Client Handbook

• Health exams, diagnoses, treatments & referrals
• Lung health exams
• Chronic Disease Management & Education
• Diabetes Wellness: Prediabetes, Gestational, Type 1 & 2 Diabetes
• Hepatitis C Treatment, Prevention & Education
• Eating Disorder Treatment
• Occupational Therapy Classes & Falls Prevention
• Dietitians-Nutritional Counselling and Education
• Chiropody
• Community Calendar
• Community Connections
• Black Health Coordinated Supports Program

• Addictions Education & Outreach
• Addiction Recovery Program
• Eating Disorder Therapy
• General Counseling
• Walk-in Counseling
• AMANI
• Education & Support
• Community Calendar
• Community Connections

Simply call or visit your weCHC location and ask to schedule an appointment with your provider. Need an appointment with your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner? Book online!

As a weCHC client, you can access same-day or urgent appointments at our Downtown, Sandwich, Leamington, and Teen Health locations. To schedule an appointment, call your weCHC location.

Walk-in counseling appointments are available at our Downtown and Sandwich locations. Call your weCHC location for more information or to book a same-day appointment.

If you need to cancel or change your appointment, we ask that you let us know at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment time.

For Appointments with Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, and Dietitians: If you do not show up for your appointment or cancel without enough notice two times or more you will only be allowed to book same-day appointments.

For Addiction Support and Mental Health Counselling: Any missed or canceled sessions with less than 24 hours notice will count toward your total number of sessions with your provider. If this happens more than three times, you will be removed from the program, which may mean going back on the waitlist.

If you are running late for your appointment, please call your weCHC location as soon as you can and let us know. The time you are late will be taken away from your appointment time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment will need to be rescheduled or you will have to wait until a provider can see you.

Virtual appointments are available. Ask your healthcare team if these are right for you. You will need a device with a camera and a microphone so we can see and hear you, as well as a quiet place with privacy. Please let us know before your appointment if someone else will be joining you. During your appointment, you may be discussing very personal information with your providers, we will do the best we can to protect your privacy, but we cannot guarantee the same privacy as an in-person appointment.

Virtual Appointments are NOT a Good Fit For:

• Emergencies: Please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital if you are having a medical emergency.

• Health concerns needing a hands-on assessment: if your provider requires a hands-on assessment, you will need to book an in-person appointment.

You can book appointments with your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner online! Click here to get started.

We want to make sure that you get your medication on time and do not have to go without it. If you are running low on your medication, please ask your pharmacy at least 7 days before you need more. This gives your doctor or Nurse Practitioner enough time to review and approve the refill. Do not wait until you have run out of your medication to call the pharmacy.

Certain medications, like narcotics, are used to treat a variety of health conditions, but they may pose some risks. If you are prescribed this medication by your provider, you will be asked to sign a contract. This contract sets rules for using this medication.

Every individual has the right to:

• To be treated with courtesy and respect in a manner that fully recognizes their dignity and individuality.
• To privacy and confidentiality in all matters.
• To know who is responsible for their care and who is providing their treatment.
• To be informed of their medical condition, treatment, and proposed course of treatment.
• To participate in making any decision and in obtaining other opinions in any aspect of their care.
• To give or refuse consent to treatment, including medications, and to be informed of the consequences of giving or refusing consent.
• To have a designate in place to receive information concerning their care.
• To have access to the information retained in their file, except when it is reasonable to believe that such access would result in a substantial risk to the physical, mental, or emotional health of the client or harm a third party.
• To be aware of the procedures for initiating a complaint.
• To a safe and secure service environment. Standards, certifications, inspections, procedures, and best practices are in place and monitored regularly.
• To reasonable accommodation (for persons with special needs or disabilities) in accordance with the law.
• To decline to see a student healthcare professional, whether under the supervision of a healthcare professional or not.

Every individual has the responsibility to:

• To treat others with consideration, courtesy, and respect. Swearing, yelling, and use of profanity will not be tolerated.
• To participate with all caregivers in their treatment, rehabilitation, and care planning.
• To be responsible for all personal property and valuables while at the Centre.
• To respect the weCHC’s property and its contents and to remember that we are a smoke-free, vape-free, and scent-free office.
• To abide by the Centre’s rules and regulations, policies and procedures.
• To follow your healthcare provider’s recommended treatment plan as best as you can, and to inform your provider if unable for any reason.
• To give relevant health information to staff and ask questions to assist them in providing appropriate care.
• To inform staff when your personal information has changed.
• To respect the time of staff and other clients by:
  • Being on time for appointments
  • Calling the Centre with at least 24 notice when unable to keep an appointment,
  • Calling back to reschedule if an appointment was missed,
  • Discuss alternate options to care with your health care provider and/or clinical manager if more than 3 missed appointments simultaneously occur.
• To accept responsibility for the decisions you make about your care.
• To help us prevent the spread of infection by wearing a mask and disinfecting hands, if you are feeling unwell.
• To review the patient handbook and talk to your provider if you have questions.
• To refrain from taking pictures, videos, and/or recording your visit during your time at the Centre, this includes during programs, appointments, and when in the waiting room.

“Demographic” means information collected about a group of people that helps to describe them.

• We want to learn about our clients and their unique needs
• This information helps us shape client experience and outcomes
• This information includes: language, racial group, disability, sexual orientation, gender, income, length of time in Canada

Why are you asking me these questions?

So we can provide excellent care and remain aware of discrimination and correct any issues that may arise.

Is it legal to ask these questions?

Yes, Ontario Human Rights Commission encourages organizations to collect and use demographic information to keep track of outcomes and promote equity. Ontario’s Excellent Care for All Act, 2010 is a law that holds hospitals responsible for delivering quality health care. This law has healthcare organizations collect information from patients and clients about their experiences.

How will you use this information?

We want to learn more about our clients’ demographics and their health outcomes. We will use information to develop programs and offer service training. Members of your healthcare team may offer supports and services including interpretation services, health information, treatment or care options, and accommodations

Who can see my demographic information?

• This information will be visible only to your healthcare team and protected like all your other health information.
• If used in research, the information from all patients and clients will be combined, and researchers will not be able to identify who any of the patients and clients are.

I’m only here for a quick appointment. How is this relevant to my care?

This information will help us plan care not only for your future visits but for other patients and clients who may have similar needs as yours.

What if there are questions that I don’t want to answer?

You can answer “prefer not to answer” to any or all questions. This will not impact the care you receive.