Dear patient,

First and foremost, we wish to thank you for the opportunity for entrusting your care and that of your family’s over the last several years.

We are writing to inform you that as of September 1st, 2021, Dr. Annemarie Allart, Dr. Louise Bourgault, Dr. Paula Tchen, Dr. Adnan Alrai, Dr. Meena Sharma and Dr. Milka Gostimirovic will be leaving the ByWard FHT to establish a practice in South Ottawa.  We have been mandated by the ministry to take on no less than 70% of our patient population from this underserved area.

In light of this requirement, we regret to inform you that we will be unable to invite Non-OHIP patients to join us at our new location.

 For assistance in locating another physician, RAMQ patients can go to the following websites:

• https://cisss-outaouais.gouv.qc.ca/language/en/accessing-a-service/care-and-services-in-the-community/find-a-doctor/.
• https://carnetsante.gouv.qc.ca/aide/services/vous-inscrire-GAMF

You may also wish to contact your local hospital to see whether any physicians on staff are accepting new patients. Lastly, some physicians, including those who are new to an area or who are beginning to establish a practice, will advertise that they are accepting new patients.  There are also several walk-in clinics and CLSCs in the Ottawa and Gatineau area that will be able to see you. Appletree medical Group, Clinique Medigo and Clinique Marleen Tasse are notable examples.

To send a copy of your medical records to another facility, via fax or mail prior to September 1, 2021, please contact ByWard FHT directly. Note that your written authorization is required to release your medical records and an administrative fee for this uninsured service will apply. A consent to release personal health information can be found on the ByWard FHT website at: https://bywardfht.ca/our-clinic/forms/ .  If a request is made after September 1, 2021, patients are to got to the Santé Alliance Health website at https://alliancehealthohc.ca.

For all questions or feedback related to this announcement, please go to the Santé Alliance Health website at https://alliancehealthohc.ca.

Many thanks for the years of trust that you have put in us to take care of you and your loved ones.

Best wishes

Note:

Due to limited capacity, the ByWard FHT will not be able to accommodate patients who wish to register with another provider at the ByWard FHT, with the exception of uOttawa and uStPaul students and staff. Students and staff may contact the ByWard FHT at 613-564-3950 and request that their name be put on waiting list to be registered to a new primary care provider. While ByWard FHT is doing what they can to accommodate patients, adding your name to the waitlist does not guarantee a primary care provider. Walk-In services will remain an option for uOttawa and uStPaul students and staff only.