March 2022 – CKM News Update
Dr. Ali still has 2nd year UBC medical students working with her for the month of March. We are excited to help educate the next generation of physicians and appreciate your support with their education! If you prefer not to see or speak to the medical student (for virtual appointments), let us know and we will flag that for your visit.
Appointment Updates:
BC Family Doctors has released a summary of the expectations between patients and his or her family physician (see here–link to PDF). Please review this and try to adhere to these tenets. Dr. Ali recognizes that health concerns don’t always fit within her days of work and some issues can’t wait. Please use 811 for urgent, reliable advice, and if you need an urgent appointment but there are no appointments available, please call or email since we make every effort to squeeze in extra appointments if necessary.
Patients who routinely use alternative care providers (walk-ins, virtual health care services) may be discharged from her practice.
With Omicron settling down, we are noticing more patients preferring in person appointments. Please note, the waiting room is still closed (to keep our staff as safe as possible) so please be patient in your vehicle if there is a backlog of patients.
Keep in mind that in person appointments take more staff time to screen patients and sanitize rooms. Dr. Ali is still limited by how much time for each appointment so please advise her of ALL the things you would like to discuss or review during your appointment and she will help prioritize what to do during that visit and perhaps make a follow up appointment to review your other concerns.
Reports and Fees:
If you are requesting any insurance, employer or personal forms to be filled out by Dr. Ali, please note that MSP usually does not cover the cost of these forms. For these requests, the fee charged is as recommended by Doctors of BC. If you are unsure about these fees, you can send us the form and we will confirm the cost prior to your appointment. All fees for forms or notes must be paid before they will released.
Phone Calls:
We recognize that it is frustrating to call the clinic and not be able to speak to someone directly. Because Dr. Ali is a solo practitioner, staffing is limited. However, we review phone messages and emails in a timely manner so please feel free to use those modalities as well. Keep in mind, messages are reviewed during clinic open hours and for a few hours on non-clinic open times.
Holiday Hours Update:
March 14th – 27th – Spring Break
April 18th – Easter Monday
We will be closed/have reduced hours during the above days, please ensure all prescription refills are requested prior to these dates.
Parking/ Road Updates:
Thank you for your patience during the protests that hindered access to our clinic. At this time, the protest has been cleared and access to 4th avenue has resumed. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or email us and we will advise the best way to get here.
CKG Updates:
What we have all been waiting for: our Catalyst Kinetics multi-disciplinary clinic is starting to open up their practices next door! We are excited to welcome Julie Nellis, RMT who will be starting February 25th. Book her here!
Julie graduated with honors from the registered massage therapy program at Vancouver Career College in 2021. After years of working as an administrative assistant in multidisciplinary clinics, she made the decision to pursue her passion for health care. In doing so, she has acquired skills to promote healing, reduce pain and stress and optimize movement. She accomplishes this through the use of various techniques. Her priority is to help patients reach their goals and always provide safe and effective treatments.
In her spare time, Julie loves spending times outdoors– hiking, paddle boarding or sitting on the patio of a brewery. She is also passionate about travel. Originally from Quebec, she started her adventures with a 3 month humanitarian mission in Lesotho, Africa. She proceeded with backpacking through New Zealand and Fiji where she found her love of scuba diving. She lived 5 years in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish, French and English.