An electronic version of this letter was circulated at the beginning of September 2024.

I hope you are doing well - I am writing to share an important update with you.

As I look forward to returning to work after my parental leave, I am faced with the challenges of reconciling work and family life, specifically the logistics of being a working parent with two young children. I do not live close to Magenta Health’s Riverside location, and the commute has only gotten worse in recent years. Therefore, I have concluded that I must prioritize my family’s needs and move my primary practice location.

Magenta Health and I have explored the option of finding a replacement physician for myself, but as I am sure you have heard, family physicians are currently few and far between. We were not successful. After much consideration, we have come to an arrangement so that I can continue to be your family doctor.

Starting November 11, 2024, I will be seeing patients from Magenta Health’s Midtown location only, at the major intersection of Avenue and Eglinton. There is parking nearby, and there will be a subway station less than a block away once the Eglinton Crosstown opens. I also plan to continue to offer virtual phone and video appointments for concerns that can be appropriately addressed without an in-person visit.

At this point, there is nothing for you to do. My locum, Dr. Eva Bain, will continue to see patients from the Riverside location until November 8, 2024. All in-person appointments with me will switch to the Midtown location and you will be automatically notified and reminded of this change when booking. Most importantly, there will be no interruption in your medical care, as I remain your family doctor supported by the same team - the only change is where I will be seeing you in-person.

I understand transitions can be stressful, and with my recent parental leave, I recognize there have been a number of changes already. Please know that I have made this decision only after extensive reflection. For some of my patients, the Midtown location will be equal to or more convenient than Riverside. For others, I acknowledge that this new location will be less convenient for you to access. If this is the case for you, I apologize and appreciate your understanding and patience. I hope you see this as a better alternative than being left without a family doctor, and I look forward to continuing to care for you and your family.

Lastly, if there are medical reasons that make it difficult to attend in-person appointments at the Midtown location, the clinic has established a form where you can register a request to potentially transfer to another Magenta Health physician at the Riverside location, should the opportunity arise in the future. To manage expectations though, transferring isn’t an option right now due to a lack of physician capacity. For more details, and to submit this form, please proceed here (https://www.magentahealth.ca/clinic-switch-policy).

Thank you again - I greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.

Kind regards,

Dr. Winnie Siao