Meet Your Health Team

Registered Dietitians- What do they do?

Registered dietitians are specially trained to provide medical nutrition therapy to promote health, prevent illness and manage many of the common conditions we see in family practice. 

What are some reasons I might be referred to one?

Common reasons to see a registered dietitian include:

• Diabetes Management 
• Digestive issues
• Eating disorders
• Food allergies
• Heart Health (Cholesterol, Blood Pressure Management) 
• Obesity management
• Pediatric nutrition
• Pregnancy/Prenatal nutrition

How do I get an appointment, and what can I expect?

Our dietitians offer a variety of workshops open to everyone. You can sign up for these online here.

For individual appointments, please speak with your healthcare team about being referred to your Registered Dietitian.  Your doctor or healthcare provider must be affiliated with the Hamilton Family Health Team. To find out if your provider is in the Hamilton Family Health Team, search their name here. Don’t have a family doctor or primary care provider? Find more info here.

Your individual virtual or in-person appointment will take place at your doctor’s office, or at one of our 4 hubs in the Hamilton area.

 Your dietitian will meet with you to understand your current eating patterns, help you understand your health and nutrition status and set individualized goals to improve your health outcomes.  You can prepare for your visit by keeping a food diary for 2-3 days and bringing a list of vitamin supplements.  

MAiD Community Outreach- What do they do?

Our MAiD (Medical assistance in dying) Community Outreach team is staffed by nurses available to help physicians and healthcare teams respond to requests and inquiries about MAiD from patients living in the greater Hamilton area. We also speak to patients directly.

Who can receive MAiD?

An individual can receive MAiD if they are a person who:

• Has a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability;
• Is at least 18 years of age and has an Ontario health card;
• Has made a request for assisted dying that was not made as a result of pressure from others;
• Has given informed consent to receive assisted dying after having been informed of all of options available to relieve their suffering, including palliative care, and
• Has requested assisted dying at the time they wish to receive it.

What are the paths to MAiD?

In Ontario, there are two paths to MAiD. Track One is for individuals with a “reasonably foreseeable natural death”. Track Two is for individuals who do not have a “reasonably foreseeable natural death”. 

Title	Summary	Last Modified	Tags	Link	hf:doc_tags
HFHT MAID FAQs Track 1 2023	…	8 November 2024		Download/Link Preview
HFHT MAID FAQs TRACK 2 2023	…	8 November 2024		Download/Link Preview

For more information or to reach the MAiD Community Outreach Team, please contact maid.inquiries@hamiltonfht.ca or leave a message at 905-667-4848 ext. 340. 

We will make every effort to return messages left Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. within the same business day. Messages left outside of regular business hours, on weekends or over holidays will be returned on the next regular business day.

If you have urgent questions about Medical Assistance in Dying, MAiD information is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Ontario MAiD Care Coordination Service information line at 1-866-286-4023.

How do I get an appointment, and what can I expect?

Your doctor can refer you for an appointment with Our MAiD Community Outreach team, or anyone can contact us directly.

Mental Health Counsellors- What do they do?

Counsellors are able to see patients with a wide range of mental health-related problems. They can work with individuals (children, teens, adults and seniors), couples and families.

What are some reasons I might be referred to one?

Common reasons to see a counsellor include:

• Depression
• Stress or anxiety
• Family problems
• Divorce/separation
• Drug or alcohol problems
• Bereavement/loss
• Work-related problems

How do I get an appointment, and what can I expect?

Our mental health counsellors run some public mental health groups, you can sign up for these online here.

For our referral-required groups, or mental health counsellor 1:1 appointments, you must be referred by your doctor or healthcare provider, and they must be in our network. To find out if your doctor is in the Hamilton Family Health Team network, search their name here. Don’t have a family doctor? Find more info here.

Your mental health group or 1:1 appointment could take place at our central hub, at 123 James St. N., in Hamilton, or at one of our 4 hubs in the Hamilton area, or even at your family doctor’s practice.

Resources:

Unsure? Need some resources while you wait for your group or appointment? Check out these resources hand-picked by our Mental Health Counsellor Leaders

Nurses – RPN’s and RN’s

The main difference between RNs (Registered Nurses) and RPNs (Registered Practical Nurses) is foundational education. While RNs and RPNs study from the same body of nursing knowledge, RNs study for a longer period of time, allowing for a greater depth and breadth of foundational knowledge. Nursing practice is a broad profession constantly expanding its scope of practice. In the near future, RNs will be permitted to prescribe medication and communicate diagnoses for the purpose of prescribing medication for certain non-complex conditions.

Here are some key components of their scope of practice:

• Patient-Focused, Culturally Competent Care
• Patient Assessment
• Prescribing certain Medications (RN’s only, after completing a CNO approved prescribing education program)
• Procedures and Interventions using medical directives
• Patient Education
• Collaboration with Healthcare Team
• Medical Documentation
• Follow-up Care
• Patient Advocacy

Nurse Practitioners

The Extended Class is for RNs who have additional education and clinical experience that allows them to practice as Nurse Practitioners. The College offers three specialty certificates in the Extended Class: Adult, Paediatrics and Primary Health Care.

Only nurses in the Extended Class can call themselves Nurse Practitioners and work independently with physicians.

Here are some key components of their scope of practice:

Patient Advocacy

Patient-Focused, Culturally Competent Care

Patient Assessment

Ordering and Interpreting Investigations

Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

Prescribing Medications

Procedures and Interventions

Patient Education

Collaboration with Healthcare Team

Medical Documentation

Follow-up Care

Palliative Coach

The HFHT’s Palliative Coach provides coaching and support to patients and families during palliative care. Our Palliative Coach is a Registered Nurse who delivers the highest standard of compassionate care to those experiencing chronic or terminal illness.

Pharmacists- What do they do?

Clinical pharmacists in the Hamilton Family Health Team (HFHT) work directly in family doctors’ offices so that you can talk to them one on one. Pharmacists work with you and your health team to get you well and keep you healthy. They work with your family doctor, nurse practitioner and with you to choose the best medication and treatment for you.  Clinical pharmacists perform medication reviews to identify and resolve any medication related concerns and can adjust or prescribe medications as part of your health care team.  

What are some reasons I might be referred to one?

Common reasons to see one of our pharmacists include:

• medication review after hospital visit or for a new medical condition
• reviewing for medication interactions or side effects
• management of chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, pain or difficulty sleeping/insomnia
• assistance with quitting smoking and STOP program (free nicotine replacement products)
• bone health and prevention of falls
• coverage programs for medications

How do I get an appointment, and what can I expect?

Pharmacists also run groups/workshops available to everyone.  You can sign up for these workshops here.

You may request a 1:1 appointment with a pharmacist by calling your family doctor’s office.  All visits are covered by the Ontario Ministry of Health for patients of the Hamilton Family Health Team. To find out if your provider is in the Hamilton Family Health Team, search their name here. Don’t have a family doctor or primary care provider? Find more info here. Pharmacists help you to manage your medication and make sure that your medications are working well for you.  To prepare for your first visit, your pharmacist will discuss:

medical conditions and reasons for taking medications

prescribed medicine

over-the-counter medication

natural/herbal medicines

Physician Assistants

Physician Assistants’ scope of practice in Canada encompasses a wide range of medical and clinical responsibilities, allowing them to provide comprehensive and patient-centred care under the supervision of physicians.

Here are some key components of their scope of practice:

Patient Advocacy

Patient-Focused, Culturally Competent Care

Patient Assessment

Ordering and Interpreting Investigations

Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

Prescribing Medications

Procedures and Interventions

Patient Education

Collaboration with Healthcare Team

Medical Documentation

Follow-up Care

Physiotherapists- What do they do?

A physiotherapist evaluates and treats individuals experiencing physical difficulties due to injury, illness, or disability. They develop personalized rehabilitation programs using techniques like exercise, manual therapy, and education to improve movement and function. Additionally, physiotherapists promote overall health and prevent future injuries through guidance on lifestyle changes and ergonomic practices.

What are some reasons I might be referred to one?

Common reasons to see one of our physiotherapist include:

• Managing acute and chronic conditions, activity limitations and participation restrictions
• Improving and maintaining optimal functional independence
• Rehabilitating an injury or the effects of disease or disability with therapeutic exercise programs and other interventions
• To educate and plan maintenance and support programs to prevent re-occurrence, re-injury or functional decline

How do I get an appointment, and what can I expect?

Our Physiotherapists run some groups that are open to the public. For 1:1 appointments, you must be eligible** and be referred by your doctor or healthcare provider, and they must be part of the Hamilton Family Health Team. To find out if your provider is in the Hamilton Family Health Team, search their name here. Don’t have a family doctor or primary care provider? Find more info here.

** There are additional eligibility requirements for our physiotherapy services:  

• You must be age 20-64  
• You must have no extended health benefits for physiotherapy through work/school  
• No ongoing litigation related to this injury   
• No WSIB or MVA claim related to this injury  

Your group or 1:1 appointment could take place at our central hub, at 123 James St. N., in Hamilton, or at our Queensdale Hub.

Psychiatrists- What do they do?

Psychiatrists, as consultants to the practice, can diagnose mental disorders, make treatment recommendations and prescribe medications to your family doctor or nurse practitioner.

What are some reasons I might be referred to one?

Psychiatrists see a full range of mental health problems patients might experience. They will see children, youth, adults and older adults.

How do I get an appointment, and what can I expect?

You must be referred by your doctor or healthcare provider, and they must be part of the Hamilton Family Health Team. To find out if your provider is in the Hamilton Family Health Team, search their name here. Don’t have a family doctor or primary care provider? Find more info here.

Your 1:1 appointment could take place at our central hub, at 123 James St. N., Hamilton, at one of our 4 Hamilton hubs or at your doctor’s office.

Respiratory Educators- What do they do?

Certified Respiratory Educators (CREs) in the Hamilton Family Health Team (HFHT) provide support to patients living with Asthma or COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and their families. 

What are some reasons I might be referred to one?

Common reasons to see a respiratory educator include:

• Assessment of respiratory symptoms
• Spirometry testing
• Patient health education
• Support for quitting smoking (enrollment in STOP)

How do I get an appointment, and what can I expect?

Our respiratory educators run some public groups for everyone, such as smoking cessation. You can sign up for these online here.

For all other 1:1 appointments, you must be referred by your doctor or healthcare provider, and they must be part of the Hamilton Family Health Team. To find out if your provider is in the Hamilton Family Health Team, search their name here. Don’t have a family doctor or primary care provider? Find more info here.

Your group or 1:1 appointment could take place at our central hub, at 123 James St. N., in Hamilton, or at one of our 4 hubs in the Hamilton area, or even at your family doctor’s practice.