WELCOME TO THE TREEHOUSE CLINIC
We are looking forward to meeting you and your child; meanwhile, we would greatly appreciate if you could review our policies.
Booking Appointments
Please be sure to book every follow up appointment after the first one. The appointments can be booked in person or over the phone during the work day. Please check the website for hours of operations and most recent updates to the schedule.
Your child must be present for every appointment.
We will try a courtesy call to confirm your appointment prior, however it is your responsibility to ensure you and your child can attend the appointment at the time you booked.
Late or Missed Appointments
Arriving late for the appointment may result in the visit being cut short or cancelled outright, depending on how late you are. Please call ahead if you’re running late to discuss the options for the appointment.
If you cannot make it to the appointment, please contact the office at least 2 business days in advance.
Failure to notify the clinic about your inability to make it to the appointment at least 2 business days in advance will result in a missed appointment fee charged to you. The fee will have to be paid prior to your next visit. Please check our fee list for more information.
Contact Information
Please keep the receptionist informed about changes to your contact information (address, phone number, email). We rely on this information to be able to contact you.
Foods and Snacks
No food or snacks are permitted in the clinic as we have a large number of children with severe food allergies coming to the clinic. Therefore, all food and drinks (other than water) must be consumed outside the clinic before coming in. Thank you for understanding.
Lab and Diagnostic Results
We will not be giving you a call if your lab results are normal. If the results are concerning, we will contact you to book a follow up appointment to discuss them.
Due to privacy reasons we cannot discuss the lab results over the phone.
Prescription Refills
We do not refill prescriptions over the phone or by fax. Due to the nature of certain medications, close control of the dosage is necessary, thus, there is a blanket policy to only refill the prescriptions during the visits.
It is your responsibility to make sure your child has an appropriate quantity of medications until your next visit. It is also your responsibility to report to the doctor, any changes and/or reactions to medications.
Uninsured Services
Along with the services covered by Alberta Health Care, physicians provide services that are not covered by your health insurance. It is a standard practice to charge for those uninsured services in Alberta and we adhere to the pricing recommendation put forth by the Alberta Medical Association. Payments can be made by cash or cheque.
Please consult the receptionist for payment methods and check our fee list for more information.
Electronic Medical Record
Treehouse Clinic maintains elctronic medical records. Paper records are scanned and physical copies are destroyed. Your child’s medical history is maintained on secured networks in accordance with Health Information Act.
Your child’s medical record can be obtained for a fee. You will need to provide a USB stick for that purpose.
Education
One of the core responsibilities of the medical professionals is to educate future doctors and pass the knowledge along the generations. Medical residents are trained in clinical environment, which is why you may see a medical student assisting the doctor.
Medical residents adhere to the same set of privacy standards as your paediatrician. They may see you first to gather information, but rest assured, you will see your doctor every visit as well.
Behaviour
We are committed to the health and well-being of our clients and we will do our best to make your visit as pleasant as possible.
In turn, we expect respectful and amicable behaviour on the premises of the clinic.
There is zero tolerance for abuse of any kind; we reserve the right to contact authorities and/or dismiss your child from our practice entirely if any sort of unruly behaviour is observed. We welcome any criticism and concerns in writing.
Doctor-patient trust is of paramount importance for providing quality care. If that relationship is strained, it may be best for the child to see another paediatrician.
SEPARATED AND DIVORCED FAMILIES
Our goal at Treehouse Clinic is to provide the best possible medical care for your child.
We want to ensure that all caregivers are involved and informed when it comes to the health of the child. This can be a particular challenge when parents/caregivers are not living within the same household.
Below is some important information regarding the office policies:
● Appointment booking: If one of the parents books an appointment, it is their responsibility to inform the other parent of the upcoming appointment.
● Appointment reminders: Our office will only be sending one reminder email to the preferred email on file. It is the responsibility of the parent receiving the reminder email to pass along this information to the other parent.
● Attending appointments: We encourage both parents to attend appointments either in person, or at least one parent in person and the other by phone so that the information can be provided to both caregivers at the same time. Our paediatricians will not be booking separate appointments for parents. If parents are unable to attend together, we encourage alternating which caregiver accompanies the child to their appointment. If only one parent attends the appointment, it is their responsibility to communicate information regarding the diagnosis and treatment plan to the other parent.
● Medical records: Unless otherwise stated in legal documents, both parents have access to their child’s medical record.
● Legal documents: We may request copies of pertinent legal documents (custody arrangements, etc.) to ensure our staff knows who can provide consent, attend medical appointments, and have access to the medical records.
● Relationships: We recognize that co-parents may have difficult relationships with differing opinions on parenting and medical treatments, challenges with communication, and a hard time with scheduling. While we strive to support families, it is not the role of the paediatrician or the office staff to mediate these difficulties. It is an expectation that co-parents treat each other and the Treehouse staff with kindness and respect.
UNINSURED SERVICES
Physicians provide several services that are not covered by Alberta Health Care. It is a standard of practice in Alberta to charge for these uninsured services to ensure physicians are compensated for the significant amount of time spent on providing these services that are not covered by your health care.
The prices are based on the suggestions of the Alberta Medical Association.
Missed Appointments
New consultation $150
Follow-up appointment (15min) $80
Forms and Letters
FSCD letter $75
Letter of Diagnosis (ex: school) $50
Disability Tax Credit application – Part B $150
Medical form request from third part $50
Adoption Medical Report $100
Note: All fees for forms and letters are considered minimums. You may be charged more if the form is complex or requires extended time. If the fee varies from above, you will be notified of the fee before the service is provided.
All fees must be paid before or at the time of pick up. We will not be able to book the next appointment for clients with any fee dues.