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 If you are a health care provider and wish to make a referral for one of your clients, please use the genetic referral form or the cancer referral form and mail or fax us a copy of the completed form. Any additional client information would be helpful to send along with this referral. You can also call us at (807) 625-5924 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630 with any questions or concerns you may have.
We are conveniently located within the Thunder Bay District Health Unit at 999 Balmoral Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario. We not only meet the clients at our offices within the Health Unit but also meet our clients within their own homes, at the local hospital, or cancer centre, or within the region, if we are travelling through the district. If a personal consultation isn't possible, we will meet clients through videoconferencing.
What is Genetic Counselling?
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 Genetic Counselling helps individuals and families understand genetic factors in diseases, disabilities and birth defects. People who get the facts about testing, treatment and available choices are able to make decisions which are best for them, their pregnancy, or their child's health..
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The genetic counselling program offers several services:
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· Assessment and diagnosis of genetic disorders
· Provision of medical information and advice about genetic disease or condition to people at risk of a disorder that might be hereditary
· Discussion of the chance of developing and passing the disorder on
· Information about the ways in which it may be prevented or helped
· Arranging and interpreting genetic laboratory test results
· Participation in education and research with regular involvement in the school curriculum. Teachers are welcome to call us to book educational talks for their students. Genetic talks are tailor made for the teachers' and students' needs. |
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How Do You Obtain It?
Referrals are commonly made through family doctors, specialists such as pediatricians or obstetricians/gynecologists, nurse practitioners, midwives, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and social workers. Genetic counselling is covered by OHIP (see genetic services and costs).
Referrals
We encourage you to discuss your concerns with your health care provider. They can make the referral on your behalf, but you may also contact the Genetic Counselling Program directly at (807) 625-5924. You can also try us toll-free at 1-888-294-6630. If there is a family history of cancer in the family, we encourage your health care provider to use the cancer referral form as this will give the counsellors more information about you and your family.
Who Provides Genetic Services?
The genetics department has one full-time and one part-time program support staff. All referrals that are received through genetics will go through the program support staff. A genetics nurse counsellor will then contact clients within one month of receiving the genetic referral.
Four full-time and one part-time genetics nurse counsellors work within the genetic department. Genetics nurse counsellors in Northern Ontario are mainly university degree nurses with a specialty in the genetics field. The genetics nurse counsellors and geneticists are a team of health care professionals who provide genetic services to residents of Northwestern Ontario. Genetics nurse counsellors put together and review family histories, and draw the family trees (pedigrees). They also explain the medical information about a disease, whether heredity is a part of a particular disease and, if it is, how it is passed on from one generation to the next and the chances of a particular disease affecting you or your children. This information is given to client's and their families together with the geneticist.
Geneticists are medical doctors who have special training in the area of inherited diseases. They analyze and interpret the information, order certain genetic testing, establish the genetic diagnosis and determine the risk to family members and future children.
Genetics Clinics
Genetic clinics are held four to five times per year (about every 2 months) when one or two consulting geneticists from medical teaching centres in either Southern or Eastern Ontario visit Thunder Bay. During the times between each clinic, if an urgent referral is needed, client's can see a geneticist through videoconferencing (Telehealth). Videoconferencing means that the geneticist will remain in Southern or Eastern Ontario and will speak to the client, in the client's home town, through a television.
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