic

Each of our Winnipeg clinic and walk in clinic locations have physicians accepting new patients for families, kids and adults.

Broadway Clinic - Open 7 AM to 10 PM every weekday, weekends Open 10 AM till 6 PM
Mainstreet Clinic - Open 9 AM to 10 PM every weekday, weekends Open 10 AM till 10 PM
Westbrook Clinic - Open 9 AM to 6 PM every weekday, weekends closed

Lakewood Medical Announcement

Since joining our team in the New Year we have been planning for the expansion of Four Rivers Medical Clinic - Lakewood location.

The Lakewood facility has physicians accepting new patients and is adding more in July of 2007. Among the physicians looking for new patients are Family Practicioners and Rheumatologists.

Please visit the Lakewood Section of FourRiversMedical.com for more information on our programs and to request an appointment online with one of our physicians.


Lakewood Medical Centre

Address: 30 Lakewood Boulevard
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada R2J2M6

Phone: (204)257-3395

Changing the Way Manitobans Access Healthcare - Four Rivers Medical is working in your community to provide better access to healthcare, shorter wait times and accurate service to everyone.


Take Care,
-Four Rivers Medical Clinics

Happy St Patrick's Day

From all of us at Four Rivers Medical Clinic




Please celebrate responsibly, don't drink and drive.

Take Care,
-Four Rivers Medical Clinic

Manitoba Health Care

Mantobans are among the lucky provinces.

We live in one of few in Canada that have coverage from our local government when it comes to Doctor House Calls. As a Manitoban you can call a clinic that offers Doctor House Calls as part of their services and it will not cost you anything.

Of course during winter season and during the holidays you can expect that the line ups will be heaver than during the summer months.

Four Rivers Medical Clinic is proud to offer the Doctor House Calls program in Winnipeg. We are constanty looking for more participation from Doctors so the wait times are reduced. See the Doctor House Calls section of our website for more information.


Take Care
-Four Rivers Medical Clinic
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Medical Clinic Winnipeg - Doctors Wanted

Four Rivers Medical Clinic is looking for Physicians accepting new patients. Our four locations include:

Four Rivers Broadway; a beautifully renovated facility with parking and attached pharmacy.
Four Rivers Main Street; with extended hours open until 10 PM everyday.
Four Rivers Westbrook; location close to St James and Polo Park.
Four Rivers Lakewood; an associate clinic working with Four Rivers.

Our programs include Doctor House Calls - A service where doctors visit a patient in their home; most services are covered by Manitoba Health and patient incurrs no extra cost. Our House Calls program has been very successful and we are looking for more physicians to participate. Please see the Four Rivers Medical website for more information
Four Rivers Medical - Doctors Wanted.

Walk in Clinic Winnipeg - Even if you are from the surrounding area please visit any location for access to a physician.
Winnipeg Walk in Clinic - Between our four locations our clinics are open from 7 AM till 10 PM weekdays
Winnipeg Clinic - Serving the needs of our community
Manitoba Clinic - Watch for our remote telehealth program in the future.

Four Rivers Medical is committed to the Health and Wellness of Manitobans.


Take Care
-Four Rivers Medical Clinic, Winnipeg Manitoba.

Four Rivers Medical - Grand Opening

I would like to personally welcome Four Rivers Medical Clinic to the web; our clinic group has been working hard to provide outstanding service to Winnipeg and the surrounding area for the last 5 years.

Our goal is to provide Manitobans with better access to healthcare - this is achieved everyday through our amazing network of physicians and support staff. We strive to do better for you the patient, for our community and for the needs of Manitobans.

Four Rivers Medical Walk in Clinics in Winnipeg have enabled patients better access to care when they need it with flexible hours and both male and female physicians accepting new patients in all locations. Four Rivers Medical in Winnipeg has become a vital contributor to this diverse community's health and wellness.

For information about our clinics and some help finding out how to see a doctor (if you want to book an appointment or if you prefer to walk in) please visit our site www.FourRiversMedical.com where you can even request an appointment online.


Stay tuned! Updates about our clinics in Winnipeg as well as new developments in other areas related to the health and wellness of Manitobans is coming soon!


Take Care
-Four Rivers Medical Clinics