Sina Medical & Aesthetics Clinic
About Sina Medical Clinic
At Sina Medical Clinic we are pleased to offer same day appointments (walk-ins). Virtual visits (telehealth) and phone consults are also available. We have an on-site pharmacy as well. This makes Sina Medical unique as our doctors are able to discuss patient’s condition with our pharmacists and come up with the best solution for our patients. This way, the doctor, the pharmacist and the patient can join together and discuss the options necessary for the patient’s treatment while they are in the same place.
Service Type:
Walk-In Clinic
Family Practice
Telehealth Video-Conferencing
Walk-In Clinic
– Walk-In Clinic: Currently we do not accept new patients [updated May 10, 2023]. We have 6 family doctors and we have 3-4 doctors working per day but they all have their own family patients and we do not accept new patients. We have a few spots per day for patients who have seen a doctor at our clinic before and need an urgent appointment to see a doctor as a walk-in. Walk-in visits are based on first-come, first-served basis. We suggest to call the clinic at the start of the day to make sure we have availability and to reserve your spot. You can also book your appointment ahead of time using our online booking system.
Family Practice
– Family Practice: Currently, Drs. Rahnavardi, Wang, Nikoo, Hafizi, Li, and Kingan offer family practice services but their patient panels are at full capacity at the moment. This page is updated regularly. [last update: May 10, 2023].
If you would like to book an appointment with your family doctor or as a walk-in patient you can use this link at any time: https://sinamed.ca:8443/selfbook
Telehealth Video-Conferencing
– Virtual Visits (Telehealth): For virtual appointments, patient would be able to speak to a doctor through telehealth video-conferencing. To book an appointment we suggest to use our Online Booking System: https://sinamed.ca:8443/selfbook
Once your appointment is booked, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to connect to Doxy.me telehealth system. The link for connection never changes (https://doxy.me/sinamedical)and you can use the same link for your future appointments too.
Same day appointments are available. You can use the Online Booking System, select Telehealth visit, then choose “1st available appointment with any doctor”.
Our Doctors
– Dr. Kathy Rahnavardi, MD | female doctor | works on Wed & Thursdays
– Dr. Christina Wang, MD | female doctor | works on Mon & Tuesdays
– Dr. Negar Hafizi, MD | female doctor | works on Mon & Sundays
– Dr. Kevin Li, MD | male doctor | works on Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs & Fridays
– Dr. Nooshin Nikoo, MD | female doctor | works on Saturdays
– Dr. Ryan Kingan, MD | male doctor | works on Wed, Thurs, Fri & Saturdays
– Dr. Saeedreza Ganjizadeh-Zavareh, Internal Medicine | male doctor | needs a referral from a medical doctor
– Dr. Svjetlana Ruzic, Pediatrician | female doctor | needs a referral from a medical doctor
– Dr. Hanieh Zargham, Dermatologist | female doctor | needs a referral from a medical doctor
– Dr. Danny Chao, GP with interest in Dermatology | male doctor | needs a referral from a medical doctor
– Dr. Miranda Wiley, ND | female doctor | works on Fridays & Saturdays | by appointment only
– Dr. Dr. Ekaterina Krantsevich-Riehl (Dr. Kate), ND | female doctor | works on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays | by appointment only
– Dr. Hanieh Zargham, Dermatologist | female doctor | needs a referral from a medical doctor
– Dr. Danny Chao, GP with interest in Dermatology | male doctor | needs a referral from a medical doctor
– Dr. Ekaterina Krantsevich-Riehl, ND | female doctor | works on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays. For more details and to book an appointment click here.
– Ms. Maryam Goldan, Clinical Counsellor | female | by appointment only
List of Services
-Walk-In Visits
-Prescription Refills
-Specialist Doctor Referrals
-Travel Clinic (consultation and administration of necessary vaccines/immunization based on patient’s travel destination)
-Women’s Health (Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Pregnancy Tests, PAP tests, IUD Insertion, etc.)
-Internal Medicine Consultations by Dr. Zavareh
–Naturopathic Consultations by Dr. Wiley & Dr. Kate
–Clinical Counselling Consultations by Ms. Goldan
–Aesthetics & Beauty Clinic by Dr. Kate (BOTOX, Dermal Fillers, Chemical Peels, Treatment of Skin Conditions e.g. Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, Melasma, etc.)
-Childhood and Adult Immunizations and Vaccines
-Surgical, non-surgical, and minimally invasive treatments
We are doing our best to offer quality service to our patients. If you liked your visit at our clinic: please write us a review on google. If you didn’t like your visit: if there is anything that needs to be fixed or improved please email or call us. We always listen to our patients.
Clinic Policy & FAQs
GENERAL INQUIRIES
Our doctors can see patients based on their need either in-person, by telehealth, or phone consults. For the safety of our staff and patients we prefer to have telehealth/phone appointments; however, if you need a physical examination then we can book you in for an in-person visit. If you need to attend in-person, we still require to wear a medical mask at all times when entering and staying at the health centre.
We are very cautious with handling patient’s medical information. When booking an appointment using our online booking system or communicating with us by email your information is secure as we use SSL/TLS encryption. We also use doxy.me telehealth platform which is a HIPPA compliant system widely used in North America to medical telehealth communication. When patients book an appointment at Sina Medical they agree to receive electronic communications. This includes having a private telehealth/phone consultation with doctors, receiving lab requisitions, appointment notices and other medical files/messages by emails. If you do not agree with sharing your information electronically please call the clinic or notify us in-person and we can make a note in your medical file to not have email/electronic communications with you.
We have a new system with 8 lines to help answering calls just for the medical clinic. When calling the main number 604-336-SINA, please press 2 for the medical clinic, then press 3 for the staff at the front desk. Your call will then put in the queue system. There will be 2-3 clinic assistants working at any time in the clinic and at least one of them is answering calls at all times. Due to high volume of calls (specially during rush hours 3-6pm) it may take longer to speak to an MOA, as a solution you can always press 2 then * to confirm you call back number and one of the MOAs will call you based on your order in the queue. You can book appointments using our online booking system and communicate by emails. Most of your questions about Covid-19 can be answered by calling 8-1-1 as well.
We currently do not have any family doctors accepting new patients as their patient panels are at full capacity. This page will be updated once there is availability.
Book an appointment with your doctor to confirm they can still be your family doctor. Then a (Request of Information Release Form) needs to be filled out to transfer your file from your previous clinic to ours.
Family doctors advocate for you and work with specialists and other health care professionals to prevent illness and promote healthy living. If you do not have a family doctor our walk-in doctors would be happy to see you.
Yes you can. But please note that while the doctors and clinic staff will attempt to review and respond in a timely fashion there is no guarantee that it will be reviewed and responded within any specific time period. Please do not use email communications for medical emergencies or other time sensitive issues.
• If you have not had a response from a doctor or clinic staff to your email within a reasonable time period, it is your responsibility to follow up to determine whether the intended recipient received your message or not.
• Please note that an email communication is not an appropriate substitute for in-person or over-the-telephone communication or clinical examinations.
• Please note if you choose to communicate electronically with our team you are agreeing to our clinic’s electronic communication policy, “you consent to share your personal and medical information by email”.
No, we do not fill out forms over email. Please book an in-person visit for all forms requiring doctor’s assessment and signature. There may be a fee for filling out forms. Prices are $50-$275 depending on what type of form and amount of time required to fill out the form. This fee is not covered by MSP but if you have extended insurance you can check with your insurance company if they reimburse you.
BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT
Of course, we strongly suggest to book your appointment online using our online booking platform: https://sinamed.ca:8443/selfbook. Please do not call the clinic’s phone line unless you are not able to use a computer/device to book your appointment.
With Covid-19 protocols changing we are now accepting in-person appointments. Telephone-video appointments are also still available. Please make sure to wear a medical mask at all time.
Yes, but we have limited walk-in spots and they are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You will have a better chance of seeing a doctor if you come earlier in the morning.
You can cancel or change an appointment if it’s more that 24 hours until your appointment. If you booked online you can cancel or change appointment through the link provided in your confirmation email. If it’s less that 24 hours or you booked your appointment in person then call the clinic and cancel or change the appointment. Please note that if you are cancelling your appointment less than 24 hours a $50 cancellation fee will be applied to your account for regular visits and $70 for specialist visits.
If there are no available slots showing on our website or if you walk-in on the same day and we have no availability then we cannot book you in. As an alternative you can book for a future day or attend another walk-in clinic. If you have a condition that needs to be seen by a doctor on the same day, you can go to an Urgent Care or a Hospital Emergency near your address. The closest urgent care to our clinic is called City Centre Urgent Primary Care located at 1290 Hornby St, Vancouver BC V6Z1W2.
No, please call the specialist office directly to cancel or reschedule your appointment. Once we fax the referral to a specialist, they will put your name in their waitlist and triage or book appointments based on their availabilities.
• Usually specialist referrals are a lengthy process and it can take about 1-9 month(s) for the specialist clinic to process a request and book an appointment.
• IMPORTANT: please make sure to write down your appointment date/time, clinic phone number, clinic address and preparation procedures for your appointment. Also most specialist clinics have a no-show policy, please make sure you attend your appointment or cancel/reschedule directly with the specialist clinic.
LABS / PRESCRIPTIONS / REFERRALS
If you come in-person the doctor will print a copy and you can pick it up from the clinic’s front desk. If you have a telehealth/phone consult, the doctor will ask the MOAs to email you a copy of your requisition. By booking a virtual appointment you are giving consent to Sina Medical and it’s team to communicate with you by telehealth/email. If you do not agree with sharing your information electronically please call us and we can make a note in your medical file and not communicate electronically.
• Lifelabs (the requisition is emailed to you): for blood and urine tests, please go to your nearest LifeLab location (you can find the closest location through the LifeLab website at https://www.lifelabs.com). The requisitions is valid for 6 months only. Please make sure to print and take a copy of emailed requisition with you.
• Xray/Ultrasound (the requisition is emailed to you): for XRay and regular Ultrasound you can go to any imaging lab that offers that service. Some common imaging labs in Downtown Vancouver are: Westcoast Imaging, Downtown Radiology, and Seymour Imaging. Your requisition form will also have a name of a lab on it. the requisition may be written for a particular clinic but you have the option to call other imaging labs/clinics around you and ask if they offer similar service, then book an appointment and go in for your test/examination. The requisitions is valid for 6 months only. Please make sure to print and take a copy of emailed requisition with you.
• CT/MRI or other tests (the requisition is faxed out): we fax the request directly to the lab/hospital that is usually closest to your address. Usually it takes about 1-4 weeks for the hospital/lab to book an appointment and in the meantime we would not be able to share their information with the patient. Once an appointment is made, you will receive a call from the lab/hospital directly or they fax us an “appointment notice” which we will email you with details of the appointment and preparation instructions. This process may take at least 1-4 weeks. Please be patient but if you did not hear back from the lab/hospital or us you can call the clinic after 4 weeks for your doctor’s visit for an update.
We fax the request directly to the specialist’s office suggest by the doctor or the patient. It may take 1-4 weeks for their office to triage the patient (in this period we cannot release the information of the specialist so please do not call the clinic). Once an appointment is made, they may call the patient directly or fax us the appointment notice (then we will call or email the appointment notice to the patient). If you did not receive an update about your referral you can call the clinic for an update. After the appointment is made the wait-time to see the specialist may take 1-9 months depending on the specialty that your were referred to.
If you come in-person the doctor will print, sign and hand in the prescription to you. If you had a telehealth/phone appointment, you can mention the name and fax number of your preferred pharmacy to the doctor. Once the prescription is made, the doctor will message our office assistants and they fax out your prescription by the end of the working day. If you have urgency for faster pickup of your prescription you can mention it to the doctor to speed up the process.
• Please note that we do not accept faxed refill authorizations from pharmacies as the doctors will provide enough refills on your prescriptions until you need your next assessment. And if your prescription needs clarifications your pharmacy needs to fax it back and we will check with the doctor.
Depending on the test it takes 2-3 business days (LifeLab tests), 3-7 business days (XRay/Ultrasound), and 2-4 weeks (lab work done at hospitals or consultation reports from specialists) to get the results back. Once the results are received, we will upload a copy to your chart and notify the ordering doctor. The doctor then ask the front desk to call the patient if a followup is needed to go over the results. If the results are normal, we will not contact you. If you did not hear back from us but you still have symptoms or believe you need to follow up on the results with the doctor you can call the clinic for an update or book an appointment using our online system.
You can request to have a copy of the results emailed only if you give us verbal or written consent (will full name, date of birth, and personal health number). The results can be sent only after the ordering doctor looked at them and no followup is needed.
UN INSURED VISITS/PRIVATE FEES/MEDICAL FORMS & LETTERS
If you have a Medical Services Plan (MSP) card from BC or a health card from another Canadian province (except Quebec), your regular visit with a medical doctor is covered. If you do not have a MSP or a Canadian health card you will need to pay for your visit. Our fee for an un-insured visit is $230 [We offer a discounted fee for some insurance companies. You can call the clinic to see if you qualify for a discounted fee].
Note 1: Most insurance companies offer full coverage for medical doctor visits. If you have an extended insurance or a travel insurance you would need to pay for your visit then we provide you a copy of the receipt/invoice for submitting to your insurance for reimbursement.
Note 2: Your visit may be covered by MSP/Canadian health card but there are some services that are not covered, e.g. cosmetic and beauty related services, travel clinic, medical forms, and any letter or note written by the doctor.
If you have MSP or a Canadian Health Card for other provinces (except Quebec) your general visit with a medical doctor is covered by your health card. However, there are some services that are not covered. Examples are:
– cosmetic and beauty related services
– travel clinic or consultations
– most medical forms (attending physician statement, disability forms, or any form from insurance or lawyer companies).
– drivers medical exam (yellow form)
– any letter or note written by the doctor (other than referrals to specialists or other professions like physiotherapy, massage therapy, dietitian, or clinical counselling).
– full physical examination: MSP only pays your visit if you have an acute or chronic condition that is related to one part or organ of your body. If you need the doctor to check all parts and organs of your body your visit would not be covered by MSP.
– transfer of medical records (if you would like us to send a copy of your medical records to another clinic/agency, we need to prepare your medical chart, then ask the doctor to review the document, and finally mail or fax a copy of your records to the destination clinic/agency).
In all cases please check with the doctor or the clinic’s staff about the fees involved.
Medical forms, letters and notes are not covered by MSP. It is a service that the doctor spends extra time to check your medical chart and complete a letter/form for you and the doctor is legally responsible for the content provided.
Our fees for letter/forms and other un-insured services are in consistent with what suggested by Doctors of BC and patients are responsible for providing payment. Some times the insurance companies cover the fee of the letter or form if they need the doctor to provide notes about a medical case; you can check with your insurance about this coverage.
Lastly, if the doctor completed a form/letter for you, you are legally responsible for the payment so please make sure you really need the form/letter before having the doctor processing your form/letter.
Payment needs to be received before your appointment or before the service starts (completing forms/letters/exams) by the doctor. You can ask the service fee amount from the doctor or the office assistant. For payments, 1-you can pay when you come to the clinic; or 2-you can provide your visa/master card details to an office assistant; or 3-you can pay by sending an etransfer to info@mysina.ca. In all cases, we can hand in or email you a copy of the invoice/receipt and you can claim this payment to your insurance for coverage. Most insurance companies cover some medical services that are not covered by MSP; you can check with your insurance company for more details.
Resources
How to find a family doctor in Vancouver: http://www.vch.ca/your-care/regular-medical-care/family-doctors
Covid-19 Vaccine Information: http://www.vch.ca/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine
Pregnancy and early childhood: http://www.vch.ca/public-health/pregnancy-parenting
Breastfeeding: http://www.vch.ca/public-health/pregnancy-parenting/breastfeeding
Post-partum depression and anxiety: http://www.vch.ca/public-health/health-topics-a-z/topics/postpartum-depression-anxiety
Communicable diseases and immunizations: https://sneezesdiseases.com/
Nutrition: http://www.vch.ca/public-health/nutrition
Children and youth: http://www.vch.ca/public-health/children-youth-schools
Mental health and substance use: http://www.vch.ca/your-care/mental-health-substance-use