Here to Help

CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre

We know you’re going through a hard time and things are beyond your control. We know you’re worried. So, here’s some information to help you get the advice and support you need.

Get informed

A lot of health problems can be treated at home, without a doctor. To make sure you’re doing the right thing, find out more about your symptoms and the treatments available to you.

Find accurate information

You need to be careful when looking up health information on the Internet.

Make sure you consult credible, trustworthy sites. Here are a few suggestions:
Portail santé Québec
Public Health Agency of Canada

An online decision-making aid

If you have a health problem or a specific need (e.g., prescription renewal), you can consult the online Primary Care Access Point (GAP) for advice related to your situation, need or symptoms.

You’ll answer simple questions online, and based on your answers, you’ll be told which resource or health professional to consult. If your problem can be safely managed at home, you will be given advice.

Visit https://gap.soinsvirtuels.gouv.qc.ca/en

Get advice

If you’re worried about your health, qualified health professionals are available to answer your questions, give you advice, listen to you and reassure you.

With their help, you may be able to manage certain health problems at home. Don’t hesitate to consult them!

Call Info-Santé (811, option 1)

You can explain your problem to a nurse, confidentially and free of charge.

The nurse will answer your questions and give you advice on how to safely manage your health problem at home. They may also give you a list of signs and symptoms to watch for.

Did you know only 10% of calls to 811 end with a recommendation to go to the Emergency department?

If you need an outside opinion, the nurse will refer you to the best place. Not all health problems need to be seen by a doctor.

The service is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Talk to a pharmacist

Pharmacists are medication experts, front-line health professionals who can help you treat minor health problems, initiate preventive treatments, and advise you on the proper medication use and healthy lifestyle habits.

Onsite prescriptions
If your pharmacist thinks it’s necessary, they can prescribe medication for certain minor health problems or initiate preventive treatment.
For example, they can write prescriptions for the following (some conditions apply; talk to your pharmacist for details):

Smoking cessation products
Hormonal birth control methods
Emergency oral contraception
Traveller’s diarrhea, malaria and acute mountain sickness prophylaxis
Lyme disease prophylaxis, following a tick bite
Nausea and vomiting
Perinatal vitamins
Indigestion and acid reflux
Head lice
Shingles
And much more!

Advice on over-the-counter medications (on the shelves)
If you’re not sure what medication to take for your symptoms, ask your pharmacist! They can give you advice on how to treat different health problems including:

Seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis)
Allergic conjunctivitis
Cold sores (oral herpes)
Mouth ulcers (canker sores)
Muscle pain
Cold and flu
Constipation
And much more!

Don’t hesitate to consult them. Pharmacists are health professionals who are standing by to help you.

They can also advise you on possible interactions between over-the-counter products and the medications prescribed by your doctor.

In addition to extending prescriptions, pharmacists can also adjust a doctor’s prescription if they notice any safety or efficacy issues. In some cases, they may even order lab tests to check how a medication is working. Finally, some pharmacists may also prescribe and administer vaccines.

Mental health problems and difficult family situations

If you’re going through a hard time, you don’t need to do it alone. Help and support are available. Health professionals will listen to your problems, give you advice, or refer you to someone who can help.

Call Info-Social (811, option 2)

You’ll be able to talk to a psychosocial worker, confidentially and free of charge.

The professionals at Info-Social are qualified to give you advice and answer your questions. They can also suggest ways to improve your condition and monitor your progress.

As needed, they’ll refer you to services or resources in the community.

Here are some reasons why you might call Info-Social (811, option 2):

You’re going through a situation that’s causing you anxiety.
You’re worried about a friend or a family member.
You’re having family or relationship problems.
You’re going through a bereavement.
You’re worried about a specific situation or behaviour.

The service is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

You can call Info-Social for yourself or for a loved one.

If you’re thinking about suicide or worried a loved one might be, you need to seek help; don’t try to handle the situation alone. Call the Centre de prévention du suicide at 1-866-277-3553 or visit suicide.ca.

Call the mental health and psychosocial services desk at your local CLSC for an adult or a minor.

The CLSCs have teams in place to get you the help you need quickly. After evaluating your problem, they will refer you to services or resources in your area (for children, teens or adults).

You can contact them for different types of problems (e.g., problems with your partner, family or friends, a crisis situation, problems adjusting or fitting in).

Visit your CLSC’s “Psychosocial Services” page:

CLSC Samuel-de-Champlain, on boulevard Taschereau, in Brossard
CLSC Saint-Hubert, on boulevard Cousineau, in Saint-Hubert
CLSC de la Vallée-des-Forts, on boulevard du Séminaire Nord, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
CLSC du Richelieu, on chemin de Marieville, in Richelieu

These credible websites can also help:

You need to see a health professional or a doctor

If you need to see a health professional or a doctor, there are different resources available depending on your health condition, whether or not you have a family doctor, and your age.

If you have a family doctor

Consult your family doctor.
Make an appointment online or by phone at your usual clinic or CLSC.

If your doctor is not available

If you’re registered with a Family Medicine Group (FMG), ask if you can see another doctor or health professional at the FMG.
If you can’t get an appointment at your FMG or clinic, here are some other options:
- Visit the web page Getting a medical consultation on the same or next day. You can look up clinics near you and try to get an appointment.
- On the territory covered by the CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, there are two network clinics that give appointments for semi-urgent and urgent problems (e.g., persistent fever, flu, severe sore throat, urinary tract infection, cuts that require stitches).
  - Clinique Azur is located at 2984 boulevard Taschereau, in Greenfield Park.
    To make an appointment, call 450-466-4333, option 3, or go to cliniqueazur.com
  - Centre Médi-Soleil is located at 383 boulevard du Séminaire Nord, Suite 120, in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu.
    To make an appointment, call 438-320-1300 or go to https://www.medisoleil.com.
If you need to consult for a child (age 17 or under):
- UP Centre for Pediatric Emergencies, at Quartier DIX30, in Brossard, is open daily, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  For more information: centreup.ca
- The designated population clinic allows persons (age 17 and under who have been unable to see their family doctor) with a health problem such as influenza, gastroenteritis or other winter infection to obtain a medical consultation, with an appointment only.
  To make an appointment: https://clients3.clicsante.ca/7000/take-appt

If you do not have a family doctor

Note: Make sure to register with the Québec Family Doctor Finder. There is a waiting list (managed by the Québec Family Doctor Finder) to get a family doctor. Once you’re on the list, your medical record will be assessed, and you will be placed on the waiting list for your region, according to your needs and health condition. To get on the list: www.quebec.ca/GAMF

Get the services of the Primary Care Access Point

Visit the online Primary Care Access Point
The online Primary Care Access Point will prompt you to fill out a questionnaire. Based on your answers, it will recommend a resource for you to consult. To fill out the questionnaire and get recommendations from the online PCAP, visit gap.soinsvirtuels.gouv.qc.ca/en.
Contact the Primary Care Access Point (GAP)
The Primary Care Access Point is a new service that lets you speak to a team, who will evaluate your condition and refer you to the appropriate health professional. The service is free, fast and efficient.
To contact the Primary Care Access Point, dial 811, option 3.
The Primary Care Access Point is open Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s also open on weekends and holidays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fill out the application form to communicate with the primary care access point
If your request is not urgent, you can fill out the application form to communicate with the primary care access point. The form will allow you to specify the nature of your situation. Our team will examine it within the next 24 hours ( working hours). We will contact you shortly by email or telephone.
A pplication form to communicate with the primary care access point

***Important : To access the services of the Primary Care Access Point, you must be registered with the Québec Family Doctor Finder***

There are also options with or without an appointment

There are options with or without an appointment.

Visit the web page Getting a medical consultation on the same or next day. You can look up clinics near you and try to get an appointment.
On the territory covered by the CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, there are two network clinics that give appointments for semi-urgent and urgent problems (e.g., persistent fever, flu, severe sore throat, urinary tract infection, cuts that require stitches).
- Clinique Azur is located at 2984 boulevard Taschereau, in Greenfield Park.
  To make an appointment, call 450-466-4333, option 3, or go to cliniqueazur.com
- Centre Médi-Soleil is located at 383 boulevard du Séminaire Nord, Suite 120, in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu.
  To make an appointment, call 438-320-1300 or go to https://www.medisoleil.com.
The designated population clinic allows persons without a family doctor who have a health problem such as influenza, gastroenteritis or other winter infection to obtain a medical consultation, with an appointment only.
To make an appointment: https://clients3.clicsante.ca/7000/take-appt

If you need to consult for a child (age 17 or under):

UP Centre for Pediatric Emergencies, at Quartier DIX30, in Brossard, is open daily, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information: centreup.ca

We encourage you to register with the Québec Family Doctor Finder. Just registering will give you access to the Primary Care Access Point, which will make it much easier for you to get the health services you need.

You decide to go to the Emergency department

If you have an urgent health problem, it’s important you go to the Emergency department, where you’ll be seen quickly. In the Emergency department, critical or unstable cases are seen first.

Find out more

If you decide to go to the Emergency department for a non-urgent health problem, you should expect to wait several hours. Remember to bring everything you’ll need to help pass the time (medication, water, snacks, cell phone charger, diapers for children, etc.).

The wait time depends on a number of different factors.

Triage: assessing your health condition
In triage, a nurse will assess your health condition and decide how soon you need to see a doctor. They will assign you a priority code.

Patients are not seen in the order they arrive. People who arrive after you may see the doctor first, if the triage nurse evaluates their condition is more urgent or unstable than yours.

You need/decide to call an ambulance

If you need help fast for an urgent health problem, you should call 911.

Find out more

Examples of situations that require calling 911:

A person’s life is in danger.
A person’s health is at risk.
A person is in distress.
You witness a serious accident or a crime.
A person needs to be transported by ambulance.
A person needs immediate assistance from a hospital Emergency department.

When you call:

An operator will ask you questions to determine the urgency of the situation. They will also ask you for the address of the emergency.
They will contact the appropriate emergency services (police, fire, paramedics).
First responders will travel to the scene.
The 911 operator will probably give you some instructions while you wait for help. Stay on the line until they have finished asking their questions and giving instructions. Do not hang up until the operator says you can.

There are many misconceptions about ambulances. Did you know?

If you call 911, the operator may recommend you use an alternate form of transportation to get to the hospital. They may suggest you drive with a family member, take a taxi or call paratransit. If they recommend this option, it’s because they feel it’s safe in your condition. Ambulances need to be available for the most urgent calls.
When the paramedics arrive at your home, they are not required to transport you to the Emergency department. After speaking with a nurse, they can refer you to a resource that’s more appropriate for your condition.
If you arrive at the hospital by ambulance, you will not automatically see a doctor faster. When you arrive at the hospital, a triage nurse will assess your health condition, just like every other person who arrives at the Emergency department. The nurse will then assign you a priority code to see the doctor. If your situation is not a priority, you will wait in the waiting room.
Ambulance rides aren’t always free! Usually, people age 65 and over do not pay. However, if the emergency doctor decides your situation didn’t require an ambulance ride, you will be billed.

Home support paramedicine: a safe resource, tailored to your situation

If you’re 50 or over and call 911, the operator may suggest a home support paramedicine visit. If they recommend this option, it’s because they feel it’s safe in your condition.

If you agree, home support paramedicine workers will visit your home. They will assess your situation and call a home care nurse to determine the type of care you need and how long you can wait to receive it. They can also provide the care you need to avoid a trip to the Emergency department. They will take care of all the details to make sure you get quick access to the services you need.

Within 24 hours of the paramedic’s visit, a home care nurse will visit you.