Clinical | Department of Medicine | School of Medicine

Dermatology as presented by television, (particularly “Grey’s Anatomy”) may have you believe it involves drinking raspberries in water, hand massages, and “rubbing lotion on people for a living.”

Television, particularly medical television, has never been known for its accuracy.

Dermatology is the study of skin and skin appendages. What are skin appendages?: hair, nails, sweat glands and sebaceous glands. A dermatologist deals with a variety of problems ranging from rashes to pigmentation to skin cancer.

Dermatology has a unique position as an intersection between medicine and surgery. A dermatologist’s day involves patients from infancy to the end of life. Many systemic disorders present themselves in the skin. These conditions can be genetic, autoimmune, signs of hormonal imbalance, signs of vitamin deficiency, or even signs of internal tumors. The dermatologist manages many of the conditions alone with a combination of creams, pills, or physical therapies such as light or liquid nitrogen. A dermatologist may remove lesions that range from annoyances to serious skin cancers. Dermatologists deal with a variety of occupational disorders and chronic wounds.

Dermatology, like so many other areas of medicine, is vastly underserviced and wait times across the country can be lengthy. Skin cancer rates are increasing with the aging population and societal attitudes toward tanning. The new division of Dermatology at Queen’s has been established to help address this need.

Clinical queries should be directed by phone (613 544 3400 x 3415) or by fax (613 545 2202) to the office. All patients must be referred.

Referring Physician Information

DIVISION OF DERMATOLOGY

Dr. Yuka Asai, Dr. Thomas Herzinger,

Dr. Sonja Molin & Dr. Benvon Moran (Mohs Micrographic Surgeon)

Hotel Dieu Hospital Tel: (613) 544-3400 x 3415

166 Brock Street, C3-027 Fax: (613) 545- 2202

Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 5G2

ATTENTION: ALL REFERRING PRACTITIONERS

RE: GENERAL DERMATOLOGY AND MOHS SURGERY REFERRALS

Dear colleagues:

This communication is to clarify procedures and wait times for the Division of Dermatology at Queen’s University. A number of patients have been told they will be seen within a short period of time. While we are doing our best to provide timely care, the catchment area and backlog has resulted in a significant wait time.

Consults are triaged according to need as determined by the information given by the referring health care practitioner. For referral guidelines for dermatology please see the attached document.Double referrals are discouraged as it increases the no-show rate for all specialists in whole.

Please note Dr. Moran has a practice restricted to skin cancer of the head and neck; please see guidelines for Mohs surgery and complete the Mohs referral form. This can be located on the Hotel Dieu website at: http://www.hoteldieu.com/programs-and-departments/dermatology-clinic/mohs-clinic.

By OHIP regulations prior to referral for Mohs surgery we require a diagnosis based on a formalin-fixed, paraffin‑embedded tissue specimen. Therefore, a biopsy is required when referring a patient for Mohs surgery.

We thank you for your understanding and help in providing care for patient with skin disease.

Referrals Guidelines for General Dermatology

Referrals may be faxed or mailed

Division of Dermatology

166 Brock Street, C3-027

Kingston, ON. K7L 5G2

613-545-2202 (fax)

Please include:

1) Correct patient demographics (patient name, alternate names, OHIP number, correct address and phone number)

2) Please indicate duration, location, and history of problem. Please indicate previous treatments.

3) Pertinent past history (comorbidities, blood disorders, etc.)

4) Relevant biopsy reports

5) Notes from previous dermatology visits

** Consults with information inadequate for triage may be sent back for clarification. **

Please do not advise patients on wait times to appointment as all referrals are triaged based on urgency. Most appointments will be mailed but consults triaged as urgent may be called for their appointment.

Please inform your patients that if a patient does not show to the first appointment the referral will be sent back to the referring practitioner. If a patient misses multiple follow-up appointments they will also be discharged and will need a new referral to be seen.

** Cancelling less than 1 business day prior to an appointment is considered a no‑show as another patient cannot be booked in the spot. **

Thank you for following and informing your patients of these guidelines as they will ensure the maximal efficiency of our office to provide optimal care for patients with skin problems.

Patient Information

The Division of Dermatology sees patients with conditions dealing with the diseases of the skin, nails and hair. Physicians who specialize in this field of medicine are called Dermatologists.

Things to know about your appointment with the dermatologist:

Please bring a list of all medications you currently take or have used, including creams as well as pills.

If you have previously had biopsies or blood work done for the same condition you were referred for, please bring these reports with you or contact your referring doctor and request that they be forwarded to us.

Please note that in order for the dermatologist to make a proper diagnosis, they will need to be able to look at you skin. Please expect that you may be asked to get undressed. Please do not wear makeup or nail polish on your fingers or toes to your appointment.

Medical acts that are not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) may require a fee paid by the patient. This will be discussed with you prior to any such treatment.

Missed Appointments:

An appointment that has been canceled with notice of less than one business day will be considered a missed appointment, as no other patients can be booked in the slot.

If you miss your initial appointment your referring doctor will be informed and the consult returned. Should you wish to reschedule, a new consult will be required which will be triaged according to the current waiting list and booked accordingly.

If repeated follow-up appointments are missed, you will be discharged from our care and your referring physician notified. It will then be up to your referring physician or family physician to manage your ongoing care.

PLEASE NOTE: We will make every effort to see you as close to your appointment time as possible, however on occasion emergencies or unexpected situations may delay us. We appreciate your patience should this occur. Please allow 1-2 hours for your appointment.