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Fast Facts
Needing a Death Certificate
In Ontario, a death certificate is required to settle an estate, for insurance purposes and to gain access to or terminate certain government services.
moreFamily Doctors
Newcomers will need to find a family doctor as soon as possible after arriving in Kingston. Except in medical emergencies, family doctors (also called general practitioners or GPs) are the first person you see when you have a health problem. Family doctors diagnose and treat most medical problems, order tests and make referrals to specialist physicians.
It's up to individuals to find a family doctor who is accepting new patients. To assist your search, you should:
- Register with Health Care Connect, a government program that helps Ontario residents find a family doctor.
- Contact the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) and ask for the names of doctors who are accepting new patients.
- Speak with a settlement worker at Immigrant Services Kingston and Area (ISKA) or at Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario, Région des Mille-Îles (ACFO Mille-Îles).
- Use the online Doctor Search service of The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
- Ask friends, neighbours and co-workers if their doctor is accepting new patients.
- Visit the Yellow Pages of the Kingston phone book and look for doctors under "Physicians and Surgeons."
If you don't have a family doctor, you can get free, confidential medical advice from Telehealth, a government-funded health service that connects you by telephone with a Registered Nurse. Minor health conditions can also be seen at a walk-in medical clinic. Hospital emergency rooms also take walk-in patients with more serious medical problems.
It does not cost to see a doctor in Ontario but you must have an Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card or private health insurance.
For More Information
A general overview of Telehealth, what it is, how it works, and why it was introduced in Ontario.
Register in person or online with Health Care Connect, an Ontario government program that helps Ontario residents find a family doctor.
Information on Health Care Connect is available in Amharic, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese (Simplified and traditional), Farsi, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Ojicree, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Serbian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese.
Information about family doctors and specialists, including their office address, telephone number and qualifications. Links to a public register of doctors who are registered with the college.
Tips for Kingston residents on how to find a family physician who is accepting new patients.
Kingston’s local area settlement services provider. Provides immigrants with employment, language, education, health and other assistance.
A listing of common questions about immigrating to Ontario. Includes information on applying to immigrate, important documents, health care, jobs, business immigration, and education and training.
Tips on finding a family doctor in communities that have a shortage of doctors.
