At the moment Dr. Wellwood and Dr. Sabine are not accepting new patients. If you are looking for a family doctor, please register with the Nova Scotia Family Practice Registry.
Both Drs. Wellwood and Sabine have same day appointments available. We recognize the importance for patients to have timely access to their family doctor.
If all the same day appointments are filled, you may be directed to a local after-hours clinic at the Eastern Kings Memorial (EKM) Community Health Centre or Western Kings Memorial (WKM) Health Centre. If the clinical scenario indicates a need for emergency level care, you should seek assessment at Valley Regional Hospital Emergency Department.
Appointments are scheduled for 15 minutes. Certain appointments do require a longer visit: these include some visits such as 1st prenatal visits, certain medical examinations, and/or procedures. If you think your appointment requires more than 15 minutes, please discuss this with your doctor. Due to MSI constraints, most visits are only available in 15 mins allotments.
Your doctor reviews and interprets all your test results. We will call if your result is ABNORMAL and the doctor needs to see you to discuss a treatment plan. Unless previously discussed, we don’t call for normal results; however, we encourage you to request a review of your results at your next scheduled appointment. You are always free to contact the office to book an appointment to review any tests that you have done.
If you have any forms that you need the doctor to fill out, please bring them into the office as soon as you receive them. Form completion can take up to 60 days. Please make sure that all areas that pertain to you (e.g., name, health care number, address, signed consent etc.) are filled out before handing them in. Please note that there is usually a charge for completion of forms.
Upon arrival for your appointment, please check in at the front desk with your health card. Please bring your health card to every visit. If your address or phone number has changed, please advise reception staff when checking in.
It is necessary for our staff to ask questions regarding the nature of your visit in order to assess your needs and the urgency of your appointment as well as to enable the practitioner to prepare for your visit. Our team members are trained to follow the policies provided by your physician and all information is held strictly confidential. If you feel uncomfortable divulging the reason for your appointment, please simply tell our staff that it is for personal reasons.
If you book your appointment with your doctor, you will see your doctor. However, sometimes you will see another member of our interdisciplinary team such as a nurse or social worker when a doctor’s services are not required. You may also see another doctor on the team if your own doctor is away or unavailable at the time of your appointment. Whenever this happens, the other doctor will have your full medical history available in order to provide you with continuous, integrated care.
Yes, please! The people you care about and who care about you can provide valuable information and support for you during your appointment. Specifically, we would be pleased to hear their concerns or observations. Please let us know when you book your appointment that you will be bringing someone with you. Quite often, we will ask to see you one-on-one for a portion of the visit. At this point, the person that comes with you will be asked to step out of the room.
Patient privacy is of great importance to us. Our collaborative team and staff are committed to strict confidentiality and staff are regularly educated on PHIA (The Personal Health Information Act governs the collection, use, disclosure, retention, disposal and destruction of personal health information).
As a collaborative practice, members of the care team other than your primary care provider may be directed to access your chart in order to provide the best care. For example, your primary care provider may ask one of our family practice nurses to follow up with you regarding a particular test result or clinical concern.
If you are unable to attend an appointment we ask that you give us as much notice as possible. The clinic policy requires 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule your appointment or a fee will be charged. We will take into consideration emergency situations.
Please bring your medications in their original prescription bottles. Also, if requested, bring blood sugar or blood pressure readings from home. If planning an in-office injection, bring the required vaccines/medications for this procedure with you.
Please review your prescription needs prior to each booked appointment so that these can be addressed at the time of your visit. In-office medication review is preferred to ensure that your medical condition is properly addressed; however, if you’re unable to come in, prescription refills can be requested by phone. Medication refills unaccompanied by a visit are an uninsured service. The fee for this service is $10. Patients of Dr. Sabine may also request refills online via MyHealthNS messaging.
For non-emergency health information, please call 811 to speak with a Registered Nurse. If you have an emergency, please call 911. The Mental Health Crisis Line operates 24/7 at 1-888-429-8167.
An after-hours clinic is located next to our office building at the Eastern Kings Memorial Community Health Centre (EKMCHC). This is available 6 days a week.
EKMCHC Hours:
Monday – Friday: 5:00pm to 9:00pm.
Sunday: 10:00am to 5:00pm (the Sunday clinic is closed from July 1 – early September)
In Berwick there is another after-hours clinic at the Western Kings Memorial Health Centre (WKMHC).
WKMHC Hours:
Monday – Friday: 5:00pm to 9:00pm.
Saturday: 10:00am to 5:00pm