General
January 2025 Newsletter
The Midtown Pediatrics team would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2025! We are now settled in our new location and making great use of the space. We look forward to seeing you here at 491 Lawrence Avenue West, Suite 201, located on the southeast corner of Bathurst.
We would like to share some updates with you.
THE TEAM
Front desk staff
Maddy, Jessica, and Anne (who will be back from maternity leave in February)
Nurses
Emilee, Sally, and Grace
Paediatricians
Drs. Nessa Bayer, Tara Gelman, Tamar Flanders, Daniel Wang, and Susan Sugarman Kirsch
We have recently welcomed a new paediatrician to our team. Dr. Susan Sugarman Kirsch is taking new patients and will be available to see children who need same day appointments when their own doctor is not in.
Specialists
Allergy: Drs. Tracy Pitt and Pinkal Patel
Endocrine: Dr. Rachel Parker
CHECK-IN
We have added check-in kiosks to help streamline the check in process. When you arrive at the office, please proceed to the kiosks for check in. Feel free to ask our staff if you have any questions. Please arrive 10 minutes early for all appointments – this will allow time for check in and completion of any questionnaires that might be required by the doctors. Health cards are required for Kiosk check in – please ensure all health cards and valid and up to date in our system.
APPOINTMENT REMINDERS AND ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRES
Appointment reminders are generally sent by email and occasionally by phone. Please make sure your email address and telephone numbers are up to date in our system. Also please read your email reminders carefully. These emails can include instructions about your upcoming appointment or other helpful information. There may also be a questionnaire attached to the email appointment reminder. We encourage you to complete these in advance so that check in on the day of your appointment is more efficient and streamlined.
PARKING
There is ample neighbourhood parking available. Please arrive early to find parking and make sure to follow city parking signs.
WINTER SEASON
During the winter season please remove wet boots and park all strollers in the designated stroller parking area in the waiting room. This will help ensure dry floors for everyone.
INFECTION CONTROL
Please continue to wear a mask if you or any family members are sick.
APPOINTMENTS
Annual Health and Well Baby Visits
Annual health examinations are recommended for all children aged 2-18 years. If it has been over a year since your child’s last examination, please contact our office to schedule their next appointment. For an outline of the frequency of well baby visits and immunizations, please visit our website. We recommend that you schedule appointments well in advance to get your desired date and time.
Sick Visits
If your child is sick and needs to be seen, it is best to email ([email protected]) or call (416-489-3273) early in the day. We do our best to accommodate as many same day sick appointments as possible. We are unable to accommodate walk-ins – please schedule an appointment. If you are hoping to add another child to a scheduled appointment time, please book a separate appointment for any additional children.
LATE ARRIVAL AND NO SHOWS
Patients arriving more than 20 minutes late for their appointment will not be seen.
If you are unable to attend your appointment please cancel within 24 hours of your appointment.
There is a charge for no shows.
SEASONAL VACCINES
RSV Vaccine
If you have a baby under 12 months of age, they are eligible for the RSV vaccine until the end of RSV season in April. If your child isn’t vaccinated yet, please contact us to schedule an appointment.
Flu shot
Flu shots are still available. If your child has not yet had their flu shot this season, please contact us to schedule an appointment. Our supply fluctuates, so we will be offering flu shots when available. Flu shots are also available at your local pharmacy.
COVID vaccines
We are not supplied with the COVID vaccines but do recommend it as part of the Public Health guidelines. These should be available at your local pharmacy.
AFTER HOURS
In the case of a true emergency call 911 or go directly to your nearest Emergency Department.
Telehealth Ontario is available 24 hours a day for medical advice at 1-866-797-0000.
Kindercare After Hours Urgent Care (formerly Kid-E-Care), Suite 201 – 25 Industrial Street, 416-860-6696, urgent.care@
Willowdale Children’s After Hours Clinic, 1100 Sheppard Avenue East (416-250-5000)
Danforth Children’s After Hours Clinic, 235 Danforth Ave (416-461-3000)
Just for Kids Clinic, St. Joe’s Hospital, 30 The Queensway (416-530-6611)
UNINSURED SERVICES
Some services, including letters and forms, certain vaccines, chart summaries, and replacement immunization cards are not covered by OHIP. Prices are determined by the Ontario Medical Association. Payment for these services are charged directly to the patient. For the costs of individual services, please ask our staff.
WEBSITE AND EMAIL
Please visit us at www.midtownpediatrics.ca. You will find news updates, flu clinic details, online resources and more. You can also contact us through the website or by email ([email protected]) for administrative purposes only. We do not address any medical concerns over email. If you have documents to share with your doctor please let our staff know and they can assist you in sending your document securely.
It continues to be a privilege for us to care for your children and we look forward to continuing to work together in 2025.
Happy New year!