Cedar Cottage Medical Services Ltd

Wow.. What a rant this woman had for this clinic. Just reading what she had to b!tch about painted a clear picture as to why SHE didn't have a good experience with the establishment.

If you value your mental health, compassion from counselors, and a smile? This is NOT the clinic for you If you are not a status-quo 'addict' (i.e. on Methadone for Pain Management...Yes, it IS--and increasingly so--prescribed for such.), and just happen to have been under a miasma of medical treatments due to childhood conditions that 'complicate' the average 'addiction', do NOT expect humanitarian efforts from the minimal selection of round-a-bout Doctors that you have no choice in choosing? This is NOT the clinic for you. If you have more self-respect than dirty urine samples...? This is definitely not the clinic for you. Cedar Cottage clinic was opened after the amazing Bio-Scan office-- located in the heart of the Medical community around VGH-- suddenly and unexpectedly shut down.The patients? Not warned, or even prepared to find new--but equally amazing help--(with opiate addiction/treatments) basically were given no options than to follow what most of Bio-Scan's clients were given as a choice: The receptionist, knowing that she had a good thing going with a surplus of over 200 clients now without the very extreme nature of help and treatment options, were 'advised' that it was "..nothing to worry about, as a new clinic was--coincidentally--open to take on all of BioScan's clients. Enter Cedar Cottage... A ' shifting clinic' (which is basically a skeleton of a rented 'clinic' with the basic needs: A bathroom, A waiting area, and a Dr. whom basically is 'nomadic' in business.) In other words? The clinic is not seeded, but rented, on certain days to whomever wishes to use it. Mondays may be located in Burnaby, whilst the next day may be in another of the same in Mount Pleasant...the easiest way to describe it--besides infuriating. (If you happen to 'miss' an appointment due to any emergency situations, well...looks like you 'may' be able to see a Doctor--not your own--or suffer the slings and arrows of trying to get help from any ER.) This is a cash cow business. Which may be why this clinic is an excellent example of the worst of all of these type of hourly rented spaces. Despite what their website advertises, there has never been a counselor, therapist, or even a concerned ear to contend with.This clinic is all about one thing: Keeping addicts on the program. I need not explain just how much $$$ is involved, made by clinics such as this. Preying on the susceptible, weak, confused addicts for a nice tidy sum. If for one reason, i.e. Human Error happens to happen? You better believe that you are out of luck, as the patients do NOT come first, especially the imperative nature of the drug program that many addicts will fall from in just such a circumstance without proper help. Your phone calls go unanswered...to both clients whose options are 'limited' clinic after hours, or, even other Doctors calling endlessly asking for a call-back asap, fall on answering machine ears. The calls will go unanswered by the 'receptionist/manager/money-taker', whom--I might add--doesn't know anymore than spreadsheets, appointment books, and oh, yeah... money for addiction, mental health, & how to treat those with serious problems or multiple drug issues. On the other hand, I should mention that this lack of proper treatment generally just becomes a place to ensure that you have methadone to keep you 'well', that is, should you be a multiple drug user whom ideally have their bases covered should the $$$ for that fix not come through that day. I have personally seen many-an-addict walk out and call their crack dealer to come on by, outside--Of course, after their monthly/weekly urine tests have been done. So? If you are a user that doesn't wish to get clean, and hey...that is A-O-Kay, to each their own will, THIS is the place where most of the round-a-bout of Doctors in attendance, will gladly take your money/ the government subsidy in trade for a no questions asked security blanket of a Methadone script? This is where you will find just that. Just know that is ALL you will get.