PAT I E N T H A N D O U T
PSYCHIATRIC URGENT CARE PROGRAM
Continuum of Care for the Mentally Ill
RATIONALE
We believe that in our community, there is, unfortunately, too
little access to psychiatric services. We believe that even limited
access to psychiatric services can improve the mental health of
individuals significantly. We believe that by offering consumers
the opportunity for a psychiatric evaluation we can enhance their
mental health significantly. We believe we can do this for a large
number of consumers by offering psychiatric services using a
non-traditional model of care.
SPECIFICS OF OUR CLINIC
1. We strongly encourage all consumers to be informed consumers about
their mental health issues. We believe that the larger a consumer’s knowledge
base about their diagnosis and treatment options, the more likely successful
treatment will occur.
2. To this end, you will be given a copy of any dictated consultation/
evaluation report that we complete which will outline what we believe to be
your psychiatric diagnosis(es) and the recommended treatment options
and alternative treatments available to you. Our expectation is that you
review this information carefully so that you do become a better and more
informed consumer.
3. Everyone referred to the MDA Psychiatric Clinic will have an individual
assessment with one of the consulting psychiatrists. This assessment will
be conducted over 45 minutes. The assessment will focus on obtaining a history
of your symptoms (mental and physical changes) with a purpose of trying to
make a psychiatric diagnosis. The assessment will also focus on past successful
and unsuccessful treatments you have received, particularly if the diagnosis is
already quite clear.
4. After the assessment a report or consultation will be dictated and you and
your referring doctor (usually your family physician) will receive a copy of this
report.
Ronald A. Remick, MD, FRCP(C)*
[email protected]
604.682.2344, ext. 62121
Chris Gorman, MD, FRCP(C)
[email protected]
604.873.0103
Judy Allen, MD, FRCP(C)
[email protected]
604.873.0103
Birgitta Donahue, MD, FRCP(C)
[email protected]
604.873.0103
David Heilbrunn, MD, FRCP(C)
[email protected]
604.873.0103
Philip Brost, BSc, MD, FRCP(C)
[email protected]
604.873.0103
Prema Laban, MD, FRCP(C) FF
(Psych) SA
[email protected]
604.873.0103
*Medical Director
MOOD DISORDERS ASSOCIATION
OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
1450-605 Robson Street,
Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3
PH: 604.873.0103 FX: 604.873.3095
[email protected]
www.mdabc.ne t
PAT I E N T H A N D O U T
PSYCHIATRIC URGENT CARE PROGRAM
Continuum of Care for the Mentally Ill
5. After you have received our report if you wish to pursue some of our
recommended treatment options, you may do so by working either with your
family doctor or using us in our clinic. We do not offer individual follow up
visits in our program. Anyone who wishes follow-up and ongoing care will be
seen at a group medical visits taking place every Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday. We encourage you to reserve a spot in the group by booking online at
www.mdabc.net or calling the clinic the morning of the day you wish to attend. We
allow a maximum of 10 in the group if there are two doctors, and 8 if there is one.
By reserving , you will be ensured of a spot and not be excluded if you just show up
and the group is full.
Clinic Group Medical Visit
Sessions
Tuesdays
1:30PM — 2:45PM
Drs. Brost and Donahue
4PM — 5PM
Dr. Gorman
Wednesdays
6. This group approach is different from a traditional model where you see the
treating psychiatrist by yourself every week, month, quarterly, etc. We believe
this group model (which is being used increasingly by other doctors to treat people
with other chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) will allow
us the opportunity to treat far more people in our limited time. We also believe this
type of group treatment will be as effective, if not more effective, than when one is
seen only as an individual. To learn more about group medical visits please go to
our website and view a short video demonstration and readings by Dr. Remick.
11AM — 12PM
7. In our group meetings we would ask you to bring your assessment report to the
group and discuss or question us about what to do. We believe that as in all
branches of medicine, there are standard and systemic treatment guidelines
for most illnesses and psychiatric illnesses are no different. By asking your
questions and receiving instructions in a group setting, we hope to educate not only
the consumer asking the question in the group, but we will try to use each person’s
individual treatment to educate all in the group about how to treat a mood disorder,
looking for common themes and responding to what are typically commonly asked
questions by all.
Thursdays
8. We also believe that brief email communications between you and your
doctor can ensure that your treatment is progressing successfully. You are
encouraged to use email (make sure you have a copy of our patient guidelines for
email communications which is page 3 of this hand out with MDA psychiatrists) to
answer your questions and to insure you are following the recommendations
suggested.
9. If, of course, this approach is not working for you, we will be happy to
reassess you individually to insure you get the best care possible.
Dr. Gorman
1:30PM — 2:30PM
Drs. Gorman and Allen
3:00PM — 4:15PM
Dr. Brost
11AM — 12PM
Drs. Allen and Laban
1:00PM — 2:15PM
Drs. Brost
3:00PM — 4:15PM
Drs. Brost
Mood Disorders Association Psychiatric Urgent Care Program
Medical Director:
Dr. Ronald A. Remick
Tel: 604-682-2344 ext 62121
Fax: 604-263-9334
email: [email protected]
Medical Consultants: 604-873-0103
Dr. Chris P. Gorman
[email protected]
Dr. Judy Allen
[email protected]
Dr. Birgitta Donahue
[email protected]
Dr. Philip Brost
[email protected]
Dr. Prema Laban
[email protected]
Dear Patients,
RE: Doctor-Patient Email Communications
Electronic communication (email, instant messaging, social networks, etc) is the increasing societal norm, but
rare and unusual in physician-patient communications. As we attempt to address this gap by offering email
communications between you and ourselves (and hopefully your family physician), it is important to set out
some guidelines that will make us more accessible to you but also insure you make what will be additional work
for us as easy as possible.
Please review these guidelines carefully before any future email correspondences with us. Following
these guidelines will insure you get the best care possible and will make it easier for us to assist you.
1. Identify yourself clearly. We suggest that you sign your full name and note the date and place (e.g. MDA,
St. Paul’s, etc) where you saw us as all of us work and see patients at several different locales. Many email
addresses do not have your full name and we may have more than one patient named Bob or Mary!
2. Ensure confidentiality. We have ensured that we are the only ones with access to our specific email
addresses. We will be communicating to the email address you provide us information concerning your
personal and confidential medical information. It is your responsibility to ensure that the information stays with
you (or, of course, with whomever you wish to share it). Your family physician may be part of our possible
three way correspondences if they choose (A choice we encourage as this will result in far better continuity of
care).
3. All email correspondences must be a response to previous emails. By emailing us in this way we have
the chain of our previous communications with easy access. We are not always at our home based computer
where we save and store prior emails, and this way we have the information readily available to help you (e.g.
what we suggested two weeks ago, the pharmacy phone number you gave us three months ago when you now
have emailed requesting a medication refill, etc.).
4. Help us treat your symptoms.
a. Always refer back to our initial dictated report first if you have questions. This may avoid an unnecessary
communication, saving us all time.
b. Typically, in the first several paragraphs of our dictated report we describe the symptoms of your illness
(e.g. depressed mood, insomnia, low energy, etc). Resolution of those symptoms is our goal. An email telling
us you “are no better” does not help us help you. Rather, a statement describing which symptoms are
improved, which are worse and which symptoms are unchanged is of great value in tailoring treatment for you.
c. Describe the medication and doses you are taking in detail (Not ‘the white sleepers aren’t working,’ but
rather, ‘for the last five days I have taken zopiclone 3.75mg at bed in addition to three months of citalopram
40mg in the morning.’
5. Emailing is not for emergency problems!
We will attempt to respond to your emails in a timely manner (typically within 24 hours during workdays). If you
have a medical emergency it is best to phone 911 and/or proceed to your nearest emergency room.
1450 – 605 Robson Street Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3
P 604.873.0103 • F 604.873.3095 • [email protected] • www.mdabc.net