Central Saanich Medical Clinic
1932 Mount Newton Cross Road Saanichton, BC, Canada

Important information for ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ patients: Over the next two weeks, the BC government will be sending letters to people aged 16-74 who are ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ with information on how they can register for their vaccine. This means that ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ patients will be able to get their vaccinations earlier than their age group, ensuring that those most at risk are protected sooner.... It is expected that everyone will receive their letter by April 15. Please note that the criteria for the ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ is very specific and cannot be changed. Most people with common conditions such as diabetes (unless on insulin) and asthma are *not* considered ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ and will be vaccinated shortly as part of their age group. Please visit www.gov.bc.ca/cevCOVID if you are unsure if you meet the criteria. If you have not received your letter by April 15, your first step will be to call the vaccine booking system to see if you are on the list. We respectfully ask that you do not contact our office regarding vaccine eligibility. For more information on this process, or if you are unsure whether you meet the criteria for a ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ person, please visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/cev Our vaccine program is ahead of schedule and all British Columbians are now expected to receive the first dose of their vaccine by the end of June. Be kind and stay safe out there! - CSMC Staff

Due to increasing patient demands, and upcoming changes at CSMC, clinic staff will be advising all patient’s who: a. Have their own family physician, or b. Have their own primary care facility (i.e. an outside walk-in clinic/facility previously known to the patient), c. Have never been seen at CSMC previously... To please follow up with the physician and facility that knows them best! Increasing demand dictates that we will need to provide priority to our own family practice patients, and our patients who DO NOT HAVE their own family physician and who consider CSMC to be their primary care facility. Please note that we are temporarily not registering new patients (patients who have never been previously seen at our facility). Remember to plan ahead for prescription renewals and regular care! If you let your prescription run out, note that lack of planning on a patient’s end will not be considered an emergency for our medical staff. Please speak with your pharmacist, and an emergency supply may be offered to you. We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and would like to give a big thank-you to all of our patients for your continued support and patience. Kind regards and stay safe out there! - CSMC Staff

Reminder: Yes, we’re open, but our door is locked All appointments at CSMC need to be pre-scheduled and screened over the phone.... Due to COVID-19, and upcoming changes here at CSMC, our facility is no longer able to accept patient bookings on a walk-in basis, nor will we be registering new patients (patients who have never been previously seen at our facility). Need to schedule an appointment or speak w. office staff? Please call the clinic at 250-652-2041. Please note that any patients who have traveled off the island, or who have experienced cough/cold/flu symptoms in the past 14 days will not be permitted entrance into the facility. We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and would like to give a big thank-you to all of our patients for your continued support and patience. Kind regards and stay safe out there! - CSMC Staff

Update: Central Saanich Medical Clinic is in transition and is not currently functioning as a regular walk-in clinic. Due to the current general practitioner shortage, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing patient demand, our facility has been overwhelmed with appointment booking requests, and we are struggling to keep up!... In an effort to help us catch up with the backlog, and to lighten the load as we transition into a new facility*, our clinic will temporarily not be registering new patients (patients who have never been previously seen at our facility). This change is temporary! Once we have fully transitioned, and are back with full staff, CSMC hopes to continue providing medical care to the Saanichton Peninsula community and its populace as best we can! We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and would like to give a big thank-you to all of our patients for your continued support and patience. Kind regards and stay safe out there! - CSMC Staff *** Yes, CSMC is moving; However, staff is unable to provide any specific details at this time. Please note that our patients will receive plenty of notice prior to any disruption in care. More information coming soon!

Seniors aged 75 and up and Indigenous people 55+ can register for vaccination this week! Form more information on the COVID-19 Vaccine and eligibility, please visit: http://www.bccdc.ca//diseases-co/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine OR... https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/response Stay safe out there! - CSMC Staff

Hello CSMC Patients! Welcome to 2021! Between the general physician crisis, an ongoing world-wide pandemic, and all the other havoc that took place this past year, I am sure we can all agree that 2020 challenged us all in some unexpected ways!... As we move into the new year and attempt to balance increasing work-loads and patient demand with our current short staffing - CSMC has opted to make a few more minor changes to our business hours in an effort to maintain our current level of patient care for the foreseeable future. What are these changes and how will they affect you? Please continue reading for more information. As of Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, the following changes will be implemented at CSMC: 1. New Business Hours: CSMC will be open 8:30 am 4:00 pm Mon.-Thurs., and from 8:30 am 12:00 pm on Fridays. 2. Closing Saturdays: CSMC will now be CLOSED on Saturdays. 3. New Phone Hours: Phones will be answered from 9:00 am 12:00 pm, and from 1:00 4:00 pm Mon.-Thurs. Then, from 8:00 am 12:00 pm on Fridays. 4. Closing for Lunch: The clinic will be CLOSED for lunch between 12:00-1:00 pm. There will be no staff on site available to patients during this time, and the front door will be locked. These changes will not be fully implemented until Mon., Jan. 18, 2021. Giving us this next week to transition both ourselves, and our patients over to this new schedule. We would like to give a big thank-you to all of our patients for your continued support and patience as we continue to make adjustments to this new normal post COVID-19. Kindest regards! CSMC Staff

Friendly reminder that our office will be closed on New Years, Friday, Jan. 01, 2020. Regular office hours will resume on Sat., Jan. 02, 2020. We apologize for any inconvenience. Health concern?... Check www.medimap.ca for walk-in clinic and urgent primary care clinic estimated wait times. Need trusted health advice? Call 8-1-1, HealthLink BC is available 24/7. Mental health and substance use concern? Vancouver Island Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 1-888-494-3888. Aboriginal adults, Elders, and youth: KUU-US Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 1-800-588-8717. Need an urgent medication refill? Speak with your pharmacist, an emergency supply of your regular medication may be able to be released to you. Critical injury or life-threatening condition? Please call 9-1-1 or present to the nearest emergency department. Happy New Years from CSMC Staff!

The first supply of a COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in BC. Please note that the COVID-19 vaccine is not available for everyone at this time. Vaccines will be distributed in phases over the coming months. The first phase of 4,000 doses will be given to front-line health providers working in long-term care, assisted living, ICUs, ERs and COVID medical wards. Healthy providers will ensure the safety of the patients they care for.... Other priority groups will receive the vaccine in the coming weeks and months. It is currently anticipated that everyone will have the opportunity to be vaccinated in 2021. We will let you know when and where you can get the vaccine as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience, and please continue to do all you can to prevent spread of the virus, and to keep you and your loved ones safe. This means wearing a mask when you’re out, limiting your contacts to those living in your household especially over the holidays and washing your hands frequently. You can find more information on the vaccine here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca//covid-19-provincial-suppo/vaccines

We are closing early today for Christmas. Our office is now closed and will re-open at 9 am on Monday, December 28th. Please note that CSMC will be closed on the below noted dates over this holiday season: Friday, Dec. 25, 2020 CLOSED Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 CLOSED... Friday, Jan. 01, 2020 CLOSED We apologize for any inconvenience. Health concern? Check www.medimap.ca for walk-in clinic and urgent primary care clinic estimated wait times. Need trusted health advice? Call 8-1-1, HealthLink BC is available 24/7. Mental health and substance use concern? Vancouver Island Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 1-888-494-3888. Aboriginal adults, Elders, and youth: KUU-US Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 1-800-588-8717. Need an urgent medication refill? Speak with your pharmacist, an emergency supply of your regular medication may be able to be released to you. Critical injury or life-threatening condition? Please call 9-1-1 or present to the nearest emergency department.Holiday Closures Happy holidays from everyone here at CSMC! See more

With the exciting news of Covid-19 vaccines arriving in BC, we are receiving quite a few calls about this. Clinic staff and physicians have limited information about how the vaccine will be distributed as this will be handled exclusively by public health until further notice. We have been informed that the first priority group will be contacted by public health (this is almost exclusively for healthcare workers in long-term care, ICU and emergency departments). At this time, please remain patient and avoid calling public health directly as vaccine supply is limited until at least the new year. Please see the following link for the most up to date information (this is the only information we have at CSMC). Thanks for your continued support.

Well, it is a winter wonderland out there! Unfortunately, our office just lost power and thus, we have to close up for the afternoon. Staff are in transit now to work from home and will endeavour to return voice messages ASAP. Patients with pre-existing in office visits have been contacted and the physicians are heading home shortly to complete telehealth calls. Our apologizes for the inconvenience! Stay safe out there, or better yet, curled up with cup of hot cocoa.

Please note that CSMC will be closed on the below noted dates over this holiday season: Friday, Dec. 25, 2020 CLOSED Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 CLOSED Friday, Jan. 01, 2020 CLOSED... We apologize for any inconvenience. Health concern? Check www.medimap.ca for walk-in clinic and urgent primary care clinic estimated wait times. Need trusted health advice? Call 8-1-1, HealthLink BC is available 24/7. Mental health and substance use concern? Vancouver Island Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 1-888-494-3888. Aboriginal adults, Elders, and youth: KUU-US Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 1-800-588-8717. Need an urgent medication refill? Speak with your pharmacist, an emergency supply of your regular medication may be able to be released to you. Critical injury or life-threatening condition? Please call 9-1-1 or present to the nearest emergency department.Holiday Closures Happy holidays from everyone here at CSMC!