Adults in Southwestern Ontario in need of Urgent Care

If you have a family physician, they should be your first point of access for care. An online urgent care appointment may be the right for you if:

• you are having an urgent medical issue that is not life threatening
• you are unable to obtain timely access to your family physician or you do not have a family physician
• you are 18 and over and have an Ontario health card (If you are under 18 please visit the paediatric page to schedule).
• you do not live in a long-term care setting (nursing home). If you are a resident in LTC, please visit the Long-Term Care page.
• Please note that prescriptions for narcotics cannot be filled or renewed during an online urgent care appointment.

back to top

Virtual appointments with a nurse practitioner are available 7-days-a-week from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Please connect with your primary care provider or visit the nearest Emergency Department or Urgent Care Centre outside of these hours. Patients will select a specific date and time for their appointment. Appointments can be scheduled up to three (3) days in advance. Patients can only schedule one (1) Virtual Urgent Care video visit per day.

If you have trouble scheduling your appointment online or difficulty launching your video visit, please email mydovetale@stjoes.ca for assistance or phone 1-844-CARE-844 (1-844-227-3844) toll-free.

Once you have scheduled your appointment, you will receive an email confirmation. Check your junk mail folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.

In order to access this service, you will need:

• Computer, smartphone, or tablet with video and microphone capabilities
• You do not require a MyDovetale account to book a visit.
• Zoom mobile application if using a smartphone or tablet
  Please have Zoom available or download Zoom approximately 15 minutes in advance of a booked appointment, to the device being used during the consult
  Zoom Technical Support
• Stable Internet access
  Internet Speed Test
• To present your Ontario health card (or other valid government photo ID) to confirm your identity
• Preferred pharmacy readily available (name, address, phone number)
• Current medication list readily available
• A quiet, secure space to engage in the virtual visit

Virtual urgent care visits are covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), and you will be asked to provide your Ontario health card number when making your appointment. This service is available in English. You may choose to involve a loved one in your virtual appointment who can provide interpretation for you. If you require interpretation services, please visit your nearest Urgent Care Centre in person where interpretation services may be available.

Patients with a St. Joseph’s Healthcare MyDovetale account

If you have a St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s MyDovetale account, there will be an option to login into your MyDovetale account when booking an appointment.

If you do not have a St. Joe’s MyDovetale account and you scheduled your virtual appointment as a Guest, cancel it through your appointment confirmation email.

1. Open your appointment confirmation email.
2. Click on the embedded link to cancel your virtual appointment.
3. A “Cancel Appointment” screen will appear. Select a reason for cancellation from the available Speed Buttons.
4. Select the “Confirm Cancellation” button to confirm your cancellation.

If you do have a St. Joe’s MyDovetale account, cancel your virtual appointment through your MyDovetale account.

1. Log into your MyDovetale account.
2. Select the “Visits” Activity tab in MyDovetale to view your upcoming visits. You should see your scheduled virtual appointment with the name “Virtual Urgent Care Video Visit.”
3. Select the “Details” button to view the Appointment Details for your virtual appointment.
4. Cancel your virtual appointment by clicking the “Cancel appointment” button.
5. A “Cancel Appointment” screen will appear. Select a reason for cancellation from the available Speed Buttons.
6. Select the “Confirm Cancellation” button to confirm your cancellation.

Patients without a St. Joe’s MyDovetale account:

If you scheduled your virtual appointment as a Guest, you can launch your virtual appointment using the below steps.

1. Await an email notification from your Virtual Urgent Care provider near the time of your scheduled virtual appointment.
   • Check junk mail folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.
   • NOTE: This email notification is different from the appointment confirmation email you received after scheduling the virtual appointment.
2. Open the email.
3. Click on the embedded link to launch your virtual appointment via the Zoom application.
4. When you join the virtual appointment, you will be placed in a Virtual Waiting Room. Your provider will admit you into the virtual appointment when ready.

 Patients with a St. Joe’s MyDovetale account:

Launch your virtual appointment through your MyDovetale account using the below steps.

1. Log into your MyDovetale account.
   • NOTE: If you have enabled your communication preferences in MyDovetale, you will receive an email notification from MyDovetale 15 minutes prior to the appointment time with a reminder to log into your MyDovetale account and launch your virtual appointment.
2. Select the “Visits” Activity tab in MyDovetale to view your upcoming visits. You should see your scheduled virtual appointment with the name “Virtual Urgent Care Video Visit.”
3. Select the “Details” button to view the Appointment Details for your virtual appointment.
4. Select the “Join video visit” button to launch your virtual appointment via the Zoom application.
5. When you join the virtual appointment, you will be placed in a Virtual Waiting Room. Your provider will admit you into the virtual appointment when ready.

If you have trouble scheduling your appointment online or difficulty launching your video visit, please email mydovetale@stjoes.ca for assistance or phone 1-844-CARE-844 (1-844-227-3844) toll-free.