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| Meet the Queen's Family Health Team
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. Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) and Registered Nurse (RN) 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. 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. Services our RPNs and RNs 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 A nurse practitioner is an experienced registered nurse with additional university education. Services our NPs can provide: • Diagnose health problems • Provide basic medical services such as annual physicals, preventative health and common procedures • Prescribe and renew certain medications • Treat many common medical conditions such as infections, arthritis, insomnia and anemia • Provide symptom management and supportive care measures • Read and interpret 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
For more information about nurse practitioners, visit www.npnow.ca
Registered Dietitian (RD) Our dietitian can answer your questions about: • Food, nutrition and physical activity for a healthy lifestyle • Treating a chronic condition such as diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure • Planning a healthy pregnancy • Feeding a toddler • Weight management • Becoming a vegetarian or addressing any nutritional concerns
A registered pharmacist is an expert on medications who can help you understand how to properly use prescription drugs. Our pharmacist also overseas and coordinates 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 treatments • Reviews, 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
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: • Education/resource counselling regarding financial, disability and medication/drug programs • Assistance with changing health-related behaviour (e.g. smoking cessation) • Short-term illness and adjustment therapy • Trauma therapy • Counselling for anxiety, depression or other mental health issues • Assistance with anger and stress management • Relationship counselling • End-of-life issues and grief counselling • Cognitive assessments • Advocacy for patients’ rights or access to services • Help for caregivers
Our receptionists book, coordinate and provide any necessary information for the appointments with your family physician, nurse practitioner and other team members you need to see. Questions you might want to ask a receptionist: • Have my test results come in yet? • Am I due for my annual exam? • When are my child’s next immunizations due? • Are my vaccines up to date? • Where can I go to get my blood work done? • Can I update my new address and phone number with you? • Are my insurance forms ready?
Our referral clerks research and relay information to health care team members, and work behind the scenes to ensure that you get the earliest possible appointment with a specialist based on the urgency of your condition. They can also locate the proper services in community clinics and for out-of-town referrals. They will notify you in a timely manner via a telephone call or a letter once an appointment from a specialist’s office or clinic has been received. They make sure that you and the specialist have all the required information, and inform you of any tests needed prior to the scheduled appointment.
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