Academic Family Health Team

Clinical Manager and Program Coordinator

​The Clinical Manager and Program Coordinator (Assistant Manager) work together with the Unit Medical Directors at each clinic to ensure that excellent service and patient care are delivered. They are responsible for planning, managing, and evaluating the delivery of care and all related aspects. In order to provide excellent service, patient feedback is important.

 From time to time the Clinical Manager or Program Coordinator may talk with patients who are here for their appointment and ask them about their experience at our clinic. They also review the Patient Comment Cards (available in each waiting room) that patients complete and work with the Family Health Team’s Community Advisory Board to ensure patient needs are met and incorporate patient feedback into our clinic operations. 

Diabetes Education Program

Our Diabetes Education Program consists of a Registered Nurse and a Registered Dietitian in each clinic who work together to provide education and counselling to patients who are living with diabetes, who have pre-diabetes, or who have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

Pharmacist

Our clinic pharmacist dispenses information, not medication.  She does not fill prescriptions. Our pharmacist can answer questions like:

• What is the best time to take my medication?
• Will my medicines interact with each other?
• It is hard for me to pay for my medication, what are my alternatives?
• What about non-prescription drugs or natural medicines?
• Can I use my drug insurance?
• I want to quit smoking, where can I get help?

To make an appointment with our pharmacist, please call our reception desk. No referral is needed.

Shared mental health care team

The shared mental health care team is made up of psychiatrists, two social workers, an advanced practice nurse, a registered nurse, and an administrative coordinator. The team works with your family doctor and other members of the AFHT to help patients ages 16 years and older with mental health problems.

Social workers

Our social workers provide psycho-social assessments and support to patients of both the Riverside and Civic Family Health Teams. There is a part-time social worker at the Riverside campus and a full-time social worker at the Civic campus. They provide services to youth over 12 years of age, individuals, couples, and families.  

Registered dietitians

Our dietitians provide individual and family nutrition counselling to help patients make informed choices about the food they eat and translate nutritional information into realistic advice.

Nursing team

Our nurse practitioners (NP), registered nurses (RN) and registered practical nurses (RPN) provide care for patients in primary care settings. Their role partners with, and compliments that of the family physician, and other members of the health care team. The nursing team follows patients and families through all stages of growth and development, through wellness and illness.

Nurse practitioners

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with advanced university education who provides personalized, quality health care to patients. Nurse practitioners at the AFHT are licensed and regulated by the College of Nurses of Ontario and are able to see patients of the clinic who reside in Ontario only. Seeing a nurse practitioner at the clinic is a great option especially if there is a longer waiting time to see your family physician.

NPs independently, and in collaboration with health care professionals, provide health care services for all ages and across the health spectrum (e.g., primary care, acute care and long-term care). At The Ottawa Hospital Family Health Team NPs can help to:

• Complete a comprehensive health history and assessment.
• Make a diagnosis, taking a differential diagnosis into consideration.
• Prescribe all medications including controlled drugs and substances.
• Manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
• Order and interpret all laboratory tests.
• Order some diagnostic imaging tests including ultrasound, CT scans, and MRIs.  

(NPAO, 2020)

Nurse educator

The nurse educator does not see patients directly.  She acts as a trainer and educator to the teams at both clinics and provides current, evidence-based clinical information to our staff, which supports excellence in practice.

Reception

Our friendly and knowledgeable reception staff can respond to your questions and help you with your concerns. The receptionist book all clinic appointments, check patients in when they arrive for their visit, and call patients to remind them of their appointments.

Here’s what our receptionists can do for you:

• Confirm that we have your correct address, contact information, health card number and emergency contact in our records.
• Provide you with information about the clinic and other members of our healthcare team.  They can also book you an appointment with any of our healthcare providers!
• Make sure you have the correct forms you need.
• Book tests or appointments with specialists that your family physician recommends for you.

Administrative assistants

Administrative assistants provide administrative support to various roles and functions within the clinic including the physicians, postgraduate program, Diabetes Education Program, Shared Mental Health Care Program, Program Managers, and Unit Directors at each clinic.

Family Health Organization (FHO) administrator

The staff family physicians at our clinic practice together in a group as a Family Health Organization. The role of this administrator is to provide administrative support to the FHO and to correspond with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care on their behalf.

Health records clerks

This position is responsible for maintaining patient charts. The health records clerk retrieves paper charts for providers when needed, and scans patient information into our electronic health record so that patients’ electronic charts are complete.

Mail and supply administrator

This position is responsible for processing all incoming mail to the clinic, and ordering/stocking clinic supplies.

System coordinators

The systems coordinators, including billing and prevention administration, provide computer support to each clinic, particularly with regards to our electronic health records.  They are also responsible for patient billing information and processing. 

Family physicians

All our patients have a family doctor, otherwise known as a family physician, at the clinic. Our family physicians work as a team with other healthcare providers to give patients the best possible care. Family physicians provide clinical leadership to the healthcare team and oversee all care, including direct supervision when residents are seeing patients.

Physician assistants

In our clinic, we also have a physician assistant (PA) whom you may see during your appointment. A PA is an academically prepared and highly skilled healthcare professional who can provide a broad range of medical services to you. PAs are physician extenders and not independent practitioners. The PA’s scope of practice is determined on an individual basis and formally outlined in a practice contract or agreement between the supervising physician(s), the PA and the facility where the PA will work. Activities may include conducting patient interviews, histories and physical examinations; performing selected diagnostic and therapeutic interventions or procedures, and counselling patients on preventive health care.

For more information, please visit: the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants.