September 2020

As of September 3, 2020 there have been 42,686 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, of which 38,625 cases are resolved. To-date, there have been 164 lab-confirmed cases in Brantford Brant, of which 154 cases are resolved.

The D-wing COVID Assessment Centre is open 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., 7 days a week.  For more information, please their website

Our family practice is open and continues to operate every day. However, in an effort to further protect our patients and staff, we are still limiting some non-essential appointments (such as routine physicals) and encouraging Virtual Visits (phone or video) when possible. We’re also experiencing a higher demand with reduced staff due to COVID-19.

To protect other patients and our staff we ask that you please CALL before coming in and we will provide direction from there. We also encourage you: 1) to come in wearing a mask, 2) to wait for your appointment time outside or in the car, and 3) not to bring additional family members unless their presence is required.

If you have new concerning symptoms such as sudden chest pain, weakness in one side of the face or body, sudden overwhelming headache, serious difficulty breathing, severe/prolonged abdominal pain, mental health emergencies or sudden-onset confusion – these conditions need urgent attention, regardless of the pandemic, so we strongly encourage you to go to the Brantford General Hospital or Willet Urgent Care (see page below for more information) to be assessed.

Return to School During COVID-19

The Ontario government has recommendations in place for a return to school. Please be advised that schools are not able to request a note or proof of a negative COVID test. These kinds of requests are not consistent with the Ministry of Health guidance, which notes: “Medical notes or proof of negative tests should not be required for staff or students to return to school.”

Face coverings & masks

It is required that you wear a face mask indoors or outside in enclosed common areas when you are not able to social distance.  The mask must cover your nose, mouth, and chin without gaps.

Mask exemptions

Please read below before calling to request a mask exemption note. There are very few conditions that justify an exemption from wearing a face mask for reasons of prevention. In Ontario, these are:

• Children under the age of 2;
• Anyone who has trouble breathing; and
• Anyone who is unconscious incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON COVID‑19

Please check out this new resource on COVID-19 written by Canadian physicians – covidquestions.ca

I have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever & new/worsening cough), what should I do? 

1. Complete a self-assessment at https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus to determine if a clinical assessment is necessary

2. If the tool results indicate clinical assessment is necessary please call our reception, who will connect you with your MD or NP or determine the next steps. Please call first, do not visit in person.

3. If you are unable or unsure if you need to see a family physician, call the BCHS COVID-19 hotline at 519-751-5818 to determine if you need an assessment. You can also call Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000

If you require urgent care and are in distress, call 911 or visit the Emergency Department immediately.

Doctors and Nurse Practitioners available via Virtual Care (Telephone & Video Appointments)

Our health care providers are now available to care for you via our virtual care service which offers telephone and video appointments from the comfort of your home or office. Virtual Care services are covered by OHIP for patients with a valid card. To learn more visit OTN Ontario here.

Some of the conditions that can be assessed via phone or video are acid reflux, allergy symptoms or asthma, birth control, diabetes, skin issues, gout, review of recent lab results or tests, prescription renewal, or referrals.

To schedule your telephone or video appointment please call our front staff 519-304-8550

How to protect yourself

To help prevent the spread of all types of respiratory illnesses, including influenza:

• wash your hands often with soap and water;
• avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; if you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm;
• avoid touching your face, eyes, and mouth to prevent illness;
• clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces; and,
• get the flu shot, if you haven’t already done so
• You may need to increase interpersonal distancing (e.g. not shaking hands)
• Avoid eating from self-serve buffet-style eating at gatherings and do not share food or drinks
• Contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 if first symptoms of respiratory infection to discuss next steps on management.
• For more information on COVID-19 visit Ontario Ministry of Health website 

Learn more about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

• For accurate and current information about COVID-19 please visit www.ontario.ca/coronavirus.
• Brant Health Unit www.bchu.org
• Hamilton Public Health  www.hamilton.ca/public-health

After Hours FHO Clinic

Our After Hours Walk-in Clinic is now at the following address – 217 Terrace Hill Street, Unit 124, Brantford – directly across Brantford General Hospital

Clinic’s website: www.brantfho.ca

Clinic Hours: Monday to Friday: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm,  Saturday and Sundays (excluding holidays): 10:00a m to 1:00 pm

Pre-registration starts 30 minutes before the official clinic start time. The clinic reserves the right to close registration early based on patient load. Parking is available behind the Terrace Hill building. Cost is $5.00 for patients, free if you fill your prescription at the pharmacy next door.

Notice to patients:

Please try to refrain from using other walk-in clinics (Willett Urgent Care excepted). Walk-in clinics in Brantford and Hamilton do NOT have access to any of your health information, nor do they send us reports of your visit. Keeping all your medical information in one location will enable us to provide better health care for you and your family.

Patient services at Charing Cross Medical

• Youth counseling

– We are offering Free Walk-in Counselling for children, youth 12-18 and their families every Tuesday from 10 am to 6 pm. This is offered through collaboration with Woodview Counselling services (www.woodview.ca). This is free and confidential service provided by trained male and female counselors at our office. For more information or to book an appointment please contact our office by phone or email.

• Joint Injections Clinic

  – Treatment of painful joints due to arthritis, tendonitis and bursitis with cortisone, viscosupplementation injections and platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) therapy.  These are quick and safe procedures that help manage joint pain and stiffness, especially knee, shoulder or hip pain due to arthritis.  Email injectionsclinic@gmail.com for more details. New patients need to be referred by their family doctor (see below referral page) to be seen for a consult and/or injection.

• Skin Clinic

  –  screening for skin cancer; moles, benign lesions and skin tags removal; biopsy of changing or suspicious for cancer moles. New patients need to be referred by their family doctor. Referral form here

• Diabetic Clinic

  – this clinic includes a comprehensive review of diabetes and a healthy lifestyle with diabetic nurses and dietitians for patients in our practice.

• Women’s Health Clinic

  – PAP smears for patients with no family doctor; insertion of IUD devices for contraception or control of painful & heavy periods

• Blood pressure and blood sugar checks

  – our pharmacy now offers free BP and blood sugars checks.

~ Please ask for further details at the reception or via email: reception@charingcrossmedical.com

Referrals from family doctors to Women’s Health, Skin and Joint Injection clinics

We now accept referrals from physicians to our clinics, without penalty for family doctor’s billing. All visits by appointments. Please fax referrals with patient’s information, MD billing number and reason for referral to (519) 304-8554 or email: reception@charingcrossmedical.com

• Women’s Health Clinic (IUD insertions, PAP/well-woman exams, birth control counseling, STI treatment and immunizations). Patients without a family doctor can be self-referred. Referral form is here Referral form

• Joint Injection Clinic (consult, exam and major joints and bursas cortisone injections; viscosupplements injections to shoulder, knee and hip joints; platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) therapy) 

          Please use Referral form  when faxing any referrals and always    provide referring MD information & billing number

• Skin Clinic (acne, rosacea and vein laser treatment; moles, benign lesions and skin tags removal; biopsy of dysplastic moles or changing skin lesions)

• Botox Clinic (Migraines, hyperhidrosis treatment with Botox injections; Botox is covered by most of private insurance)

Ways to get medical care after hours:

After Hours Walk-in Clinic is available daily for rostered patients at 217 Terrace Hill Street, Unit 124 – across  Brantford General Hospital. Website: www.brantfho.ca
• Monday – Friday 5pm – 8pm,
• Saturday and Sunday 10am – 1pm.

For minor health concerns after hours please call Telehealth Ontario to speak with a Registered Nurse – 24 Hours a day, 7 days a week.
1-866-797-0000

For minor emergencies, please go to Willett Urgent care in Paris
238 Grand River St. North, Paris, ON N3L 2N7
Phone: 519-442-2251~

For mental health concerns or crisis, please call St. Leonard’s 24 Hour Crisis Line:
519-759-7188 or 1-866-811-7188

*NOTE TO ROSTERED PATIENTS:
Please AVOID using other walk-in clinics, including college or university-affiliated health clinics. Your physician will be penalized by the Ministry of Health. In addition, we don’t receive any information or records on the care provided in walk-in clinics. Keeping all your medical information in one location will enable us to provide better health care for you and your family.