Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic
263 Midland Avenue L4R 3K3 Midland, ON, Canada

Good day my friends, patients and loved ones: We are now open Monday to Friday from 9 to 4. The best way to reach us is by calling 705-526-6363. ... However, we are unable to answer the phone during business hours. We understand that this is not how we have communicated with you in the past. With an overwhelming demand for our services and significantly reduced manpower, I must decide where my time and my staff’s time is best spent, to provide the best care in a safe environment. We are currently booking patients in URGENT NEED. This includes, but may not be limited to: Any person with diabetes that has a concern with their feet Or Any person in Pain for any reason Or Any person with signs of infection If you feel you have an URGENT CARE need, please call us at 705-526-6363 and leave us the details of your concern. We are currently booking appointments 1-2 days in advance with prepayment required. We have no future appointments available to book. We may not be able to return your call and will likely not return your call until we have an appointment available (based on your urgency). If you feel your need is urgent and cannot wait for our return call, I highly recommend you seek the care of your family physician or a physician at your local emergency department. Thank you for your patience, kindness, compassion and understanding. Be well and stay safe. Erin Fairbanks Owner and Chiropodist at Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic June 18, 2020

The REINVENTION has begun! I am so grateful for the support that continues to pour towards me from this loving community. Your support is embracing and bountiful. I have experienced nothing but loving kindness by all that have reached out to me. I am in the process of booking patient appointments. In order to maintain some level of organization, in a superiorly chaotic time, I am going to express some guidance as to how you may get an appointment booked.... Here are some of the things I would like you to understand: 1. Priority will be given to urgent care needs. 2. Know that I want to hear from you. In order to prioritize appointments, I need to know if you have a concern. As well as I have come to know you and your feet, I don’t know what you are experiencing at this moment, unless you express it to me. 3. If you aren’t certain about the urgency of your needs, please get in touch. It’s difficult for many to contextualize the urgency of their own needs, in comparison to someone else’s. Let me be the one to determine your urgency and book you accordingly. Again, please reach out to me. 4. I am asking for your patience. I sincerely appreciate your patience to this point and know it is going to require more as we step tentatively forward. When you contact me, I may not be able to get back to you immediately, but I will make every effort to get back to you as soon as I can. 5. I’d like to clarify COVID-19 screening. The COVID-19 screening process includes a series of questions that you will be asked prior to booking an appointment and again at the door, before you enter the building. Your answers to these questions will determine IF you can book an appointment, and if you can enter the building. They are related to your COVID-19 risk, the symptoms you are currently experiencing and the likelihood that you are carrying COVID-19. 6. I will be very clear in outlining your expected actions when you are in the clinic. I appreciate the respect that I have already been shown by the patients that have had appointments. 7. Every decision I have made to date regarding how your appointment is carried out, is centered on reducing the risk of spread of COVID-19 while providing the highest quality care I am capable of. 8. I am doing my very best to take care of myself and put myself first. Ultimately, I know that if I am not well (mentally or physically) then I won’t be able to provide any care to anyone. Practicing self compassion and care (as difficult as that is for me) will allow me to sustain my ability to care for you. To get in touch to book an appointment or discuss a concern, here are the best ways to reach me: Call the clinic at 705-526-6363 Call or text the urgent care cell phone at 705-527-4816 Email the clinic at [email protected] Email me personally at [email protected] With warmest regards, Erin Fairbanks Chiropodist and Owner Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic May 29, 2020

Good day my friends, patients and loved ones, This communication brings to you, some good news. I am happy to tell you that Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic is undergoing a REINVENTION! I’ve decided that to call what is about to happen, a reopening, would be an injustice. To say that it is going to look the same as it did is unreasonable. So instead, I embrace the new, rekindled Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic. Today I talk about transformation....Continue reading

Good day my friends, patients and loved ones, I hope this message finds you well, safe and happy, given the circumstances. Since my last message, I have received an outpouring of supportive and love filled messages. I am utterly grateful for your words of kindness, validation and love. At this moment, I feel as though I can see a little bit of light. Do you feel that too? Some days are good and some days are not so good. But now, the hills and the valleys of the emotiona...Continue reading

Thank you Templeton Windows for the awesome social barriers!

Good day my friends, patients and loved ones, I’m not going to lie. I’ve had a pretty terrible week. I’m doing well, physically. But, emotionally, it has sure been a struggle. One moment I’m crying for no reason, then I’m angry, and most of the time I don’t want to do anything at all. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster. When I was contemplating the difficult decision to close the clinic, a very good (and epidemiologist) friend o...Continue reading

A thoughtful and comprehensive guide.

Here’s the link to the podcast, if you’d like to listen to the whole thing

Good day my friends, patients and loved ones, I’m not going to lie. I’ve had a pretty terrible week. I’m doing well, physically. But, emotionally, it has sure been a struggle. One moment I’m crying for no reason, then I’m angry, and most of the time I don’t want to do anything at all. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster. When I was contemplating the difficult decision to close the clinic, a very good (and epidemiologist) friend o...Continue reading

Good day my friends, patients and loved ones, COVID-19 continues to be a threat to our population’s health and lives. Protecting my vulnerable patients, the majority of whom are over 65 or medically or immunologically compromised, is a major priority. I am confident that the decision to close on March 15, 2020 has already contributed to protecting my patients, staff and community. By having staff and patients stay home, we have all done our part in limiting the number of cas...es of COVID-19, slowing the spread and lessening the anticipated major strain on our healthcare system. Unfortunately, we have not flattened the curve yet. Therefore, our closure will be maintained until, at least, April 20, 2020. We are doing as much as we can to help our community, while communicating with our patients and maintain social distancing. We have donated surplus personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves, isolation gowns and sanitizing wipes, to our local hospital, long term care homes, community group homes and a local taxi service. My commitment to your care: The majority of the procedures and services we carry out on a daily basis are elective in nature, however as time marches on, and you do not have access to hands on care, your foot health concerns may become more urgent in nature. For that reason, I do not want you to hesitate to reach out to me, personally, if you need. If you currently have an urgent or emergent foot health issue, please contact me, before venturing out elsewhere for care. I am most concerned about your overall health. I do not want you to put yourself at undo risk, if there is something that I can help you with, and don’t have to leave your home for. Also, if you have questions about how to handle your care on your own, until I see you again, even if it isn’t what you would consider urgent, I ask you to please reach out. And honestly, even if you want to reach out and just talk, please contact me. I know social distancing is taking a toll on our emotions and I’m still here for you. I have established a new email account that is dedicated to you: [email protected] I am in the process of procuring a cell phone that will be also dedicated to this purpose, taking into consideration that many of my clients don’t have access to email. Until the next update, thinking of you always, stay safe and be well. Erin Fairbanks Chiropodist and Owner Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic

You have the Power to define this Moment in Your Life

Our #FrontStepsProject photo courtesy of Rebekah Tremblay at Overstreet Media Productions and in support of the Georgian Bay General Hospital Foundation. Looki...ng for a way to support Georgian Bay General Hospital in these unprecedented and uncertain times? Have your photo taken, on your front porch from a safe physical distance, for no fee from a local professional photographer. You receive a digital copy of the photo and, in return, make a donation to the @gbghfoundation. Several local photographers are taking part. A heartwarming way to give back #TheFrontStepsProject #HeartFeltThanksForGBGH @gbghfoundation Ethan, Mike, Erin and Lindsay Fairbanks and Maisy and Molly Fairbanks

Good day my friends, clients and loved ones, It has been close to two weeks since we announced the closure of Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, closure of our clinic has been recommended/mandated by our regulating body, the College of Chiropodists, and the Government of Ontario. Our closure will be extended until at least April 6, 2020.... In these extremely uncertain times, I want you to know that we have your best interests and well-being at heart by being closed, and staying closed. That said, I do not wish for you to feel abandoned if you have a foot related emergency. If you do have an emergency, please reach out to me, personally, at [email protected] and I will do the best I can, remotely, to help you. Again, I sincerely value your understanding and wish you all wellness during this uncertain time. Erin Fairbanks Owner and Chiropodist at Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic March 27, 2020

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We wish you good luck and good health in the weeks' ahead.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: After consulting numerous sources and colleagues, I have decided that it is in the best interest of my staff, patients and the public, that Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic will be closed, effectively immediately, until at least March 30, 2020. As you are already aware, COVID-19 is an imminent threat to our population’s health and lives. Protecting our vulnerable patients, the majority of whom are over 65 or medically or immunologically compromised, is a majo...r priority. Perhaps even more importantly, making difficult decisions today, rather than waiting until tomorrow, we can play our part in social distancing by closing the clinic. By having staff and patients stay home, we can do our part in limiting the number of cases of COVID-19, slow the spread and lessen the anticipated major strain on our healthcare system. As the majority of the procedures and services we carry out on a daily basis are elective in nature, I am certain this decision, although difficult to make, is for the best of the overall health my staff, patients, and community. If you have an appointment at our clinic in the coming weeks, be assured we will do our best to be in touch with you to reschedule. I sincerely value your understanding and wish you all wellness during this uncertain time. Erin Fairbanks Owner and Chiropodist at Advanced Foot & Orthotic Clinic