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Me'Chosen Medical booth at FMF national family doctor annual convention
The office featured a booth at the 2024 annual College of Family Physicians of Canada's Family Medicine Forum. The team connected with hundreds of physicians, students, and residents from across the country, helping them to learn about the opportunities to fill the need for family physicians to care for the fast-growing population in southern Vancouver Island communities. (From left to right: Stella, Jessica, Austin, Piper, Robert, Roxie, Boomer, and Beau)
5K footrace for health promotion
Some office team members woke up early to take part in the 5K race held as part of the Victoria Marathon, to help encourage exercise as part of a healthy active lifestyle. The race route carved along the beach of downtown Victoria, against a backdrop of the day's stunner of a sunrise over the Pacific Ocean.
Metchosin Community Day pineapple return
To help celebrate the return of in-person Metchosin Community Day, one of the medical office waiting room's pineapples was featured in the annual Produce and Veggies contest.
Cervical self-test kits are now available for pick up
Cervical self-test kits are a new way to screen for cervical cancer, as an alternative route for routine pap smear testing. To increase access, patients can now pick up a kit from here at the medical office, to take home and test. Click here for more information from BC Cancer about home cervical kits.
Clinic room upgrades complete
The clinic rooms completed their robust upgrades. Features include room-specific thermostats, full-spectrum LED lighting, even more seismic engineering, vaulted ceilings, enhanced noise dampening, and bigger windows. The office is also now completely free of fossil-fuel heating, with hydronic radiant heat courtesy of a new high-capacity air-to-water heat pump system. Next up for the years ahead is solar panels onto the roof, to run the clinic completely on sunshine. Click here for a tour of the newly upgraded rooms.
New reception front desk
A new custom desk was created for the front reception area using: two locally-milled live-edge cedar trunks, parts of a metal cabinet, a bamboo table top and some scrap stainless steel.
Me'Chosen Medical celebrates 10 years
Me'Chosen Medical celebrated its first 10 years of helping patients in the southern Vancouver Island communities. A cake was decorated, featuring a leaf that was trimmed from one of the lemon trees out in front of the office.
Welcoming the Me'Chosen Medical contest winners
Dr. Ramnik Bath and Larisha Basilantony were the lucky winners of a pair of one-way plane tickets to Victoria, from anywhere in Canada. They won the eagle-eyed contest that Me'Chosen Medical ran at the annual College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) Family Medicine Forum (FMF) conference. Ramnik and Larisha popped by the medical office to visit, as part of their tour of southern Vancouver Island.
Cardiologist Dr. Gladstone visiting clinic at Me'Chosen Medical
Dr. Peter Gladstone (at left in photo), a cardiologist in Victoria, has started a visiting clinic for cardiac patients, here in Metchosin. It is currently held every three months, usually on a Friday. As teaching faculty, Dr. Gladstone also sometimes brings along a medical student or resident, for example Dr. Naweed (at right in photo).
Me'Chosen Medical at Family Medicine Forum 2020
Me'Chosen Medical attended the 2020 Canadian national conference for family physicians, in its inaugural digital experience. More information at Virtual FMF 2020.
Dr. Hyams specialized clinic for FM, CFS and Lyme at Me'Chosen Medical
Welcome to Dr. Ian Hyams and medical office assistant Jennifer Blum, who have begun providing a visiting clinic, for Vancouver Island patients with FM/CFS/Lyme, so that they can access treatment expertise locally. More information at Hyams Clinic.
'CoVictory' garden completed
With CoVid, families are having more time to grow their own food at home in their yard. There is now a 'CoVictory' garden on the pathway to the office, to help patients who are new to growing their own vegetables.
Coronavirus protocols are in place
The office has introduced coronavirus protections. Telephone, video, in-person and housecall appointments are all available. For respiratory conditions, there is a second, separate entrance which leads directly to a negative-pressure isolation room. Office managers are able to work remotely from home. Staff have full gown/mask/glove PPE as needed. Masks are available to arriving patients who need one. Magazines and toys have been set aside. In-person appointments are buffered in both time and space. Patients can enjoy the outdoor waiting room. The nurse is also able to do injections outdoors or in-vehicle as desired by the patient.
Me'Chosen Medical booth awarded 'Most Innovative' at national family doctor annual convention
The approximately 4000 Canadian family physicians who attend the national annual Family Medicine Forum (FMF) voted to select the Me'Chosen Medical booth as this year's most innovative. Congrats to the team and community for the achievement! Read the newspaper article for full details.
Ocean soundtrack now available
The looped soundtracks for the ocean beach in front of the office are now available as downloadable MP3s. These are available for those requesting them for their phones to help with noises interrupting sleep. There are two soundtracks listed below to choose from (can right click and choose 'Save Link As...' to download):
Three foot waves
Calm waters
Blue ribbon at Metchosin Day fair
The office garnered a blue ribbon for best pineapple and citrus basket in Metchosin Day's produce and vegetables contest. The pineapple was donated to be a draw prize for participants in the Metchosin Day annual 5km run, and went home to its new adoptive owner.
Presentation at 2018 Family Medicine Forum
Dr. O'Connor attended the 2018 Family Medicine Forum in Toronto, with the research poster entitled Wither the Office Plant: Growing plant-based foods inside the family practice office.
Electrocautery now available
Electrocautery is now available in the office. This allows removing pathologic skin lesions with electricity.
Fruit greenhouse online
Spring has sprung. To help encourage consideration of implementing a plant-based whole-food diet to reduce some burden of chronic diseases, there is a new greenhouse next to the patient parking lot. The initial crop is lemons, limes, Chilean guavas, as well as some starter plants.
Presenting at national family physician conference
Dr. Robert O'Connor, Dr. Pete Hobza and Jazlin Mayhue attended and presented their research at the Family Medicine Forum in Vancouver. The Family Medicine Forum is the annual National conference for Canadian family physicians. The research caught the attention of the editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), who was in attendance, who invited the team to share it more widely, so here it is at CMAJ blogs.
Kody joins the team
Kody the Kodiak has joined the team. Hand-carved in Metchosin, he welcomes young and old on the way to the office. Many thanks to sculptor Dave for the kind addition.
First pineapple harvest complete
The first batch of office-grown pineapples have been harvested. Eaten one day in the office, the pineapples taste a bit zestier than ones from the grocery store.
Housecall bike wins 'Best Bike Accessory' at Metchosin Day
Metchosin Day now has a section for bicycles, including ribbons in various categories, helping to promote healthy bicycling in the community. The year's best bike accessory went to the housecall's bike custom built rack, that snaps to a modded detachable doctors bag, so that opthalmoscopes and other tools don't fall off en route to a housecall. Thanks to Al Bergman for the custom welding and fabrication. Competition in Metchosin for best bike accessory was not as tight as the battle for best pie, yet.
Housecall bicycle is complete
Al Bergman, of Berg Bikes, has completed construction of the housecall bicycle. It was picked up from his home-based wheelchair-accessible manufacturing shop in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island.
Handcrafted all-wood exam tables arrive
Two handcrafted examination tables arrived for the office. Built by hand by a local carpenter, the tables feature all-wood construction in the stirrups, drawers, and sliding platforms.
Dr. Seuss: Quilt donation
Upon hearing of the donated Dr. Seuss 'Cat In the Hat', Christien Shipton, a Sooke quilter kindly opted to create a custom, handmade Dr. Seuss quilt. The quilt was given to Dr. O'Connor to deliver for the special needs children of the area. It was delivered in September to the Children's Health Foundation of Vancouver Island at their motorcar gathering fundraiser.
Five-millionth cruise ship passenger cruises by medical office
Today marked the five-millionth passenger into Ogden Point in Victoria. The ship carrying the passenger cruised through the glimmering waters in front of the medical office, enjoying the summer day.
Times Colonist coverage.
Baby eaglets are born on Delgada Road nest
There is a resident bald eagle nest on Delgada Road, a few doors up from the office driveway toward Metchosin Road. If you listen for the peeping, then look closely with the binoculars, you can see the camouflaged baby eaglet (circled in red) poking out of edge of the nest.
Rotating local artwork arrives
The hanging system is up, allowing artwork on office walls to change every few weeks. If you are a local artist, and interested in having your work featured, please drop a line!
'Cat In The Hat' comes back To Victoria's Children's Hospital
Dr. O'Connor played a small part in helping out the kids and team at the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children's Health recover part of their cultural history. Further details at:
Victoria Times Colonist
Victoria News
A followup letter from someone who was a patient at the Solarium in the 1950s
Dr. Dan and Dr. Joan win Citizens of the Year
Congratulations to Metchosin physicians Dr. Dan O'Connell and Dr. Joan Rosenberg for their well-earned award, recognizing their many years of service!
Rural medicine presentation
A presentation on rural medicine at the Metchosin Community Hall was successful with members of community filling the aisles of the small venue. Thanks to the many organizers and attendees who helped make it a success!
Victoria 8K road race
While awaiting to start the new practice in Metchosin, Dr. O'Connor completed the Victoria 8K road race, through downtown Victoria. Dr. O'Connor used this special performance-enhancing-garment to reach his goal of a Top 80 finish in the Victoria 8K. By this, he means he was able to top the finish times of some of the 80-year-olds.