CLINIC - Urgent Medical Assessment Clinic at Victoria General Hospital

Urgent Medical Assessment Clinic at Victoria General Hospital

The Urgent Medical Assessment Clinic (UMAC) in Victoria General Hospital is a hospital-based internal medicine clinic intended for urgent and semi-urgent referrals. UMAC accepts referrals from both Emergency Departments as well as community primary care and specialty clinics. We also provide ambulatory care teaching to both internal medicine residents and medical students. 

The UMAC provides timely and comprehensive medical assessments and care plans for a broad range of clinical issues, including (but not limited to):

• Decompensated or complex chronic diseases (e.g., Liver Disease/abnormal liver enzymes, Congestive Heart Failure, CAD/Vascular Disease, COPD/Asthma, Hypertension, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, chronic/acute kidney disease)
• Diagnostic workup of dyspnea, chest pain, weight loss/B symptoms, or other unexplained symptom complexes.
• Syncope/pre-syncope
• Venous Thrombo-Embolic Disease
• Atrial Fibrillation/other cardiac arrhythmias
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Peri-Operative Assessments
• Urgent Exercise Treadmill Tests 
• Post-discharge follow up of complex patients

We aim to discharge patients back to their primary care providers (or other specialists) once diagnostic workup is complete, management plans are in place, and patients have achieved clinical stability. We are unable to offer long-term, longitudinal follow up for stable patients.

We do not accept referrals for chronic pain or chronic fatigue without red flag signs or symptoms that require further investigation.  If referrals are deemed more appropriate for another clinic, we will communicate with the referring clinician via fax or phone with alternative recommendations.

In cases where a referral is deemed semi-urgent, we will endeavour to communicate with the referring clinician with recommendations for initial diagnostic testing or management strategies while the patient awaits their appointment.

If urgent advice or an expedited assessment is required, please contact the internal medicine physician on-call via the RACE line.

How to get a Referral

Physician referral required.

Patients who have complex medical needs and who require additional assessments under the specialized care of an Internal Medicine Specialist. This may include peri-operative assessments.

Referral Forms (Physician only):

UMAC Referral Form

Once we have received your referral we will call you to book an appointment.