Weller Clinic

Primary health care services are available at 263 Weller Ave. We are currently at capacity, but will take on unattached patients who are pregnant (for prenatal care). We are currently unable to take on any other patients, including children under five years of age.

The primary health care team includes:

• Nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians
• A dietitian
• A diabetes educator
• Social workers
• An occupational therapist
• A foot care nurse

Medical students, nursing students, and resident physicians also work at the Weller clinic at times throughout the year. They are supervised by our nurse practitioners and/or physicians.

Sexual health

Our practitioners are available for sexual health appointments for the following services:

• STI screening
• Contraception
• IUD/IUS insertion; Nexplanon insertion
• Emergency contraception
• Pregnancy testing
• Pap test
• Medical abortion/abortion pill (please contact clinic and speak to one of our nurses as timing is important for this medication)

Oral and transdermal contraceptives available at cost for clients of the sexual health clinic, and all other services are free. Clinic care is open to all, and is always confidential and non-judgmental.

Sexual health appointments available through KCHC are intended for individuals that currently do not have a family doctor or do not have access to medical service providers. If you are a Queen’s University, St. Lawrence College or Royal Military College student, please consult your institution’s student sexual health services (e.g., Queen’s Student Wellness Services, St. Lawrence College Kingston Campus Health Centre).

When booking IUD insertions, please note the following:

• Mirena IUDs are now effective for 8 years (but can be changed earlier if you have excessive bleeding)
• Kyleena IUDs are effective for 5 years
• Insertion is easier when you are having your period
• Eat before your appointment
• Take two ibuprofen before your appointment
• Consider bringing someone supportive with you

To book a sexual health appointment, call 613.542.2949, x4, or:

Quick test clinic

If you’re simply looking for chlamydia and gonorrhea testing and don’t have any STI symptoms (e.g. discharge, pelvic or testicular pain or sores on your genitals), the Quick Test Clinic might be right for you. There is no health care provider at this clinic. You simply fill out a form and give a sample.

Quick testing available at Weller on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.

No appointment necessary

Please note that Queen’s Student Wellness Services also offers quick testing for STIs. For a list of other sites offering quick testing, visit the KFL&A Public Health website.

Prenatal and Obstetrical Care

We offer prenatal care and obstetrical services. Prenatal care is offered by nurse practitioners and physicians, and clients will be referred for delivery to one of our physicians, an obstetrician, or a midwife. Clients who do not have a family doctor can see our nurse practitioner for prenatal care through the sexual health clinic, but will be referred to a physician or obstetrician later in their pregnancy for late prenatal care and delivery. We have two physicians who offer obstetrical delivery care, and referrals can be made to them by your family doctor.

Occupational Therapy

Anyone can access occupational therapy services. You can self-refer or you can have a health care practitioner refer you.

Occupational therapists help people develop skills needed for day-to-day activities when skills are lost or reduced due to injury, illness, mental illness, chronic disease, or other health conditions. Working with people, occupational therapists find solutions through therapy programs, showing new ways of doing things, making changes to your home, school or workplace, or prescribing equipment to make tasks easier.

Smoking Cessation

The Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) program is offered at all three of our primary sites, and offers counselling support and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) at no cost to patients wishing to quit smoking cigarettes. It is funded by the Government of Ontario as part of the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy.

You have four times greater chance of quitting using NRT than trying to quit cold turkey. Using NRT decreases withdrawal symptoms like irritability and cravings for nicotine. Nicotine patches, gum, inhaler, lozenges, and mouth spray are available as needed for 26 weeks at no cost to you.

KCHC offers one-on-one support with a staff member trained in helping people quit smoking cigarettes. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you can make an appointment as well. If you join the program, you will discuss your quit plan with a staff member and get started with NRT. You will meet for appointments every two to four weeks to talk about what is working and what is not working for you. All information is private and confidential.

You do not need a referral: if you are eligible, you can book an appointment yourself. To be eligible, you must have an OHIP card and live in Ontario, and you must be a current smoker or have quit smoking cigarettes within the last month. If you are under 16, we will need a parent or guardian’s consent. If you are part of a Family Health Team (FHT) that offers STOP, you should access this program via your FHT. If you have participated in the STOP program in the past, it must have been at least one year since you were last enrolled.

Give us a call to see if you are eligible to participate by calling 613.542.2949 x4 (Weller), 613.549.1440 (Barrack), or 613.354.8937 (Napanee).

More information on STOP

Counselling

Counselling and therapy services are offered to individuals, couples and families living in Kingston, who are patients, clients, or participants in KCHC programs. In addition, a variety of groups are offered on an occasional basis which encourage and promote skill development in the areas of self-care, wellness and the management of powerful emotions. Clients may be referred or self-refer for these services. There may be a waiting list at times for counselling services.

Foot Care

Our registered practical nurse provides foot care, including nail and other treatments, to residents of the Kingston area for significant health problems, such as: reduced mobility, dexterity, flexibility, reduced sensation in feet, diabetes, poor eye sight as seen in macular degeneration, reduced flexibility as seen in back injuries, obesity, or diseases of feet and toenails.

Clients can be referred by their medical practitioner or can self-refer. Participants in our Living Well with Diabetes class will also be offered an assessment visit if they fit the above criteria. The foot care nurse will book an assessment visit as space becomes available and plan care following that visit. Not all clients who are assessed will be offered ongoing care.

Nutrition Services

Our dietitian offers nutrition counselling and healthy eating information in a variety of ways:

• Individual counselling for people who want one-on-one advice about specific nutrition issues such as prenatal and infant nutrition, weight management, food allergies, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hepatitis, digestive issues, and more.
• Group programs for people with similar health problems such as pre-diabetes, diabetes and high cholesterol. Call for more information regarding the groups that are currently running (613.542.2949).

If you cannot access a dietitian through your family health team, you may self-refer or ask your health care practitioner for a referral. Clients and participants must live in the Kingston area or be a client of Kingston Community Health Centres.

Ongoing groups:

Practical Assistance

This program offers practical advice, information referral, and connects individuals and families with appropriate resources within the community. Rooted in establishing connection between the client and supports to help address unmet social health needs, this program offers assistance around housing, income security, food security, transportation, literacy, and social isolation.

For more information, contact 613.542.2949 ext. 2143 or [email protected]

Social Prescribing, Community Referrals, and Community Connections

KCHC recognizes that a person’s health outcomes and wellbeing are determined not only by the clinical aspects covered through team-based health care, but also by social opportunities and connection to community. As such, KCHC clinicians and community development workers work together to connect clients to local community groups. This is possible through various partnerships with community-based organizations and free-of-charge engagement opportunities, including both activity/program and volunteering opportunities. 

Social prescribing is a non-medical service linked to improving overall physical and mental health outcomes while also allowing patients to build more meaningful connections around them. Examples of social prescriptions include recreational programs, walking groups, coffee mornings, creativity conversations, art programs, community gardens, support groups, newcomer assistance, or anything in between. Our community connections and referrals take all barriers to accessing services into consideration, whether they are geographical, economical, interpersonal or psychological.  No referral is needed to meet with a social prescribing worker.

Volunteering at KCHC 

Through establishing community connections and engaging in meaningful work, volunteering has been associated with positive impact on community sense of belonging, mental health, and general wellbeing. KCHC intentionally builds volunteering opportunities in a way that aligns and optimizes the social prescribing program. See here to find volunteer positions: https://kchc.ca/about/volunteering/. 

Infosheet: What is Social Prescribing?

Contact

Phone: 613.542.2949
Confidential medical fax: 613.542.7657

Hours

Monday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 1:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Closed Monday to Friday, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Phones are answered from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 1:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, excluding lunch hour from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.