The Best Way to Reach Us for <Better Care/> – Magenta Health Fall Update #2

This is the second message in our Magenta Health Fall Update series. These short but important patient updates are designed to help us provide you with <Better Care/>. In this edition: how to reach your care team when needed.

Start with your physician’s homepage

Physician homepages are designed to guide you to the right path for your specific concern or request, while also reflecting your physician’s style of practice and the behind-the-scenes aspects of providing care. In short: we always recommend starting at your physician’s homepage.

Enter a short search term (e.g., “test results,” “renew prescription,” “rash,” “chronic pain”). The system will guide you to the right option, whether that’s messaging your physician, requesting admin support, booking an appointment, or accessing a resource.

Tips for better searching:

  • Too broad: “talk to my doctor” is a bit generic. A search like “colon cancer screening test” works better and may even deliver options that don’t require an appointment.

  • Too detailed: for privacy reasons, the tool doesn’t see your full medical history. Instead of searching, “form for my recent work injury,” just type “forms.”

Third parties can contact us via fax or online forms. Details here: third-party contact information.

If you don’t find what you need

Your physician’s homepage already addresses hundreds of different scenarios, but not everything unfortunately. There's ongoing efforts to address more scenarios and to offer better search capabilities. In the meantime, additional options for contacting us electronically or by phone are available here.

How this helps deliver <Better Care/>

Using your physician's homepage as a starting point typically means:

  • appointments are booked properly,

  • requests have the info your care team needs to move forward,

  • everything is recorded in your electronic medical record (EMR), and

  • inquiries reach the right person quickly.

This avoids delays, reduces errors, and helps your physician spend more time on care. 

We’re also continually enhancing our EMR system to make care more seamless at Magenta Health and across Canada. For example, when submitted through your physician's homepage, many medical forms are now uploaded directly into the EMR, reducing errors from manual entry while still allowing our team to review each submission for accuracy. These upgrades are part of our ongoing <Better Care/> improvements.

To read more, or see how you can support, visit: www.magentahealth.ca/better-care-2

Thank you for your help. It helps us respond faster and keep your care on track.

Staying Effectively Connected for <Better Care/> - Magenta Health Fall Update #1

As the summer winds down, we’re sharing a short series of important patient updates to help us provide you with <Better Care/>. Think of it as a “fall cleanup”. Watch out for more Magenta Health Fall Updates over the next few weeks and please review each one closely!

In this first update, we’re focusing on how to make sure you can reliably receive important calls and electronic messages (like appointment reminders, follow-ups, or updates) from us.

Help Us Stay In Touch

It’s important we can reach you reliably by phone and by electronic message. Emails that go to spam get missed, and we know from experience that calls from unknown numbers are typically declined and sent straight to voicemail. 

To make sure we can always reach you when it matters, here are four quick things you can do today:

  1. Add our outgoing email address (do.not.reply@magentahealth.ca) to your safe senders list / contacts. This will help keep messages out of your Spam inbox. This email does not accept incoming messages.

  2. Save our number (647-479-8410) as a contact in your phone

  3. Check that your email account has lots of space to receive new messages

  4. Delete any other ‘@magentahealth.ca’ email addresses from your contacts. Instead, initiate contact with us via Your Physician’s Personalized Homepage (enter your OHIP)

How this Helps Deliver <Better Care/>

Magenta Health has launched a <Better Care/> campaign to improve the shared electronic medical record (EMR) system that powers nearly every part of your visit, from booking appointments and tracking results to coordinating preventive care. Because this software is used by many clinics across Canada, improvements made here benefit not only Magenta Health patients, but also patients at other clinics nationwide. 

A key part of <Better Care/> is being able to communicate with you reliably. When calls or electronic messages don’t get through, it disrupts the continuity of your care, creates unnecessary back-and-forth, and sometimes leads to repeat appointments. Improved communication saves our time - and yours! 

Taking these four simple steps makes it easier for us to stay connected and work together on your care. 

If you’d like to learn more about the <Better Care/> campaign or how you can contribute, visit:
www.magentahealth.ca/better-care-2

Thank you for helping us keep your care connected. It makes a real difference.

Finding a Family Doctor in Midtown Just Got Easier!

Finding the right primary care doctor continues to be a challenge in Ontario. Happily, Magenta Health Midtown has a number of family physicians currently accepting new patients!

Our team of caring physicians is dedicated to providing comprehensive care for you and your family. From routine check-ups and preventive screenings to managing ongoing health needs, we’re here to be your partner in health, every step of the way.

As the demand for physicians continues to be high, we are prioritizing patients who live in the communities that we most directly serve.

Unsure if you're within our area? It’s easy to check! Simply start here on our registration page.

Why Choose Magenta Health Midtown Clinic?

  • Accepting New Patients: We’re excited to have both female and male family doctors actively accepting new patients as we continue to recruit additional new doctors.

  • Expert, Caring Providers: Build a lasting relationship with a doctor who knows you.

  • Preventive & Comprehensive Care: Our doctors are passionate about preventative medicine and keeping you healthy, not just treating you when you’re sick.

  • Modern, Convenient Location: Located at the major intersection of Avenue and Eglinton, easily accessible by transit. There is parking nearby, and there will be a subway station less than a block away once the Eglinton Crosstown opens.

Your health is so important. Don’t put off finding a doctor who can help you protect it.

Ready to become a patient? Start here on our registration page.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE for patients of Dr. Lauren Mitsuki

A version of the following message was circulated electronically May 2025.

I hope this message finds you well.

With my recently completed parental leave, I recognize that there have been a number of changes already over the last 12 months. An opportunity has become available to me and after much soul-searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave my family practice at Magenta Health to move to the Northwest Territories to practice medicine there. Though it is hard to leave my patients and my practice at Magenta Health, this is the right step for me and my family.

Magenta Health and I have been actively searching for a replacement physician to take over my practice. We have so far secured continuing care until at least March 2026. We are continuing to work on making permanent arrangements - we are optimistic and plan to update you by the beginning of December 2025.

  1. Until July 31, 2025, I will continue to be your doctor.

  2. August 1 to August 31, 2025, Dr. Danielle Michaels will provide care.

  3. September 1, 2025 until at least February 28, 2026, Dr. Melinda Caputo Janhager will provide care. Please treat her nicely, there’s a chance she might agree to stay on permanently!

I am truly grateful to have found both Dr. Michaels and Dr. Caputo Janhager to ensure that you have ongoing care until at least next March. 

There is nothing that you will need to do differently due to these changes. Just continue to book as you normally would, contact the clinic and your family doctor as you always have. The clinic will be handling all the changes in the background for you, and I’ll be working with both Dr. Michaels and Dr. Caputo Janhager to transfer over your care.

To learn a bit about both physicians, please review their bios on the Physicians page here, underneath the Beaches section. Both physicians are looking forward to meeting you!

I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for the privilege of having been your family doctor. I wish you all the best and good health.

With heartfelt thanks and warm regards,

Dr. Lauren Mitsuki

*** Additional information from Magenta Health ***

  1. The past few years have given rise to more changes in life situations among physicians, just like in the rest of the community. We’re doing our best to arrange a replacement physician and remain optimistic a permanent replacement will be available. 

  2. We plan to update everyone by the beginning of December 2025.

  3. We would like to kindly note we will not be able to accommodate requests for a different family doctor, inclusive of requests to switch clinics. There is already a significant shortage of family physicians both in the community and across the country, as well as a very long waiting list of patients attempting to book intake appointments with us. 

  4. Dr. Mitsuki is not establishing another family practice in Ontario; therefore, it is not an option to remain with her in the long term.

  5. Should you decide to transfer to a completely different physician outside of Magenta Health, please request your medical records by contacting us directly: https://www.magentahealth.ca/request-for-medical-records

IMPORTANT MESSAGE for patients of Dr. Aarti Kapoor

A version of the following message was circulated electronically April 2025

I hope everyone is enjoying the (Canadian) spring weather - I am writing to share an important update with you: I have recently permanently relocated to the city’s north end and have decided to move my primary practice location.

Magenta Health and I have explored the option of finding a replacement physician for myself, but as I am sure you have heard,  there is a shortage of family physicians with 2.3 million Ontarians who are unattached to a primary care provider. We were not successful. After much consideration, we have come to an arrangement so that I can continue to be your family doctor. 

Starting July 1st, 2025, I will be seeing patients from my new clinic location only at Eglinton Station Medical Centre. It is a modern clinic in midtown Toronto with experienced family physicians located at the south east corner of Yonge and Eglinton. There are multiple parking options nearby and it is directly linked to the Yonge/Eglinton TTC and Crosstown Stations.  For more detailed directions and parking information please click here . I also plan to continue to offer both Phone and Video Appointments (so that concerns can be appropriately addressed without an in-person visit when necessary) alongside an increased number of In Person appointments.

At this point, there is nothing for you to do. I will continue to see patients from the Magenta Health Riverside location until June 30th, 2025.  You will not be able to book appointments from July onwards until July 1st, 2025. Beginning July 1st, you'll be able to book appointments with me at my new clinic by contacting Eglinton Station Medical Centre directly. This can be done via email: contact@eglintonstationmedical.ca  or phone: 416-485-0555. 

Most importantly, there will be no interruption in your medical care and your records will be transferred automatically, as I remain your family doctor just supported by a different team and where I will be seeing you physically in-person. 

I understand transitions can be stressful, and I recognize there have been a number of changes already with COVID and the emergency family leave I had to take on short notice during that time. Please know that I have made this decision only after extensive reflection. For some of my patients, my new clinic will be equal to or more convenient than Magenta Health’s Riverside location. For others, I acknowledge that this new location will be less convenient for you to access. If this is the case for you, I apologize and appreciate your understanding and patience. I hope you see this as a better alternative than being left without a family doctor, and I look forward to continuing to care for you and your family. 

Thank you again - I greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.

Kind regards,

Dr. Aarti Kapoor

*** Additional information from Magenta Health ***

  1. We respectfully request that you do not contact our admin team for updates regarding Dr. Kapoor’s transition or her new clinic’s booking process, as Magenta Health staff will not have any further information.  Please contact Eglinton Station Medical Centre directly with any questions.

  2. We don’t anticipate being able to accommodate requests to switch to another family doctor within the Magenta Health clinics at this time. There is already a significant shortage of family physicians in the community and a very long waiting list of patients attempting to book intake appointments with us.

  3. Should you decide to transfer to a completely different physician outside of Magenta Health instead of moving with Dr. Kapoor, please request your medical records by contacting us directly: https://www.magentahealth.ca/request-for-medical-records. Those who take no action will be automatically transferred to Dr. Kapoor’s new clinic, and will not be a patient of any Magenta Health physician after June 30th, 2025.  

  4. You can sign up to be put on a waitlist for a new family physician or nurse practitioner on the Health Care Connect Website if you so choose to instead.

HPV testing to replace Pap testing as the primary cervical cancer screening test

Most people have heard of the Pap test, which has been the primary cervical cancer screening test for many years. On March 3, 2025, the Ontario Ministry of Health will be replacing the Pap test with the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) test as the new primary test for cervical cancer screening. See Cancer Care Ontario for more detailed information on HPV testing.

Why this change?

  • The HPV test is more accurate and will improve detection of cervical pre-cancer.

  • The improved performance of HPV testing allows for longer intervals between screens for people who test negative.

  • Many cervical screening programs internationally and in Canada have transitioned to HPV testing as the primary screening as the HPV test is increasingly considered to be the standard of care.

Who is eligible for the HPV test?

  • Individuals with a cervix age 25 to 69 who have ever been sexually active with no symptoms suggestive of cervical cancer and have valid OHIP coverage.

How long between HPV tests?

  • Typically, individuals with a negative HPV test result are recommended to be screened every 5 years though how often screening happens depends on your personal circumstances and best discussed with your physician.

FAQs:

What if I am due for a Pap test?

If you are due for a Pap test, you can either get a Pap test before March 3, 2025 or get the HPV test on or after March 3, 2025.

What if I just got the Pap test before March 3, 2025? Should I get the HPV test right away?

If you have had a Pap test and it hasn’t yet been 3 years since the test, and the results were normal, you can wait until the 3 years mark for your next cervical screening test. At the time of your next cervical screening, you will get the HPV test.

What if I want a HPV test even though I’m not eligible for OHIP coverage for it?

OHIP only covers the HPV test for eligible individuals on or after March 3, 2025. For those who want the HPV test but are not eligible for OHIP coverage, it is possible to privately pay for it out of pocket. Contact LifeLabs or Dynacare labs for more information or book an appointment with your physician to discuss it

How do I know if I should be screened more often or if I am unsure if I need HPV testing?

If you have any questions about your screening interval or if you should be screened, you should book an appointment with your physician to discuss your concerns. How often screening happens and whether you need to be screened depends on your personal circumstances. This blog is intended only to provide some generalised information about HPV tests.

 Can I get the HPV test before March 3, 2025 if I am due to be screened anyway?

HPV testing will be covered by OHIP starting on March 3, 2025. Until then, HPV testing is available as a privately paid test that you can discuss with your doctor.

Should I wait until after March 3, 2025 to do my cervical screening so that I can get the HPV test?

If you are due for a cervical screening within 2-3 days of the March 3, 2025 rollout, then you can choose to wait until March 3 to get the new HPV test. 


IMPORTANT - Magenta Health is CLOSED to In-Person Appointments

Further to our email last night, Magenta Health is closed today to in-person appointments.

Instead:

  • for most appointments, please work on the assumption that your physician will call you at approximately your scheduled appointment regardless. Please pick up phone calls from blocked or unknown numbers. Many physicians will have children at home though, so if you aren't eventually called, please simply book another appointment. Everyone will be doing their best in the circumstances.

  • if your concern likely cannot be handled by phone, please reschedule your appointment instead. There will be no late cancellation fees of course.

  • for intake appointments, you will unfortunately need to book a new intake appointment. We understand it may have been hard to book your intake appointment, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Please go back to the invitation email, and schedule a new appointment at a time convenient for yourself.

Please stay safe and warm today!

IMPORTANT - In-Person Appointments at Magenta Health might be cancelled tomorrow

This notice was sent February 12, 2025, to patients with in-person appointments February 13, 2025:

Hello,

We're writing because you currently have an in-person appointment scheduled for tomorrow, February 13, 2025.

Our current plan is to follow the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).

  • If TDSB schools are closed tomorrow, our clinics will be closed for in-person appointments.

  • If TDSB schools are open tomorrow, our clinics will be open.

If our clinics are closed for in-person appointments:

  • for most appointments, please work on the assumption that your physician will call you at approximately your scheduled appointment regardless. Please pick up phone calls from blocked or unknown numbers. Many physicians will have children at home though, so if you aren't eventually called, please simply book another appointment. Everyone will be doing their best in the circumstances.

  • if your concern likely cannot be handled by phone, please reschedule your appointment instead. There will be no late cancellation fees of course.

  • for intake appointments, you will unfortunately need to book a new intake appointment. We understand it may have been hard to book your intake appointment, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Please go back to the invitation email, and schedule a new appointment at a time convenient for yourself.

Should the clinic indeed be closed, we will be posting a message on our website and will work to send out further messages as soon as possible. Please do not wait for these updates to be made though - if TDSB schools are closed, we will be closed. If TDSB schools are open, we will be open.

Sincerely,
Your Magenta Health Admin Team

IMPORTANT MESSAGE for patients of Dr. Jenn (Yun) Peng

Update 2025.04.29: Dr. Molly Gamble no longer has capacity to accept any previous patients of Dr. Peng into her practice. We kindly request patients do not contact our admin team regarding this status, as staff will not have any further details. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.

A version of the following message was circulated electronically November 2024

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to share a very difficult decision I have made.

Many of you know that I moved to Magenta Health’s Midtown location from the Riverside location at the beginning of 2024. I sought to mitigate the impact of unexpected health changes in my family and other personal obligations. Read more here.

I am scheduled to start my second parental leave in January 2025. After much soul searching, I have decided that I am not in a position to return to family practice after this upcoming leave. This choice was made with a heavy heart, as I had hoped to serve you and your families for many more years. It has been a privilege to work with you, and leaving this role permanently is not something I envisioned or took lightly.

Fortunately, I have found two compassionate and experienced physicians, Dr. Jonathan Penner-Chea and Dr. Molly Gamble, to take over your care. Both Dr. Penner-Chea and Dr. Gamble will be relocating some or all of their existing practices to the Magenta Health Midtown clinic, together with taking on my existing patients. They also happen to be spouses to each other.

To ensure a smooth transition and continuity of care for all my patients, I am pleased to be able to announce:

  1. From now until January 11, 2025, I will continue to be your doctor.

  2. Starting January 12, 2025, Dr. Penner-Chea will permanently replace me and will be responsible for your ongoing care.

  3. In February 2025, there may be limited opportunities for some patients who strongly prefer a female family physician to switch from Dr. Penner-Chea to Dr. Gamble. Further information will be provided if / when this opportunity arises.

Thank you for your understanding and support during this time. I am confident that Dr. Penner-Chea and Dr. Gamble will provide you with excellent care. I am truly grateful to have found them to take over your care for the long term.

There is nothing that you will need to do differently due to these changes. Just continue to book as you normally would, contact the clinic and your family doctor as you always have. The clinic will be handling all the changes in the background for you, and I’ll be working with Dr. Penner-Chea to transfer over your care.

To learn a bit about Dr. Penner-Chea and Dr. Gamble, please review their bios on the Physicians page here.

I want to take this opportunity again to express my sincere gratitude for the privilege of having been your family doctor. I wish you all the best and good health.

With heartfelt thanks and warm regards,

Dr. Jenn (Yun) Peng


*** Additional information from Magenta Health ***

  1. The past few years have given rise to more changes in life situations among physicians, just like in the rest of the community. We’re doing our best to arrange a replacement physician where possible - we are grateful that Dr. Penner-Chea and Dr. Gamble are available to take over permanently to ensure continuing care.

  2. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to delay joining Dr. Penner-Chea's practice in hopes of transferring to Dr. Gamble’s practice later. To ensure continuity of care, all patients will initially be transitioned to Dr. Penner-Chea. There is no waiting list to “pre-register” a preference to switch.

  3. We would like to kindly note we won’t be able to accommodate requests for a family doctor other than Dr. Penner-Chea or Dr. Gamble, inclusive of requests to switch clinics. There is already a significant shortage of family physicians both in the community and across the country, as well as a very long waiting list of patients attempting to book intake appointments with us. 

  4. Dr. Peng is not establishing another family practice in Ontario; therefore, it is not an option to remain with her in the long term.

  5. Should you decide to transfer to a completely different physician outside of Magenta Health, please request your medical records by contacting us directly: https://www.magentahealth.ca/request-for-medical-records

Important message for patients of Dr. Caileigh Pilmer

A version of the following message was circulated electronically November 2024

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to let you know that I have made the difficult decision to not return to my family practice at Magenta Health when my leave ends on December 19, 2024. Much of my work outside of the clinic has been in Women’s Health, specifically Breast Health; and after much thought and consideration, I have decided to focus my work in this direction to do clinical work full-time in the Breast Centres at Princess Margaret, Michael Garron, and Women’s College Hospitals.

I am pleased to be able to announce the following arrangements:

  1. From now until December 19, 2024, Dr. Melinda Caputo Janhager will continue to provide coverage during the remainder of my leave.

  2. Starting December 20, 2024, Dr. Carly Morin will permanently replace me and take over my practice.

I am truly grateful to have found Dr. Carly Morin to take over your care for the long term. Dr. Morin is a fantastic physician, and I have every confidence that you will be in excellent hands.

Your care will be seamlessly transferred to Dr. Morin on December 20, 2024.

There is nothing that you will need to do differently due to these changes. Just continue to book as you normally would, contact the clinic and your family doctor as you always have. The clinic will be handling all the changes in the background for you, and I’ll be working with Dr. Morin to transfer over your care.

To learn a bit about Dr. Morin, please review her bio on the Physicians page here, underneath the Riverside section. Dr. Morin is looking forward to meeting you!

I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for the privilege of having been your family doctor. I wish you all the best and good health.

With heartfelt thanks and warm regards,

Dr. Caileigh Pilmer

*** Additional information from Magenta Health ***

  1. The past few years have given rise to more changes in life situations among physicians, just like in the rest of the community. We’re doing our best to arrange a replacement physician where possible - we are grateful that Dr. Morin is available to take over permanently to ensure continuing care.

  2. We would like to kindly note we won’t be able to accommodate requests for a family doctor other than Dr. Morin, inclusive of requests to switch clinics. There is already a significant shortage of family physicians both in the community and across the country, as well as a very long waiting list of patients attempting to book intake appointments with us. 

  3. Dr. Pilmer is not establishing another family practice in Ontario; therefore, it is not an option to remain with her in the long term.

  4. Should you decide to transfer to a completely different physician outside of Magenta Health, please request your medical records by contacting us directly: https://www.magentahealth.ca/request-for-medical-records

IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR PATIENTS OF DR. SANA MEHRANI

An electronic version of this letter is being circulated between October 28 to 30, 2024.
Please note it is not an option to review or select physicians prior to November 1, 2024 at 9 am.

Further to our last email, your current family doctor, Dr. Sana Mehrani, is permanently stepping away from family practice at the end of November and relocating to Ottawa. We have been working with her to arrange a replacement family doctor for her entire practice.

At this time, other Magenta Health physicians, spread across our three physical locations, have agreed to take on Dr. Mehrani’s patients.

ACTION REQUESTED
(Link to the physician list will be available in your email notification being sent between Oct. 28-30, 2024.)

  1. You can review the options, and select your preferred physician and location, by choosing a new Magenta Health physician between November 1 and November 25, 2024 (link is in the email notification to you).  If you have a preferred location, we encourage you to make your selection early because spots at each location are limited - most spots will be at our Beaches location @ Queen and Woodbine or our Midtown location @ Eglinton and Avenue. Spots at Dr. Mehrani’s Riverside location are unfortunately limited.

  2. You can also visit the same link in your email if you’d like us to close your file on November 29, 2024. If you choose that option, you will not be a patient of any Magenta Health physician as of that day.

If you do nothing, you will be automatically reassigned to a new Magenta Health physician, most likely at our Beaches location (Queen and Woodbine) or our Midtown location (Eglinton and Avenue), and you will need to travel there for in-person appointments in the future.

We understand change is always hard, so we appreciate your patience and understanding. There’s a severe shortage of family doctors in the province right now, and so we are grateful for the physician team stepping forward to ensure care for all existing patients.  

Please see the below for answers to common questions, including how to ask further questions.

Sincerely,

Your Magenta Health Admin Team

====================================

I’m being forced to change locations, that feels unfair?
We wish we had enough capacity at each location for patients to choose their preferred option. Unfortunately, there’s a severe shortage of family doctors in the province right now, and we are doing the best we can in the circumstances. We understand and recognize this is not an optimal outcome.

Prior to the official transfer on November 29, 2024, can I book appointments that are to occur after November 29th?
Unfortunately, no. It’s very complicated to play musical chairs for almost a thousand individuals, and so you will be reassigned to your new physician, and able to book appointments only after November 29, 2024.

What changes after November 29, 2024?
Unless you’ve asked for your file to be closed, you’ll have a new Magenta Health family doctor. You’ll be automatically granted access to their homepage via the Magenta Health homepage as of that day, and further appointments will be with your new family doctor.

Can I meet my new family doctor before selecting them?
Unfortunately no, that’s not an option at this time. Our view is that individuals should primarily select a new physician based on location.

I have read the above, but still have an important question?
Please proceed to our contact page to ask your question.

Important message for patients of Dr. Sarah Park

An electronic version of this letter was circulated September 2024.

I hope this message finds you well.

With a heavy heart, I am writing to let you know that I have made the difficult decision to not return to my family practice at Magenta Health when my leave ends on October 10, 2024. Much of my work outside of the clinic has been in Indigenous health, and after much thought and consideration, I have decided to focus my work in this direction to do clinical and academic work in this space full-time.

It has been a priority for me that despite my changing scope of practice, you continue to receive ongoing care. Since making this decision, I have been actively searching to find the right physician to take over my practice and to help ensure the continuity of your care. 

I am pleased to be able to announce the following arrangements:

  1. From October 11 to 16, 2024, my Magenta Health colleagues will provide urgent coverage.

  2. Starting October 16, 2024, Dr. Samuel Markl will permanently replace me and take over my practice.

I am truly grateful to have found Dr. Samuel Markl to take over your care for the long term. Dr. Markl is a fantastic physician and I have every confidence that you will be in excellent hands.

In view of the above, your care will be seamlessly transferred to Dr. Markl on October 16, 2024.

There is nothing that you will need to do differently due to these changes. Just continue to book as you normally would, contact the clinic and your family doctor as you always have. The clinic will be handling all the changes in the background for you, and I’ll be working with Dr. Markl to transfer over your care. 

To get to know Dr. Markl a bit better before transferring into his care, please click here to review his welcome letter. Dr. Markl is looking forward to meeting you!

I am sad to say goodbye as I embark on this new chapter in my medical career, and I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for the privilege of having been your family doctor. I wish you all the best and good health.

With heartfelt thanks and warm regards,
Dr. Sarah Park

*** Additional information from Magenta Health ***

  1. The past few years have given rise to more changes in life situations among physicians, just like in the rest of the community. We’re doing our best to arrange a replacement physician where possible - we are grateful that Dr. Markl is available to take over permanently to ensure continuing care.

  2. We would like to kindly note we won’t be able to accommodate requests for a family doctor other than Dr. Markl, inclusive of requests for a female physician, or to switch clinics. There is already a significant shortage of family physicians both in the community and across the country, as well as a very long waiting list of patients attempting to book intake appointments with us. 

  3. Should you decide to transfer to a completely different physician outside of Magenta Health, please request your medical records by contacting us directly: https://www.magentahealth.ca/request-for-medical-records

A New Approach to Patient-Initiated Medical Messages

For the first 9 years of Magenta Health, approximately 400,000 incoming emails were received, read, and handled by our amazing team. These emails covered everything from ordinary administrative questions to complex medical requests. We stopped accepting emails in late 2023 for reasons discussed here.

Since then, we have continued to accept patient-initiated medical messages - patients could send written messages to their physician through their physician’s homepage. 

There’s still an elephant in the room though. OHIP does not compensate family physicians when they provide care in writing. Instead, for the past 10 years, Magenta Health physicians have reviewed and responded to messages without compensation, driven by a shared desire to provide accessible care and to support the health and well-being of patients.

However, given the option of virtual care, physician shortages, and an ever increasing administrative workload, the status quo is no longer sustainable. It’s driving physicians to burnout and to leave family medicine altogether. It’s time to make a change.

What’s the change?

In select circumstances, patients will need to subscribe to an annual uninsured services subscription to initiate new conversations with their physician. This fee will cover services not compensated by OHIP, including electronic messages. Alternatively, patients can choose to pay on a per-message basis.

We will be implementing this policy strictly. In some cases, messages may be returned to the patient without being forwarded to a physician if they fall under the new guidelines.

There will continue to be situations where messages cannot be sent at all, even with payment, as well as situations where payment is not required.

When Will Payment Be Required?

While the specifics will vary slightly between physicians, here are some examples of situations where payment will be necessary in order to send a request in writing instead of an appointment:

  • Requesting adjustments to an existing prescription

  • Following up on a previously discussed medical issue

  • Requesting replacement prescriptions while traveling

  • Asking for insurance-related notes (e.g., for massage or orthotics)

When Will Messages Still Be Free?

There will again be slight difference between physicians, but patients will likely be able to initiate certain types of messages for free, such as:

  • Responding to direct messages from your physician when a response is requested

  • Requests for routine screening tests (e.g., mammograms, other preventive screenings)

  • Requests for lost prescriptions

  • Providing information about care received elsewhere

Administrative messages that do not need physician review or input will also continue to be free.

When Can’t Messages Be Sent?

One of the key challenges with enabling patients to send written messages is that inappropriate, unnecessary, or potentially dangerous messages are sometimes sent.  For example, if someone is experiencing an urgent medical concern, sending a message and then waiting, in lieu of proceeding directly to see a medical professional, can lead to potentially catastrophic consequences.

We have worked to configure our systems so that in certain circumstances, messages cannot be sent at all.  Instead, in those circumstances, patients will be provided advice as to a more appropriate next step, such as booking an appointment with their family physician. 

Just like whether payment will be required or not, there will be some slight differences between physicians.

Why are there Differences Between Physicians?

Physicians are individuals with varying educational and work backgrounds, family life, schedule, personal preferences, and tolerances.  There will therefore be edge cases where different physicians can reasonably disagree as to how best to handle the situation, inclusive of whether sending a message should be free, payment required, or permitted at all.

We have worked to configure our systems so that these physician nuances are automatically handled. Patients only need to proceed through their physician’s homepage to search for and proceed via appropriate options.

What If I Can’t or Don’t Want to Pay?

This change will not affect anyone’s ability to access OHIP-covered care. Patients will always be able to book an appointment with their physician or, in urgent cases, a covering physician. These appointments are covered by OHIP, so there is no charge for in-person or virtual appointments.

Will Paid Messages be Prioritized?

Absolutely not. They will be processed and reviewed by physicians in the ordinary course. Patients should not send urgent medical concerns in writing; urgent medical concerns should be addressed by appointment. Magenta Health does not offer executive health or concierge care.

Important Update for Patients of Dr. Winnie Siao

An electronic version of this letter was circulated at the beginning of September 2024.

I hope you are doing well - I am writing to share an important update with you.

As I look forward to returning to work after my parental leave, I am faced with the challenges of reconciling work and family life, specifically the logistics of being a working parent with two young children. I do not live close to Magenta Health’s Riverside location, and the commute has only gotten worse in recent years. Therefore, I have concluded that I must prioritize my family’s needs and move my primary practice location.

Magenta Health and I have explored the option of finding a replacement physician for myself, but as I am sure you have heard, family physicians are currently few and far between. We were not successful. After much consideration, we have come to an arrangement so that I can continue to be your family doctor. 

Starting November 11, 2024, I will be seeing patients from Magenta Health’s Midtown location only, at the major intersection of Avenue and Eglinton. There is parking nearby, and there will be a subway station less than a block away once the Eglinton Crosstown opens. I also plan to continue to offer virtual phone and video appointments for concerns that can be appropriately addressed without an in-person visit.

At this point, there is nothing for you to do. My locum, Dr. Eva Bain, will continue to see patients from the Riverside location until November 8, 2024. All in-person appointments with me will switch to the Midtown location and you will be automatically notified and reminded of this change when booking. Most importantly, there will be no interruption in your medical care, as I remain your family doctor supported by the same team - the only change is where I will be seeing you in-person.

I understand transitions can be stressful, and with my recent parental leave, I recognize there have been a number of changes already. Please know that I have made this decision only after extensive reflection. For some of my patients, the Midtown location will be equal to or more convenient than Riverside. For others, I acknowledge that this new location will be less convenient for you to access. If this is the case for you, I apologize and appreciate your understanding and patience. I hope you see this as a better alternative than being left without a family doctor, and I look forward to continuing to care for you and your family. 

Lastly, if there are medical reasons that make it difficult to attend in-person appointments at the Midtown location, the clinic has established a form where you can register a request to potentially transfer to another Magenta Health physician at the Riverside location, should the opportunity arise in the future. To manage expectations though, transferring isn’t an option right now due to a lack of physician capacity. For more details, and to submit this form, please proceed here (https://www.magentahealth.ca/clinic-switch-policy).

Thank you again - I greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.

Kind regards,

Dr. Winnie Siao


IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR PATIENTS OF DR. SANA MEHRANI

A version of the following message was circulated electronically August 2024

I am writing this letter to share some bittersweet news.

I have decided to leave Toronto and relocate to Ottawa. Sadly, this means that I will be stepping away permanently from my family practice at Magenta Health on November 29, 2024.  This was a difficult decision to make. It has been my pleasure and privilege to take care of my patients and their families for the past few years.

The clinic and I are in the process of coming up with a transition plan that ensures continuity of care. At the moment we are quite optimistic and we do expect to be able to find you a replacement family doctor without any further action from you. 

However, this email is to give you the required 3 months advance notice that you will be discharged from my care and the clinic, in case we’re unable to find a doctor to take over. 

If you have any concerns about the possibility that we may not be able to find a new doctor to take over the practice, we encourage you to start looking for an alternative provider at this time. 

I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for allowing me the privilege of being your family doctor.  I wish you all the best and a lifetime of good health and happiness.

With heartfelt thanks and warm regards,

Dr. Sana Mehrani

*** Additional information from Magenta Health ***

  1. We are working with Dr. Mehrani to establish a firm transition plan that ensures continuity of care. We hope to have more information for you in the coming weeks. We respectfully request that you do not contact our admin team for updates, as they will not have any further information.  We promise we will update you with more information as soon as possible.

  2. Should you decide to transfer to a completely different physician outside of Magenta Health, please request your medical records by contacting us directly: https://www.magentahealth.ca/request-for-medical-records

Interim Update - Upgrading Platform and Security Improvements to our Electronic Medical Record System

Earlier this year, we shared:

We are currently working with Conestoga College and their SMART Centre on an applied research project funded through the NSERC. This project will last 8 months and aims to make platform and security improvements to the Electronic Medical Record system used by ourselves and other family doctors around the country.

To get the ball moving, Magenta Health has pre-committed $20,000 towards this project, but we’re asking patients to consider pledging their LifeLabs settlement money towards this work as well.

Over the last six months, the Conestoga College team has leveraged our pre-commitment of $20,000 in cash to make incredible progress. Entire software frameworks have been upgraded and numerous security risks have been mitigated. Notably, this work has involved the use of AI to rewrite hundreds of files automatically. For those involved in software development, these stats from the latest pull request should amaze (and scare you): 

  • 2,497 modified files (not a typo!)

  • 74,526 new lines of code

  • 46,345 deleted lines of code

We’ve been so impressed with their progress that we have agreed to support this work for another three years at minimum, with Magenta Health founders and physicians jointly pre-committing over that time period approximately $100,000 in cash and $300,000 of in-kind contributions. For a small organization like us, this is a huge donation but we think it’s worth it in the long-term.

An Important Upgrade Funded by Magenta Health Patients - Integrated Encrypted Emails

As of July 2024, an important upgrade has been completed - integrated encrypted emails. This is the ability to send encrypted emails to patients directly from the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system that we use. Previously, emails needed to be sent via a different system, and without encryption. This is a massive upgrade!

Despite being a popular shared EMR used by family doctors around the country, this freely available EMR suffers from a significant lack of investment. Physicians at Magenta Health try to do their part by voluntarily contributing $100,000 annually but this isn’t enough.

Notably, we’ve asked for financial contributions from patients towards helping improve this software since late 2023, and it’s been incredible to see patients step forward to help. This important upgrade was made possible in part through this generosity and community mindedness.

Thank you!

Why is this a big deal?

Two huge reasons.

  1. Better privacy for patients. Previously, if your physician wanted to attach a document, they would need to download the file to their desktop, then attach it to the email within a different system. Attaching the wrong file has been the number one reason for accidental privacy breaches. This new upgrade introduces numerous “privacy by design” guardrails such as (a) only the email address on file can be emailed, manual changes can’t be made (b) documents can only be emailed to the corresponding patient, full stop.

  2. Streamlined workflow for staff. Every click matters. Improvements like these allow physicians and staff to invest more time on active patient care, instead of tedious computer work.

What’s Next?

For the moment, this upgrade is being tested right now with encryption turned off. In the coming months, we’ll turn on encryption and messages and attachments will start arriving in encrypted form.

The source code for this upgrade has also already been shared the community at large and the goal is that physicians and clinics around the country will soon be using it as well!

OPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ACCESS TO IUD INSERTIONS

Magenta Health believes that safe and convenient access to birth control is an important part of primary care. One of the most popular and effective methods of birth control are IUDs (intrauterine devices). 

We are inviting patients who can readily afford to do so, to contribute toward the cost of the sterilized equipment that is needed. Read on to learn more.

Tell me about the finances.

We’ve optimized our processes and crunched the numbers - it costs us roughly $25 to provide the sterilized equipment that every IUD insertion appointment requires. In contrast, our perspective is that the Ministry of Health only covers $2 of this equipment cost. It essentially feels like we’re paying roughly $23 out of pocket each time an IUD insertion appointment happens.

Why do we offer IUDs at all if the numbers don’t make sense?

Specialized clinics and some OB-GYNs offer IUD insertions, but wait times are typically quite long. Once a patient has decided they want an IUD, we want to help them access one quickly, safely, comfortably and conveniently.

Is a contribution mandatory?

A contribution is definitely not mandatory. We are asking only those who can readily afford to contribute to do so. We also want to make sure this does not affect anyone’s care so, whether or not you contribute is not something your physician will know.

Can I get an IUD elsewhere?

Yes. Specialized clinics and some OB-GYNs offer IUD insertions, but wait times are typically quite long. Please don’t feel you need to go elsewhere for an IUD due to this dollars and cents issue. This shouldn’t affect your decision-making on where to get your IUD.

What happens to my contribution?

To be transparent, we plan to do an annual blog post that compares the amount collected vs. the equipment costs. Our hope is to approximately break even - e.g. if we conduct 1000 IUD insertions in a year, we collect roughly $23,000 in voluntary patient contributions + $2,000 from OHIP to cover the roughly $25,000 in equipment costs.

Cyber Security at magenta health

As many of our patients may be aware - there have been numerous IT security breaches within the Canadian healthcare system in recent years. This blog post is intended to answer some common questions about what Magenta Health is proactively doing to enhance the security of the Personal Health Information we hold.

RECENT HEALTHCARE PRIVACY BREACHES IN CANADA

We’ll start with the background of why it’s important to share this update. 

The risk of privacy breaches is a very real threat to the healthcare sector right now. There have been several instances of recent personal info data leaks within the healthcare community. Thankfully, there has not been any incident at Magenta Health (and we’d like to keep it that way).

As a very recent example that is frighteningly close to home, five Southwestern Ontario hospitals had sensitive data leaked online following a cyberattack. Unfortunately, the result was “thousands of patients and staff whose information has been leaked onto the dark web” .

Even closer to home, Michael Garron Hospital lost employee and clinician data in 2023 and had its systems ransomwared in 2019.

Another more concerning incident is the 2019 Lifelabs data breach, in which “…hackers accessed personal information, including health numbers and test results” of approximately 15 million customers across Canada.

  • There are numerous existing administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect Personal Health Information, including:

    • Our systems and processes have been reviewed by accountable individuals, including our Chief Privacy Officer and in-house legal counsel;

    • All staff & students with access to PHI are required to review and execute confidentiality agreements;

    • Access to PHI is generally limited to only those requiring access to such PHI through technical means;

    • Through formal contracts, privacy policies, and service agreements, all third-parties retained by Magenta Health have committed to complying with those conditions and restrictions necessary to ensure Magenta Health's continued compliance with PHIPA;

    • Strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and multiple logins are required to access various sensitive systems;

    • Sensitive systems have audit logs to track data access and use;

    • Network traffic is monitored and managed using security mechanisms such as routers, switches, firewalls, and anti-virus programs;

    • SSL encryption is used to secure the transmission of PHI over insecure electronic networks;

    • Whole-disk encryption is used as required to secure physical storage media holding PHI;

    • Removable physical media (e.g. paper, CDs, DVDs) holding PHI are destroyed following use;

    • Data, applications, and systems are backed up on a regular basis, including offsite, and can be readily restored as required;

    • All systems (e.g. operating systems, applications) are regularly patched with security updates;

    • All physical electronic systems maintained by Magenta Health are secured with a monitored security system;

    • Security cameras have been deployed throughout Magenta Health's physical spaces;

    • Physical access to computer servers have been restricted to those staff requiring access; and

    • Decommissioned equipment used to process or store PHI is securely disposed of;

  • To further enhance the security of your Personal Health Information, here are some examples of larger ongoing work (as of February 2024):

    • we are in the midst of fully migrating to an online messaging portal to eliminate the use of incoming email

    • we are developing encrypted email capabilities to eliminate the use of plain text emails

    • we are migrating our IT systems to a Tier 1 Data Centre to minimize the risk of physical theft

  • At Magenta Health - NO.

    We are not aware of any material compromise of our systems and we're working to keep it that way.

  • Specific to Magenta Health, we strongly recommend that the email address you have registered on file with us is your personal email (i.e. not an email that is shared with anyone else, or a ‘work’ email). This will help ensure that any medical information, appointment notices, referral content, etc. is not intercepted by any other individual or third-party.

    Additional advice from other reputable sources:

    Privacy Commissioner of Canada

    NPR

    Microsoft

The End of an Era: We’re Closing Our Main Email Inbox

In the nearly 10 years since the inception of Magenta Health, approximately 400,000 incoming emails have been received, read, and handled by our amazing team.

We’re at the end of this era - as of today, we’re closing our email inbox, which means emails sent there will no longer be received. Instead,

  • patients are asked to initiate inquiries and requests via their physician’s personal homepage.

  • third-parties and non-patients are asked to initiate inquiries via our homepage.

  • it remains an option to call our staff during regular business hours.

Why this change?

It’s to preserve the capacity of family doctors to provide timely and high quality care.

We’ve shared for many years that giving patients the option to send us emails has been extremely challenging. The volume of messages, the complexity of messages, and mismatched expectations are all aspects of the problem. We’ve tried many different strategies to address the issue, none with great success.

At this point, incoming emails has become the most frustrating part of the job for many Magenta Health physicians. It takes away from time better spent talking to patients directly. It leads to miscommunication and mismatched expectations. It detracts from the continued delivery of high quality care.

Does this mean no more written correspondence?

No - we’ll still be using written correspondence for all the reasons discussed in our patient communication policy and our technology use policy. We continue to think written correspondence has a key role.

For example, Magenta Health physicians still plan to send outgoing written messages to patients because there’s many different situations where that’s the best mode of communication. And in many cases, physicians will explicitly invite (or even require) a written response.

What’s ending is the ability to send us emails in an unrestricted way, anytime, anywhere, of any length. The replacement tool has been in place for a few months now - patients can still respond (or initiate) in writing in some situations, just not through email.

Why is a physician homepage better than email?

Our physician homepages have been designed to act like virtual receptionists. They can answer many common questions, and if it can’t, it directs patients to the right option for them in the circumstances. For example:

Ask it “I’d like a referral to a dermatologist”. It will automatically explain why an appointment is important, and take you to the appropriate booking page:

Alternatively, ask it for “I’d like a sick note”. It will explain when you can submit a written request vs. when you should book an appointment:

Email lacks these nuances. Anyone can choose to send an email anytime - and, in practice they do. 3AM emails advising “I might be having a heart attack, what should I do?” are unfortunately far more frequent than one might think.

There may be some hiccups these coming weeks as we all adjust to a new normal. For example, there will be situations where we sent a message within the last month via the old email address, inviting a response, and yet this email address no longer accepts replies.

We’ve done our best to establish a transition plan that minimizes these issues.

We thank you for your patience and understanding; we believe this change will help ensure we can continue to serve our community effectively and to the highest standards in the years to come.