Message to My Patients

Regarding My Full Schedule

When my patients are in need, I need to be able to offer them a timely appointment to see me. That is why I have always made it a priority to balance the size of my practice with the amount of time I am available to take care of patients.

I have proudly been taking on growing roles and responsibilities, including being the Lead Physician of Central Hastings Family Health Team, an OntarioMD Peer Leader, and positions within the Ontario Medical Association. This work allows me to improve patient care from a broader perspective, even Provincially.

Being a Family Doctor remains my main passion and obligation, but these other important positions do take time away from me being available to see patients in clinic.

To be honest, I am concerned that I now have too many patients compared to the amount of time I am in clinic. Accordingly, while you may have typically been able to enjoy getting an appointment the same day on which you call, you may start to find that my schedule is quickly getting filled up each day. I appreciate how frustrating this must be, and I completely understand if you feel the need to find another family physician.

On a related note, this may be a good time for everyone to ask how they can help themselves. Every day, patients book appointments for reasons they may not actually need to see me. Before booking an appointment, please consider asking yourself the questions in my article on Patient Accountability. Please also consider taking advantage of all of the self-management advice and resources I have compiled on my website.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Dr. Adam Stewart