*IMPORTANT, please read: Centro Medical COVID19 Update for details.
We are presently working on telemedicine solutions (phone calls and video conferencing) to best serve our patient’s needs. In the event of full-scale facility closures throughout the city, medical clinics will still remain open, but the provision of services will look different than our normal operations. During this time, your specialist may have different hours than usual, and the clinic may have different operating hours as well.
We will move towards postponing any non-essential in-person visits to limit the movement of individuals around the city and decrease the spread of infection. Any essential visits will be accommodated to the best of our ability.
The situation continues to change. Our staff will do their best to inform you with as much as notice as possible if there are changes to your booked consultations, follow-up visits, or procedures (including all surgeries and colonoscopies). Please be aware that we are working closely with the local health authorities to ensure the health and safety of all our patients. Please check the BCCDC website for updated information.
Starting from the week of May 19, 2020, as British Columbia is entering Phase 2 of the restart plan, elective endoscopic and surgical procedures are starting to resume gradually. Our office is starting to contact patients on the waiting list for surgical procedures. A standardized set of screening questions will be asked to ensure that the patients are safe and eligible to proceed to their procedures. Hospitals will review operating-room capacity and the COVID situation to ensure that it is safe to continue to perform elective procedures. Please note that there will be frequent updates and changes in hospital schedules regarding resuming elective surgical procedures. We will endeavor to try to provide as much notice as possible regarding changes to the hospital schedule. Please do NOT call into the office unless you have an urgent message. Our surgical administrative staff are currently overwhelmed with scheduling changes and will call you once they find out more information regarding the status of your appointment, and/or procedure.
We will have some important changes to our clinic policy and booking procedures during the COVID19 pandemic. To minimize the volume of people in our clinic, we request that patients attend the visit on their own, except in cases where a companion is necessary for medical assistance or for translation. We ask that all other companions (spouses, friends, parents, etc) remain outside the clinic (in the car if possible, to reduce crowding and minimize social contact). Please be prepared that the staff may also request that you wait outside the office or inside the car in the event that our waiting room becomes too crowded. The staff will call you by phone when a clinic room is available for you.
Please continue to be mindful of strict social distancing measures to slow and limit the spread of infection. Practice meticulous hand hygiene and avoid touching your face.
Thank you for your patience during this time.
Updated: September 26, 2020