Monday, April 16, 2007

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

Thursday, April 12, 2007

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