Frequently Asked Questions
Harrison is driven by a culture of innovation, collaboration, excellence and compassion.
Our strength is our people, and most notably our desire to deliver healthcare to clients as if they were family. This genuine desire to care for people was a hallmark of the Copeman Healthcare Centres, an organization that was created by Harrison’s founder Don Copeman in 2005. Reinforcing these values at Harrison is the top priority for our leadership team, believing that they are responsible for the outstanding reputation that the Copeman organization gained for both service and health outcomes. We also know that compassion drives better health outcomes for a variety of reasons.
Apart from its core values, Harrison understands that optimal outcomes in prevention and primary care requires that physicians have the right amount of time to spend with each client – as well access to the expertise of specialized professionals. At Harrison we carefully manage the number of patients assigned to each physician so that clients have exceptional and timely access to them.
We also staff each centre with a diverse group of professionals to support each client’s health plan. Dietitians, exercise physiologists, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, mental health professionals and travel medicine experts represent a few of the growing number of professionals that clients have access to. Complementing this is an outstanding network of physician specialists and the coordinators that facilitate access to them.
Another unique aspect of Harrison is personalization and Precision Medicine. These two concepts go hand-in hand. We do not believe in a “one size fits all” approach to prevention and disease management. The Harrison team thoughtfully considers genetic traits, health history, lifestyle factors, and unique social and demographic elements. With these in mind, we can create completely personalized plans for tests, exams, assessments, and consultations to deliver optimal outcomes. We call this “Precision Medicine.”
Harrison tackles the issue of specialist access in three ways.
First, we don’t leave any stone unturned within the scope of the expertise of our staff when diagnosing health conditions and planning interventions. The comprehensiveness of our specialist referral reports creates great respect within the specialist community and minimizes the investigations that they may otherwise require. This has a historical tendency to accelerate access, since specialists strive to allocate their services based on need, which becomes clearer with a high-quality referral.
Next, we collaborate with specialists in certain key areas to provide consultative services to our physician staff. This mentoring approach effectively increases specialist capacity in the community, while offering clients timely opinions so that a definitive diagnosis and best possible treatment options are appropriately identified.
Finally, clients in our Premier Program are provided with third party extended coverage that includes access to a curated network of international specialists. This network is readily available and accessed when required.
Your personal physician will supplement their care with certain non-insured services as defined by each province, including insurance and employment examinations, prescription renewals, occupational fitness forms, school fitness examinations, medical record transfers and other form services.
Harrison Premier program clients also receive year-round support from our team of Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Dietitians, Exercise Physiologists, travel medicine experts (excl. vaccines), Care Coordinators & Client Experience coordinators. Each Premier client is also entitled to advanced mental health assessment and professional navigation when indicated, as well as access to a board-certified Genetic Counsellor.
This common question usually relates to MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) & CT (Computed Tomography) imaging. These are advanced diagnostic tools that are generally not appropriate in a mass-screening preventive healthcare context.
However, full body MRI imaging, with the most modern equipment, can detect anomalies and abnormalities without exposing a patient to radiation. Some of the more advanced MRI equipment is useful in detecting cancers at early stages. There are small risks associated with MRI, generally limited to follow-up investigations that turn out to be unnecessary. We recommend clients consult with their care team about the benefits of these exams in the context of their personalized care plan and health risk profile.
Harrison does not provide onsite MRI or CT imaging as a preventive measure. However, it offers rapid access to these technologies when medically necessary as part of its Premier program.
Yes, subject to availability. We try to match clients with physicians and professionals based on gender preference and skills that professionals may have that are particularly relevant to you as a person, based on your risks and medical history. However, we recognize that it is important that there is also a good personality match, as we want these relationships to last a very long time.
Through our collaborative care processes at Harrison, you will always have the ability to consult with other physicians and specialists on the team when their expertise is important for your needs. This includes advice from a previously assigned physician. We endeavor to give the best professional advice possible at each opportunity.
Nurse Practitioners are nurses who have gone through additional and substantial medical training to earn this important designation. The scope of the care they can provide closely resembles that of a Family Physician. This includes prescribing medication, performing advanced assessments, ordering diagnostic tests, assessing test results, providing consultation services and making referrals. Nurse Practitioners are exceptionally trained in preventive health services, including effective counselling for people of all ages.
At Harrison, our pediatric and young adult programming is delivered by nurse practitioners (NPs) due to their unique skills and knowledge relevant to people in these age groups. Because we practice collaborative care, NPs always have access to the assigned physician(s) for a family, as well as other specialized professional staff.
Yes, at the assessment, navigation and coordination level when indicated. Harrison has developed a very sophisticated and comprehensive mental health assessment protocol. This protocol considers a person’s entire biopsychosocial profile, since some physiological conditions manifest themselves in what appears to be psychiatric/psychological-based symptoms. Our expert team, using evidenced-based methods, establishes a diagnosis and a care path, complete with recommended interventions.
We then refer people into a curated network of therapists and other professionals within the community, who provide Harrison coordinated feedback to ensure the intervention is effective. Fees charged by psychologists and other therapists in the community are not included in the Harrison program fees.
Yes. We have a secure video-consulting technology that seamlessly operates with our appointment and reminder service.
Yes, our commitment to your well-being extends beyond regular office hours, including evenings and weekends. In urgent situations, care will be provided by a physician via telephone as needed. When you leave a voicemail on our dedicated line, the on-duty physician will promptly review your chart to gather the necessary information, and aim to return your call, ideally, within one hour.
Common scenarios include new symptoms or worsening symptoms of an existing condition (respiratory infection, urinary tract infection), a high fever not responsive to medication, etc.
Please keep in mind that if you are experiencing a medical emergency, you need to call 911 rather than the after-hours service. After-hours service is not meant to replace the ER.
Yes. Unlike most providers, Harrison’s after-hours team is completely comprised of staff physicians who have full access to your medical record so that they are already familiar with your health history & medications.
No. Prescriptions can generally be renewed by telephone, email, or text. However, the most efficient method is having your pharmacy contact us directly for renewals. There may be certain medical circumstances that require an appointment with a doctor to review your medication requirements, to ensure safety and treatment efficacy.