Location & Contact

How do I contact my doctor?

Non-urgent:

• Phone lines are open Monday to Fridays, 9 am to 5 pm and closed from 12 – 1 pm.
• Please note that you will not hear a ring tone; instead listen to the telephone tree before making your selection. (“5” to reach the staff)
• OR  you can email us anytime at kitsfamilypractice@gmail.com.  
  We endeavour to reply within 24 hours or the next office day. If you do not receive a reply, please call or email again.  
• Emails are only checked during office hours.

Urgent:

• During office hours: CALL our office to speak with reception. (PRESS “5”) or EMAIL and type “URGENT” in the subject line. We respond within the day/hour.
• During lunch hour and after-hours:  Call our office and listen to the phone tree. Make the selection to speak with the physician-on-call.  Drs. Chen, Liu, and Su rotate call one week at a time.   You should expect a call within 30 minutes. If you do not receive a response, page again.

Reminder: After-hours service (evenings, weekends, STAT holidays)

• Emails are NOT monitored outside of office hours, so please PAGE us if you have an urgent concern which you feel should not/cannot wait until the office opens next.
• How to page the on-call doctor? Call our office number and listen to the prompts.  There is one option for our office patients, and another option for maternity patients.
• Even if you have the personal number/email for your doctor, PLEASE respect your physician’s personal time and call the ON-CALL PHYSICIAN.  We take turns (one week at a time) covering ALL patient calls after hours. 

 Should I attend a walk-in-clinic or virtual walk-in-clinic?

• No, we would prefer that you contact us first if you have a medical concern (including paging us after-hours). We realize that some of you live quite far from our clinic and therefore the walk-in clinic option is easier. 
• Continuity of care is important in achieving better health outcomes.  We can provide better care to you because we know you and your medical history. We can also provide follow-up as needed. 
• If you must attend a walk-in-clinic, please request that your records and investigation reports be forwarded to us, in order to maintain continuity of care.

But what if I cannot see my own family physician anyway? Why would it matter if I went to another clinic?

• All the doctors in our office share the same electronic medical record (EMR) –  meaning that each visit is added to your medical history giving your care provider a full picture of your health concerns, medication list, etc.  Again, continuity of care is important in helping us to help you.

I’ve tried calling your office many times and I CANNOT get through. I am frustrated! What else can I do?

• There are 4 ways to contact us or book an appointment depending on urgency:
  1. By Telephone 604-733-5181. Listen to the phone tree. To reach reception directly, press “5”.
  2. By Email: kitsfamilypractice@gmail.com
  3. By Online portal: Ocean Booking Portal
  4. IF URGENT – page the doctor on-call after hours (604-733-5181 and listen)

• When you call the office – LISTEN TO THE TELEPHONE TREE and listen to all the options. 
• It may be more efficient for you to email us at kitsfamilypractice@gmail.com. We try to respond within one office day.
• After hours and during lunch hour, patients have the option of paging the on-call physician.
• For all non-urgent requests, you can email us.

What can I do if I try to book on-line, but I cannot find any available appointment slots?

• If you have any concerns, please call or email the office! We will always try our best to accommodate urgent concerns and book you with the first available physician if urgent. 
• During office hours – if you cannot reach the receptionist, email us at kitsfamilypractice@gmail.com.  

Are you taking on new patients?

• No, sorry!  Each of our physicians are busy with more-than-full practices, and the only way to maintain quality of care and timely access is to limit the number of patients in our practices. 
• Please use the following link to help you locate a family doctor in your area: https://www.findadoctorbc.ca