Dr. Roxanne Cooper, Family Practice
250 Lemarchant Road A1E 1P7 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, NL, Canada

Dear Patients: Please reserve this service for cases where you cannot reach our office and you need URGENT care. Today, NL Gov released this service without any discussion with family docs (we found out about it today and its been ongoing since May). With no disrespect to great NPs in our community, it is completely opposite to the way we want to provide care. Weve asked for NPs to become PART of family practice teams, not make them a separate service altogether. We have a ...lot of concerns about the way this type of service is completely disconnected from the comprehensive care family docs try to provide. We have many concerns from both patient safety perspective and professional communication. As a tax-payer you might be concerned about Gov opening up a service with potential for extra spending and maybe question the political ties of the company. When you roll it all out, family docs are the most cost-effective resource to provide primary care, and this new service has potentia to sabotage that. ...ah... Yolanda & I have made ourselves available almost every day (I *try* to take Sundays off) since the pandemic started and I am actually not allowed to take any holiday time (with our current agreement) until this is over. You can reach us by text, phone, fax, email, video and the new online portal. I am in clinic 1-2 days a week for physical procedures, and I try to get back to folks within 24-48hrs. Stay safe out there and thanks for your patience. https://www.cbc.ca//newfoundla/811-launches-app-1.5607651

For the next 3 days (June 4-6) I will be attending an annual medical conference, but otherwise, Ill see you next week for phone and/or video care. Book your online appt at our Health Myself online patient portal or email Yolanda @ [email protected]. We are not accepting any new patients.

May 20th COVID Update: I worked in the COVID Assessment Clinic at St Theresas School last week/weekend and wanted to provide an update on the way forward. The St Theresas clinic has a fantastic & safe set-up for managing patients with respiratory symptoms. There is *no* patient mixing from the moment you enter the parking lot. Appointments run every 30mins. Patients are seen by a nurse - screened, swabbed and then seen by the physician with examination, Xray etc. Rooms are... cleaned thoroughly between patients, and staff change out their head-to-toe PPE in between patients. So if you are sent there, please do not be afraid! For the coming months, anyone with COVID symptoms (see list from todays website below and recheck the same website for ongoing changes) should either speak to me or call 811 for a COVID screening. We wont see you in clinic with these symptoms and ER will turn you away also. If it is a straight-forward issue that I can deal with virtually, you might not need any further management. Thankfully, our NL numbers have continued to stay low and if we all keep up the diligent work, things will resume to normal in due time. Stay safe everyone! May 20th symptoms from the NL COVID website: Symptoms of COVID-19 are defined as having two or more of the following (new or worsening): Fever (or signs of a fever, including chills, sweats, muscle aches, lightheadedness) Cough Headache Sore throat Painful swallowing Runny nose Diarrhea Loss of sense of smell or taste Unexplained loss of appetite OR Small red or purple spots on your hands and/or feet https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/covid-19-symptoms-treatment/

This is my new office uniform!

FYI - Some Physiotherapists are now offering virtual visits. This one - Paradise Physiotherapy - has some of my favorite folks.

Just an update to my patients: Yolanda & I are both working from home - without PPE we cannot see anyone face-to-face. Sorry! (And I cannot get enough gowns, face shields, masks, etc to see everyone safely.) Please continue to email Yolanda with your requests - I am trying to reach out to everyone as I can, but I know some folks are waiting many days for me to call them. I really appreciate your patience. Along with calling patients, Im busy with a number of other pandemic ...concerns/meetings/changes for a few hours most days. Paperwork and forms are quite backed up now, Im very sorry, but Im doing my best in these challenging times. On a positive note, we are both healthy & safe and our families are fine also. We both really appreciate everyones positive comments, concerns and offers to help. Its nice to know that we have such an amazingly supportive community. Even though things are crazy right now, we all have so much to be thankful for! All of the Public Health recommendations *are* making a difference so please keep going - stay home, wash your hands, use a face mask when out in public (need to cover your nose & chin snuggly) and use this time to take care of yourselves. Email [email protected] if you need anything! Dr Cooper & Yolanda

A great resource for pregnant women & new moms. : )

Just putting this out there for folks to think about. Not that we are all gonna die, just that its always a good time to have hard discussions *before* you get sick. Speaking about the Taboo topics: A time like a pandemic, when thousands are dying around the world, is a time that should spark the important conversations with family & loved ones. Conversations that should be happening regularly anyway but arent. ... This does not mean that people should be fearful they will die, as if we do a good enough job, we can hopefully keep those numbers to a minimum. What it does mean, is you should ask yourself the following sorts of questions: if I was too sick to make decisions for myself - who do I want to appoint to make my health decisions for me in an urgent scenario If I got so sick that I needed a breathing tube and ventilator/life support to try to get me better - is that within my values If my heart stopped - would I want aggressive measures to try to restart it Do I know the answers to the above questions about my loved ones, my parents, my grandparents If you have elderly loved ones especially - find out whats important. Think about quality of life in these scenarios. These conversations are SO important and make a HUGE difference when it comes to families being divided and torn on decision making. Remember, if you are a decision maker, your job is not to make the decision you think is best, its to make the decision you think the patient themselves would want. Visit advancecareplanning.ca for further information on advanced heath care directives. See more

CHLOROQUINe/HYDROXYCHLOROQUIN AND AZITHROMYCIN in COVID-19. I have received a few questions about reports of COVID-19 being cured using chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. I have seen this all over the American media and dont quite understand why a medical treatment has become a topic for public discussion. This one is really best left to the scientists and physicians who were using it. To make it really simple, I will just say that there have been 2 small stu...Continue reading

Regarding virtual/phone visits, we will be asking you for your consent to interact with you in this way before we begin our discussion. Its important for people to understand that we are using regular home phones, personal cell phones and non-secure virtual applications like Facetime, Messenger, etc. These are not "secure" communication, meaning that we cannot 100% guarantee that your visit will be private they way we can in the office where its just you & I in the room. The same thing with our clinic email - gmail is pretty good, but its not the same as companies which use password protected email and calling. Should not be a big concern, but these days, anything can be hacked, so we have to be careful.

Thank you to all of my patients for your patience as we transition to phone calls/virtual calls. Im working through about a hundred requests for calls right now and its taking longer than expected as I also am managing urgent requests and meetings for planning for the evolving needs of this pandemic. If you have more urgent concerns, please email Yolanda to remind me about you - we dont mind reminders - and please answer calls with blocked caller ID as I will be calling fr...om my home or personal cell. Please dont be afraid to contact us, it just might take a little while to respond. Thanks again for your patience. Because we have no PPE (personal protective equipment - masks, visors, gowns etc) we are not seeing any patients in clinic. So sorry. If the province can provide supplies for us, I may open up again for selected cases. More to follow on that. In the meantime, we are sticking with calling. Yolanda & I really appreciate all of the kindness and concern you all have show for us during this challenging time, and wed like you to know we (and our families) are both healthy and doing well at home. The following website is the best place to find accurate resources in the weeks to come. Hang in there, it will all be fine but interesting days are ahead. https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/ Take care everyone!

Clinic email [email protected]. We check daily, expect responses within 24-hours. Thanks for your patience.Clinic email [email protected]. We check daily, expect responses within 24-hours. Thanks for your patience.

A few things to think of doing in the next few weeks of staying home during this pandemic: 1. Get outdoors everyday for a walk in the sun. 2. Try out some of the yoga stuff Ive been talking about for years - my favorite place to start is Chair Yoga - if you can sit and breathe you can do yoga!! Google my favorite videos under Cara Kircher from Toronto - she has 2-3 people showing varations on poses from easy to advanced. Start with short 10-15min videos and grow from there....Continue reading

Anyone still getting together for social events is being completely irresponsible. People are dying, people will die, wed like to keep that number to a minimum. Those of us who need to work are working, everyone who has been sent home MUST stay home or bear the responsibility of knowing that you have contributed to the problem (and contributed to people dying). There is no vaccine to prevent this virus, and contrary to recent false news, there is no miraculous cure around t...he corner. Some people will get sick - some will get very sick, and some will die despite the very best efforts of people risking their own livew to treat them. I personally will report anyone I know to be disobeying self-isolation & social distancing. There are hefty fines and even jail time. Im dead serious about this. Any patient who lies to me about their risk factors when they come to see me (and thereby endangers my life) will be fired from my practice. Im not in a panic, but I am *very* concerned about all of this, and scared for those working the front lines. Theres so much information out there that it can be hard to know who to trust. Im your family doctor and this is what I do - to the best of my ability. Trust me.

To my patients. I will be in the office most days checking phone and email messages. Please reach out to me instead of going to ER, After-Hours clinic, or walk-in clinics. Please avoid the online doctor apps if you can possibly reach out to me at all. (Ive already seen inappropriate antibiotic prescribing which concerns me).

Information about asthma during this COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavir//specific-groups/asthma.html

A little information for pregnant women. Please talk to me/your doc if you have extra questions about this. https://sogc.org//Updated-SOGC-Committee-Opinion%E2%80%93%

Office Changes during COVID-19 Pandemic for the office of Dr. Roxanne Cooper: In an effort to encourage social distancing, protect staff, as well as our vulnerable or immunocompromised patients, we have made several changes: 1. DO NOT come to the clinic if you have fever, cough and shortness of breath/difficulty breathing and recent travel outside of the province - call 811 instead....Continue reading

PUBLIC ADVISORY: Effective March 16th all non-essential services will be postponed. See details in notice below.

Great advice again from Janeways pediatric cardiologist. Ill also add that if you have comments and complaints you can post on FB but it is far more effective to complain to your MHA.

Hi folks! I am strongly recommending people adhere to the following advice of Janeway Pediatric Cardiologist, Dr Templeton regarding attending social or community gatherings and ways to protect yourself against this dangerous virus. We expect COVID-19 virus to show up in NL much more in the coming weeks, and effects to linger for another month. Slowing the spread of this virus in the community is essential to reducing the number of people who will get sick, need hospitalizati...on/ICU or die. I also strongly encourage folks to reconsider your travel plans outside of the province and especially outside of Canada in the next month. While I understand that people will be disappointed and perhaps even lose money on reservations, this is a very serious threat and the World Health Organization has declared a worldwide pandemic and has advised people against travel. If you become sick from your travel (after today) there may be issues with travel health insurance etc, and there may be issues from your employer about 2-week quarantine after you return. Wash your hands, keep you hands away from your face, keep a 6-foot distance from people in public, limit hand shaking friends in public (and hugging & kissing) and be careful to cough or sneeze into your elbow. Stay home this Paddys Day or enjoy your green beer with a few friends in your own home. This wont last forever, and a few weeks of laying low will make a huge impact for the people around you. If you think you might have come in contact with COVID-19, please call 811 for nursing assessment. Most family doctors dont have any resources to do swabs or assessments in the office, so please stay away! Thanks for listening!

COVID-19 NOTICE Provincial update for COVID-19: Public Asked to Call 811 if Experiencing Respiratory Symptoms Following Out-of-Province Travel... Health and Community Services March 6, 2020: While the risk to residents is still low for contracting COVID-19, it is important to know following travel how to prepare in case you or a family member becomes ill. Those infected with COVID-19 may have mild to severe symptoms. These symptoms may be similar to a cold or flu, and may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure. Symptoms have included: Fever Cough and, Difficulty breathing If you are experiencing symptoms following out-of-province travel, please call 811, the provinces Healthline, to speak to a registered nurse. You can also call ahead and speak to your own health care provider if you are concerned about your symptoms, or if you have a travel history to an area where cases have been confirmed. If you are severely ill and feel you need emergency medical attention, please call 911 and ensure you tell them about your travel history. For online information and updates on COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, please visit the Department of Health and Community Services website. To date, there are no cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador.

This should scare anyone looking for a family doctor in NL - medical students are not choosing to study Family Medicine because of the current political climate here. Once a year, graduating students are "matched" to a speciality, and MUN Family Medicine has always been a top pick Canada wide. This year MUN, despite having fantastic teachers and a highly rated program, went with many spots unfilled. The majority of our medical students chose to study a surgical or medical sp...Continue reading

For everyone out there worried about the Covid-19 coronovirus, Influenza is still *far* more likely to kill you in Canada. This Flu Watch website is updated weekly with reliable data on virus activity throughout Canada including stats on hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths. Current data for last week was 1600+ admissions and 64 deaths - mostly in children under 5 and seniors. For those who are vaccine doubters, this years vaccine has been quite good. Stats are betwe...en 50-70% effective depending on the strain, and overall, good for approximately 60% of the circulating viruses. This means that 75% of children aged 1-19 and 55% of those 20-64yo whove gotten sick (or died) could have been protected by a flu shot. I still have lots of vaccine in the office and really believe that vaccination is safe and the best protection for you and your family. The influenza season has several months of damage left to do, and with vaccination, your odds of getting seriously ill are drastically reduced. https://www.canada.ca//201/week-07-february-9-15-2020.html

Its not an "old people" illness any more. Most of the people infected with influenza in NL right now are healthy young folks. No excuses - get your vaccine! http://ntv.ca/two-flu-deaths-reported-in-newfoundland-and-/

Good news! Clinic WILL be open tomorrow Jan 22nd for previously booked appts. Please be patient with Yolanda when you call - we have had to cancel 4-days worth appointments and Im sure there are a few sore backs to see. It may be best to email her at [email protected] to confirm your appt status. I will be trying to see a few extra people affected by storm cancellations for the next few weeks so I hope people can try to limit their concerns to their top 3 priori...ties. Please be very careful on the roads tomorrow. Streets are very narrow and visibility on exits & intersections is still very poor. Take your time and have patience with others. Otherwise please stay home if you have no essential stops to make. Stay safe!

Clinic will be closed again tomorrow Jan 21st due to ongoing SOE. Begging folks again please stay home unless you MUST go outClinic will be closed again tomorrow Jan 21st due to ongoing SOE. Begging folks again please stay home unless you MUST go out

Clinic will be closed tomorrow Jan 20th - St. Johns ongoing SOE. Begging folks to please just stay home unless you MUST go outClinic will be closed tomorrow Jan 20th - St. Johns ongoing SOE. Begging folks to please just stay home unless you MUST go out

SNOW DAY! Clinic will be closed Jan 6th, Monday - all appts will be moved to Tuesday. Sorry for the inconvenience.SNOW DAY! Clinic will be closed Jan 6th, Monday - all appts will be moved to Tuesday. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The office will be closed through the Christmas school break (Dec 20 -Jan7). Check your medications now and email Yolanda if you need a refill before Friday! [email protected]

We have flu shots! There will be a nurse in clinic with Dr Cooper on Thursday, Nov 7th to give vaccines to patients and family members. Please call 722-4478 or email [email protected] to book an appt.

As a woman, physician and Canadian Forces Veteran, I have so much responsibility to vote - my amazing life was built on the hard fought battles of thousands on women a hundred years ago who could not vote, could not enter medical school, could not enter the military, could not own a home or credit in my own name. I can offer medical care to all without worrying whether you can pay me - thats because of the power of the vote. With privilege comes responsibility. Canadians are... all privileged - we all have the responsibility to vote. I dont care who you vote for - just cast a ballot. If for nothing else, do it for me - for the uniform I donned in support of Canada, for the medical care I have given you & your family, for the ability to express myself freely here. Just vote.

Family Docs in the news: Family Medicine is in crisis in this province and it is only going to get worse as many physicians with very full practices are getting set to retire in the next year. Im not going anywhere, but my practice is completely full and I cannot take on any new patients. Sorry for anyone who is currently without a family doctor. ...Continue reading

https://www.cbc.ca///family-physician-interview-1.5289906

Our clinic is LGBTQ2SIA+ friendly!

Internet lies and medical myths POLL #1 Answer and scientific support to follow next week. QUESTION: Do vaccines cause autism?