People

January 17, 2022

Rebekah, meet the Health Clinic by Shoppers

Rebekah stands in front of a “The Health Clinic by Shoppers” sign.
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Rebekah Menezes knew in high school that she wanted to be a nurse.

Her mom, a nurse for 35 years, would always come home telling stories about her day and talking about how she loved the job.

For the last five years, since Rebekah graduated as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN), she’s worked at Kendalwood Clinic in Whitby, Ont.

“I’ve learned a lot,” Rebekah says. “I love being in the community and seeing my regulars and really developing a relationship with them. It’s not like working at a hospital where there’s such fast patient turnover.”

In June, the clinic’s physician, Dr. Youssef Boulos, told her that Shoppers Drug Mart® would be taking over Kendalwood’s management and it would transition to The Health Clinic by ShoppersTM medical clinic.

Since early 2020, Shoppers has been opening The Health Clinic by Shoppers locations in the Greater Toronto Area with the aim of improving access to high-quality, patient-centred primary care. Shoppers manages each clinic’s operational and administrative duties, allowing physicians to focus on providing healthcare.

The Kendalwood Clinic is the fourth clinic to transition, with two more opening in Ottawa soon.

“I felt good about it,” Rebekah says of the news. “Dr. Boulos said it would be a new name, a new look, and I’d still continue to do the work that I do.”

Before COVID-19, the clinic served both existing patients and walk-ins—sometimes 60 appointments a day. Once the pandemic hit, they stopped seeing walk-ins and focused on Dr. Boulos’ family practice, by appointment only.

“He’s very well-liked, so we’re very busy,” Rebekah says. “He gets a lot of referrals.”

The transition to a The Health Clinic by Shoppers clinic has been smooth so far, she says.

Patients’ most common question has been: What does this mean for me?

Rebekah reassures them: “I tell them their experience is only going to improve, thanks to all the great things Shoppers is implementing."

Some of these patient benefits include extended hours of operation and technology-enabled care delivery, like online appointment booking, emailed appointment reminders, and digital forms.

Working as a nurse during the pandemic has been stressful, Rebekah says.

“It’s been hard turning people away, because we can't see them if they're not feeling well. I also really enjoy being busy and on my feet, running around, and when it was just myself and Dr. Boulos earlier in the pandemic, we were both sitting at the front desk, answering phones. I much prefer seeing patients and interacting with them.”

She’s happy to be doing more of that now. The clinic closed for a short while in August for renovations, but she’s busy helping patients once again.

The Health Clinic by Shoppers medical clinic is looking for physicians to join our clinics! These clinics provide all management services to run the day-to-day clinic operations so that physicians can focus on patient care. Do you know a physician that may be interested? Please email thehealthclinic@shoppersdrugmart.ca.

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