Patient Information & Administrative Policies
At Horizon Family Medicine, our goal is to provide top quality medical care through a “Medical Home” model. In order to accomplish this goal, we have had to implement the following clinical administrative policies and procedures.
Appointment Booking Best Practice
To facilitate a smooth and efficient patient check in process, the clinic strongly encourages patients to have the following information available:
- Patient Picture ID (to confirm identity and prevent fraud)
- Provincial Health Care Card #
- Patient current mailing address and related phone numbers
- Emergency contact information including Next of Kin
If a patient is unable to provide a current provincial health care card or the health number cannot be verified, the patient will be required to pay for the visit (which may be refunded once health care coverage approved). Office staff will also require payment of any outstanding invoices or charges before medical visit can occur.
It is also very helpful for patients to inform clinic staff of the particular concern or medical reason for the scheduled appointment during appointment booking process. This will facilitate required medical equipment, potential supplies or pre-appointment preparation to be ready upon the start of the patient appointment.
Horizon Family Medicine serves patients from all across Central Alberta and even as far as Edmonton and Calgary on a regular basis. All our physicians have shared access to Horizon Family Medicine patient medical charts via the clinic electronic medical record database and therefore are able to efficiently serve patients accordingly.
Narcotic Medications
Any medical services relating to the issue of narcotics should be dealt with through a scheduled appointment with a patient’s family physician. If a timely appointment with the patient’s family physician cannot be accommodated, the patient may utilize the clinic’s “Urgent Access” and see another Horizon physician. However, the patient must have a signed Narcotic Agreement with their family physician in the clinic’s EMR database.
Prescription Renewals
Horizon Family Medicine patients must personally renew prescriptions by appointment with their family physician or through the clinic’s “Urgent Access”.
Alternatively, you may contact your pharmacy and ask them to fax a renewal request to your physician. Your physician will review the request to ensure it can be appropriately renewed without an office visit.
Tests and Results
Referrals to Specialists
Following some patient visits, referrals will be made to Specialists when the physician deems necessary. Following written referral to Specialist, patient will be contacted by Horizon staff or the specialist’s office with regards to the date and time. If the specialist requires a patient to call and confirm the appointment and this is not done, the appointment may be cancelled by the specialist.
Cancellation of a Scheduled Appointment
In order to be respectful of the medical needs other Horizon Family Medicine patients, please be courteous and call the clinic if you are unable to attend a scheduled appointment. This appointment slot will be reallocated to another patient who is in urgent need of treatment.
If it is necessary to cancel your scheduled appointment, the clinic requires that you contact the clinic via phone a minimum of two (2) hours before the booked appointment time.
If an appointment is not cancelled prior to the above time frame, the late cancellation will be considered a “No-Show”. Appointments are in very high demand, and your early cancellation will give another patient the possibility to have access to timely medical care.
No-Show Policy
A “No-Show” is a patient who misses an appointment without prior cancellation of a minimum of two hours before booked appointment time. No-Shows inconvenience and restrict those patients who need critical access to medical care in a timely manner and are costly to the medical practice.
Regular appointments: A failure to present to the clinic reception at the time of a scheduled regular family practice appointment will be recorded in the patients’ electronic chart as a No-Show. In the event of a second No-Show, an administrative fee of $50.00 will be applied and fully payable before further booked or “Urgent Access” appointments may occur. Three No-Shows will unfortunately result in the patient’s dismissal from the medical practice.
Other appointments: The following are the representative fees for a failure to present to the clinic reception at the time of a scheduled appointment. The fee is fully payable before further appointments may occur.
No-Show for: |
Cost |
| Complete Physical | $80 |
| Meet & Greet Appointment | $80 |
| Consult Appointment | $80 |
| First Prenatal Appointment | $80 |
If a patient feels there are special or extraordinary circumstances related to a No-Show visit or dismissal from the practice, the patient may request a review by the administrative staff and that patient’s family physician. To submit an appeal of your No-Show, please email: noshow@horizonmedicine.ca.
Late Arrival Policy
The physicians of Horizon Family Medicine are extremely busy and see many patients during a clinical day. Therefore, if a patient is more than fifteen (15) minutes late for a scheduled appointment, please be aware that there is a possibility they may not be seen by their doctor that day. Being seen for your appointment will be left to the discretion of your physician based on the nature of your concern and the doctor’s schedule that particular day.
Horizon Patient “Urgent Access”
For best continuity of care, patients of the clinic are strongly encouraged to book appointments with their respective family physician in an ongoing basis. However, in an effort to provide the convenience of more timely medical care for our patients, Horizon Family Medicine offers an “Urgent Access” clinic. All of our physicians rotate through this “Urgent Access” schedule.
In the best interests of maintaining balance in the Urgent Access schedule as well as best managing daily patient flow, the clinic will refrain from communicating via phone which physician is working in Urgent Access on a particular day. As mentioned above, all our physicians have shared access to Horizon Family Medicine patient medical charts via the clinic electronic medical record database.
Urgent Access visits are provided on a first come, first served basis. However, clinic staff will do their best to triage Horizon rostered patients according to presented medical situations and emergencies will be given priority. These include chest pain, bleeding, shortness of breath, severe allergic reaction, and fainting/dizziness.
Note that Urgent Access wait times given by staff are best estimates and may vary depending on current type of patient visits and triage process. The clinic strongly encourages patients to check the clinic home page for Urgent Access Wait times, or after 4 pm to phone Horizon to inquire regarding current wait times prior to arriving at the clinic. This is because the Urgent Access clinic may, in certain situations, no longer be taking patients for that evening unless under the medical situations and emergencies listed above.
Life-threatening Emergencies
For life-threatening and/or medical emergencies, please go to the nearest hospital emergency department or call 911 immediately.
For after-clinic hours telephone health advice please phone HEALTHLink Alberta by dialing 811, or 1 866 408-5465.
Code of Conduct
In an effort to provide a safe and healthy environment for medical staff, patients and their families, Horizon Family Medicine expects visitors, patients and accompanying family members to refrain from unacceptable behaviors and inappropriate verbal dialogue that is disruptive or poses a threat to the rights or safety of other patients and staff. If any members are subjected to unwarranted or unacceptable behavior or language, please report to the Staff Supervisor.. Patients in violation are subject to removal from the clinic facility and/or discharge from the medical practice. Our end goal is to work together to provide excellent patient care in a suitable environment. Thank you for your cooperation.
Clinic, Staff or Physician Feedback
Since the clinic strives to provide excellent patient care and service, we appreciate patient feedback that will assist in attaining exceptional patient care. To provide this feedback, please contact the clinic administrative team at feedback@horizonmedicine.ca.
Uninsured Patient Services
Uninsured patient services are medical services not paid for by provincial health care. These services include:
- Third Party Insurance Forms and Reports
- Government Agency Reports
- Driver’s Medical Reports
- School and Employment related reports and forms
- Medical Procedures and injections
- Various clinical administrative charges
Horizon Family Medicine has based the clinic’s uninsured patient services price list on current Alberta Medical Association fee guidelines. Patients are encouraged to check in advance with staff whether a particular service request is uninsured.
School and Work Forms |
Cost |
| School Requested Reports | $100.00 to $150.00 |
| Sick Note | $20.00 |
| Pre-Employment Medical Exam and Report | $300.00 |
| Driver’s Medical (to be booked with Family Physician) | $150.00 |
Medical Procedures |
Cost |
| Circumcision | $300.00 |
| PA Matrixectomy | $150.00 |
| Bunionectomy | $200.00 |
| Wart Treatment + Histofreezer application (non-AHC insured) | $40.00 |
| Cosmetic Skin Biopsies / Removals | $100.00 to $150.00 |
| Steroid Injections | $25.00 |
Other |
Cost |
| Uninsured Office Visit (Regular visit minimum cost) | $60.00 |
| Uninsured Office Visit (Complete physical minimum cost) | $150.00 |
| Missed Booked Appointment – No Show | $50.00 |
| Missed Complete Physical Appointment – No Show | $80.00 |
| Missed Booked Appointment – No Show (1st Prenatal) | $80.00 |
| Patient Chart Transfer (Minimum Charge) | $30.00 |
| Travel Medicine Consult | $75.00 |
| Adoption Medicals | $125.00 |
Horizon Family Medicine accepts cash, debit, VISA or Mastercard for payment of uninsured services.
Clinic, Staff or Physician Feedback
Since the clinic strives to provide excellent patient care and service, we appreciate patient feedback that will assist in attaining top quality patient care. To provide this feedback, please email the clinic administrative team at feedback@horizonmedicine.ca.
