Meet the Queen's Family Health Team (QFHT) | Family Medicine | School of Medicine

As a patient of the Queen's Family Health Team (QFHT) academic clinic, our skilled interprofessional health-care team will deliver your care.

The Queen's Family Health Team is a collaboration of physicians, resident physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, a dietitian and a pharmacist, all working together to provide patient-centred care. Please see the list below for a summary of the roles that comprise our health team.

As part of our affiliation with Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College, we are an Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care-funded training site for students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dietetics, and clerical/administration. Together, we ensure our patients receive the care they need, and connect them with our health-care partners/agencies.

New programs and services are developed and introduced to address patient needs. Visit our Programs and Services page for more information. Patients may also be referred to programs offered through our collaboration with community partners.

For a list of Queen's Family Health Team family physicians and nurse practitioners, and reception contact information, click QFHT Physician Contact List.

Faculty Associate

Faculty associates are medical doctors who provide care for our patients and their families when our faculty family physicians are away. Like our full-time faculty, the QFHT's faculty associates supervise our resident family physicians and provide support in many other areas. Contributing greatly to the QFHT’s belief in the value of continuity of care, they play a critical and integral role within the Queen’s Department of Family Medicine

Family Physician (MD)

Family physicians are medical doctors who specialize in family medicine. They provide "cradle-to-grave" care for patients and their families. The QFHT's faculty family physicians supervise our resident family physicians in training. Residents are medical doctors who must complete two years of residency before they can become independent specialists in family medicine. Some residents choose to complete a third year of training in enhanced skills, such as anesthesia, palliative care or women's health.

QFHT Family Physician Contact List

For a list of Queen's Family Health Team family physicians and nurse practitioners, and reception contact information, click QFHT Physician Contact List.

Lactation Consultant

The QFHT's International board-certified lactation consultant is a registered nurse with additional specialized training and skills in infant feeding. As co-ordinator of the QFHT Lactation Support Program, her primary role is to provide education, hands-on assistance, and support to women and their families regarding infant feeding and nutrition options. She meets with patients before they deliver, and offers ongoing support after baby is born in person or over the phone.

Medical Records Clerk

Our medical records clerk helps to process incoming and outgoing records requests, such as:

Obtaining records from your previous physician
Preparing your chart for transfer if you are leaving our practice
Processing insurance and legal claims
Requesting reports from specialists

Common questions:

I need copies of my medical records to be sent to an insurance company, lawyer, or another physician. What do I do?

It depends. If the forms are being sent to a specialist as part of a referral, there is no charge. (Also, generally, this is organized by your doctor, so you don't need to make a request for this type of medical record transfer.) If it is being requested by a lawyer or an insurance company, generally we will bill any charges directly to them. If you are sending the records to another doctor and you haven't been referred by your doctor at the QFHT (e.g. if you are moving to a new practice), or if you are requesting the records for your own interest, there may be a charge and you will need to complete a consent form. Please see Third-Party/Uninsured Services or talk to your doctor. (As always, if you have concerns about the cost, please speak to your doctor.)

Can you email me my records?

Email makes us a little nervous because it’s not considered secure enough for sensitive patient data. As such, as a rule, we do not email patient medical records. That said, we understand there might be times when you have no other choice. If this is the case, please contact us and we will see what we can do to find a solution that will work for you and will keep your data secure.

Can you save my records on a USB stick for me?

Due to concerns about privacy and confidentiality, our computers are not able to take USB sticks. That said, sometimes we are able to work with CDs or USB sticks, but that must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and might take a bit longer. Please contact us to discuss.

How long does it take?

Again, this can depend on how busy we are and whether your physician would like to view your records before they are sent. Our official policy is that these requests can take up to 30 days, but we are generally able to get them out much faster. We can't, however, always guarantee that we can get them out immediately, so please give us adequate notice or contact us if there is an urgent issue; we'll try our best!

Please contact the clinic if you have other questions about any of these records requests.

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

A nurse practitioner is an experienced registered nurse with additional, graduate-level university education. Nurse practitioners work autonomously and collaborate with other members of the team as required.

Services our NPs can provide:

Diagnose health problems
Provide basic medical services such as annual physicals, preventative health, and common procedures
Prescribe and renew medications
Treat many common medical conditions such as infections, arthritis, insomnia, and anemia
Provide symptom management and supportive care measures
Interpret and communicate diagnostic test results
Refer to health-care team members, specialists and health services in the community
Manage the treatment of stable ongoing medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and pain

Receptionist

Our receptionists book, co-ordinate and provide all the information you need for your appointment with your family physician, nurse practitioner, or other team member.

Your receptionist can help you by:

Scheduling/changing/cancelling appointments
Triaging phone calls (nurse, physician, allied health professional)
Providing information regarding the After Hours Clinic (which physician is working/on call, booking appointments)
Providing information on where to get blood work done
Updating demographic information (address, phone number)
Providing information regarding well-baby checks
Obtaining a copy of immunization records
Connecting to other services within QFHT
Providing status of test results, referrals, consults, etc.

Referral Clerk

Sometimes, you and your health-care provider will decide that you should see another health-care provider. For example, your family doctor may feel you should see a cardiologist or another specialist, in which case your provider will make a referral to another provider, typically in the form of a letter.

Our specialized referral clerks deal with all referrals. Their job is to make sure the information your provider thinks is important makes it to the right place in a timely fashion. They are also responsible for knowing what each specialist or other provider requires and what the process is for getting you an appointment (including wait times). After we have sent off your information, the team within the specialist’s or other provider’s office will review your information and then contact you to make an appointment. Please note that wait times for specialist appointments may be quite long (weeks or months). After your appointment, the specialist or other provider will typically provide you with instructions (e.g., new medication or a request for another appointment) and will provide us with a summary of the visit so we can follow up as well.

Who will contact me about my appointment?

It depends. Some specialists like to call patients on their own and others will notify us of your appointment and we will contact you. If you’re not sure, please contact our office.

I have questions about my referral.

We can help! If you have questions about the status of the referral or how long the wait will be, please feel free to contact your doctor’s office and ask to speak to someone about the referral. Please note that wait times for specialist appointments may be quite long (weeks or months). The nurse or referral clerk in your area will be happy to answer these questions. If you have questions about why you were referred, your health condition, or what will happen at the appointment, please contact our office and we will try to arrange for you to speak to your physician, resident physician, or nurse practitioner.

My doctor sent in my referral a long time ago but I haven’t heard anything yet.

Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a long time to be seen by a specialist or even to get an appointment. Providers across Ontario are working to get better at that, but in the meantime, this can be frustrating for you. If you haven’t heard from anyone in a long time, please contact us and we will look into it as best we can. Also, please make sure that we have the most up-to-date contact information; we can’t contact you with information about your appointment unless we have correct contact phone numbers.

If something in your health changes or gets worse while you are waiting to see a specialist or other provider, please contact us immediately.

If you find out about my referral, will you leave a message for me at home?

As a general rule, we do not leave messages about your referral appointment with anyone but you, which means we typically do not leave phone messages or give messages to family members. The only exception would be if you had specifically asked us (or given permission for us) to leave messages.

I visited the emergency department recently and they referred me to a specialist, but I haven’t heard anything. Can I still call you?

Of course! It might take a little bit of time, but we will do our best to get you the information you need.

Do you have any specialists at the QFHT?

Yes! We have partnerships with some external providers who see QFHT patients at our clinic. Examples include our psychiatry and asthma education programs. We also have a variety of “in-house” providers and programs, including a minor procedure clinic and others; see our Programs and Services page. It is possible that the provider to whom you have been referred will be a QFHT faculty/staff member. For the most part, the process works the same way for these providers, so you are welcome to contact the referral clerk or nurse if you have questions about these appointments.

Registered Dietitian (RD)

At your appointment, our dietitian, Allison, will:

Review your health and eating pattern
Review your medications and vitamin/mineral supplements
Review and explain any related blood work results
Provide information about your eating pattern, appropriate use of supplements, and how to manage your chronic disease or life stage with nutrition-healthy behaviours
Work with you to set nutrition- and healthy behaviour-related goals to help you achieve your best health

To arrange an appointment with Allison, please speak to your doctor, resident physician, nurse or social worker at your next appointment or contact our office.

Registered Pharmacist (RPh)

A registered pharmacist is an expert on medications who can help you understand how to properly use prescription drugs. Our pharmacist also overseas and co-ordinates the INR clinic for anti-coagulation management.

Services our pharmacist provides:

Answers questions about your medication
Helps obtain an accurate medical history
Monitors and manages side effects of drugs, adverse reactions, and medication treatmentsReviews, monitors, and helps manage medication treatments of individuals on multiple medications to ensure safe and effective use
Reviews medication orders for accuracy and provides recommendations for dosing adjustments

Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered Practical Nurse (RPN)

A registered nurse assists with health assessments and examinations, helps with procedures, promotes preventative health, and provides ongoing care, health education and support in managing your symptoms. RNs help monitor patients with more complex chronic conditions. They also coordinate care with community services and provide advice in managing symptoms and supportive care. Some RNs are involved in direct programming. They can help you with your INRs if you are taking medication to prevent blood clots, assess your 0-18-month-old child, or support you and your newborn with breastfeeding.

A registered practical nurse assists with health assessments, examinations and procedures, and provides ongoing care, health education and support in managing your health. Our RPNs provide care to patients whose ongoing health conditions are well controlled.

Services our RNs and RPNs can provide:

• Blood pressure monitoring, glucometer readings, ear syringing, vital signs
• ECGs, hearing and vision testing
• Testing for pregnancy, rapid strep and urine
• Immunizations, flu, allergy and other prescribed shots
• Staple/suture removal, wound care, dressing changes
• Stool cards for occult blood testing, drawing blood for testing
• Test results
• Entry and update to patient records with medications and allergies
• Education to help you manage diabetes, hypertension and other ongoing medical conditions
• Telephone support or in-person triage, follow-up as needed

Resident Physician

Resident physicians are medical doctors who must complete two years of residency before they become independent specialists in family medicine. Working with the latest medical information and technologies under the direction and supervision of our family doctors, our resident physicians bring enthusiasm and fresh perspective to patient care.

How does the residency program work?

To ensure consistency for our patients and our residents, we assign our patients to two specific residents each year. Over the course of each year, you have three doctors overseeing your care – your family doctor and your two resident physicians. We believe it’s important that our patients have an opportunity to get to know the residents who will be looking after them for the year so, whenever possible, you will be booked for appointments with “your” resident.

Will I ever see my family doctor? Will he or she always know what is going on with my health?

Absolutely. Usually, you will see your resident physician, but we do try to ensure that you see your family doctor on a regular basis. If you haven’t seen your doctor in a while, please mention this to the receptionist, who will try to book you in with your doctor on your next appointment.

Even when your appointment is with your resident physician, your family doctor is always “with” you. Residents always work under the supervision of one of our faculty physicians. In fact, the faculty physician is often in the next room, available for consultation with both the resident and the patient, or is “observing” the appointment via live-stream.

What is live-stream observation?

To ensure we are offering the best care to you and your family, your doctor will sometimes observe your resident’s conversation with you in your clinic room through a process of live streaming. The live-stream device is focused on the consultation desk only (never a physical exam), and there is no recording.

Queen’s Family Health Team faculty members are the only individuals who can view your conversation with your resident via the password-protected live stream.

There are three reasons we observe our residents: 1) the quality of the care we provide you is very important to us; 2) through live streaming, your physician is kept well informed of your care and needs; and 3) observing residents’ interactions with you enables us to provide valuable feedback to them after your appointment.

You have the right to opt out of this live-stream process. If you wish to do so, please let your doctor or resident physician know, and feel free to ask us any questions you may have.

How long is each residency program? What do the residents do when they’re not here?

In order to prepare them for a practice in family medicine, our residents are exposed to many experiences during their two-year residency program. Each July, we welcome approximately 50 first-year family medicine residents from across Canada and throughout the world. During their first year, residents spend 24 weeks in our clinic. They are assigned a group of patients whom they follow during their time with us. When not in clinic, first-year residents are allocated to a rotation in a variety of specialties including obstetrics, orthopedics, pediatrics, internal medicine and emergency medicine, etc.

Second-year residents continue their rotations at different family medicine clinical settings throughout southeastern Ontario.

Social Worker

Social work is a diverse profession that focuses on improving health and well-being, and promotes the rights and dignity of all individuals and the achievement of social justice.

Services our social workers provide:

Time-limited, supportive counselling for anxiety, depression or other mental-health issues
CBT-based groups
Short-term illness and adjustment therapy
Service navigation assistance
End-of-life issues and grief counselling
Advocacy for patients’ rights and access to services
Help for caregivers