Dr. Lisa Polinsky Practice Update June 1, 2020
As you have seen Dr. Lisa Polinsky for naturopathic medical services within the past few years and we would like to inform you of some changes to her medical practice. The continuity of your care in a safe and seamless way is utmost and has been considered in conjunction with WorkSafe BC, BC Health Authority and The College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC recommendations. Please note the following:
Naturopathic Consultations:
Telemedicine will continue to be the primary venue for new patient and follow-up appointments. Dr. Polinsky is using the program Jane which has high-resolution integrated video, online booking, encrypted credit card billing and Direct Billing features. It is easy to use and allows for paperless access to documents such as Treatment Plan summaries, handouts and labs. In-office appointments will resume starting in June 2020 and will be booked on a case-by-case basis. These will be offered for EAV testing or to gather physical exam data. Dr. Polinsky will recommend these when appropriate or if you would like an in-person appointment please email her directly at drpolinsky@me.com. During in-office appointments physical distancing measures will be in place with chairs spaced 2 meters apart, only one person in the appointment at a time, hand sanitizer and mask/glove protocols in place.
To Book an Appointment:
To book an appointment with Dr. Polinsky click here.
Bookmark this site for future access: https://drlisapolinsky.janeapp.com.
You will be receiving an email directly from Jane in the next day inviting you to access this program and set up your new patient portal under Dr. Lisa Polinsky. Please note, you will no longer be able to use the Sage Clinic Jane account.
Online booking will require a credit card to be kept on file in an encrypted format.
To learn more about Jane click here.
To book by phone or to use etransfer please call Mallory at (778)-400-6098.
Medicinary Refills:
Please email drpolinsky@me.com when you wish to refill supplements and she will direct you as to how to access medicinary items. A number of options exist depending on the item(s) which include:
Dr. Polinsky can create an online prescription using a 3rd party company called FullScript which includes a catalogue of naturopathic quality supplements that can be prescribed and shipped right to your door. Click here to create a free account.
Many companies will ship directly to your door for free or minimal shipping cost.
Limited orders to specific companies will continue and pickup times at the clinic can be arranged.
A combination of the above may be required to access all your favourite items.
Administrative support:
Mallory is continuing to support Dr. Polinsky’s practice by offering virtual assistance for booking, Direct Billing, medicinary refills, lab kit and release-of-records processing. Her hours are 10 - 4 Monday - Friday.
Please contact her with any questions at:
Phone: 778-400-6098
Email: mallory.greenhouse@gmail.com
Stay Tuned!
Dr. Polinsky will be adding new offerings to her practice with updates posted to her website (currently under construction): www.drlisapolinsky.com. These will include guided meditation recordings, short instructive videos and energy healing.
Flying Solo
- by Dr. Lisa Polinsky
This is my story of the past few weeks. I hope you find it inspiring!
My naturopathic medical practice has been connected to the business of Sage Clinic for 18 out of the 21 years I’ve been a doctor. After I graduated from the National University of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 1999 I remained for three years completing a residency and mentoring under a well-respected doctor. It was while living in Portland that 9/11 occurred and I recall watching the horrific events unfold on TV in a coffee shop on my way to work. At that moment, unsettled by what I witnessed, I recall making the inner decision “It’s time to move back to Canada”.
Six months later I joined up with Dr. Arjuna Veeravagu and Dr. Samantha Gray as they founded Sage Clinic in Vancouver and became their first Associate doctor. Sage Clinic quickly became a recognized leader in natural medicine. It was exciting to witness the growth and during those years I focussed on my growing practice, had my babies and witnessed Yaletown became a thriving community. Eventually, it made sense to move to Victoria to be closer to my family and have my children settle into the more-relaxed Vancouver Island pace. Arjuna, Samantha and I joined forces as business partners and in 2012 I became an owner and we opened Sage Clinic Victoria.
For the past 8 years I have had the pleasure to deliver care to Island residents, connect with the local business community and work with many amazing doctors. Given our collective love of the medicine the community that has developed around Sage has been inspiring, loyal, supportive and open-hearted. As a business the core values of exceptional care, integrity, kindness and clear communication have always been the aim.
Covid 19 has affected each of us in nearly every facet of our lives. We know these are ‘unprecedented’ times and while the curve has flattened the impact is still unfolding. Part way through the lockdown, while we were navigating all the changes, it became apparent that financially Covid proved to be too much for the business of Sage Clinic to withstand. Witnessing this happen, dialoguing with the doctors, undergoing a series of employee layoffs, navigating the news, and ultimately shutting the doors ‘indefinitely’ was, at times, overwhelming. Eighteen years to build and in a few short weeks the business fell like dominos.
One day during this whirlwind I was feeling very uncertain about my future and how I would continue to maintain my naturopathic practice with the closing of Sage Clinic. I was swirling in the uncertainty and I started to feel an overwhelming sense of dread. I was in the living room with my twelve-year-old son nearby on the couch. It was a sunny afternoon and the door to the back patio was open. Rather than stay in the uncomfortable “overwhelm” I decided to shift my point of view and began to focus on the positive impact of naturopathic medicine that I’ve witnessed over these past 21 years. I conjured up faces of some of the thousands of people whose lives have been helped and who have experienced better health. I started to relax and feel lighter. At exactly that moment, I heard a fluttering sound and looked up to see an amazing ruby-throated hummingbird in our living room!
My son and I were both wide-eyed. Our faces lit up as we watched this beautiful creature gently fly in two sweeping circles. It maneuvered effortlessly pausing briefly at the mirror and then emerged safely out the back door. As I was watching the hummingbird, just before it flew out, I heard the words “Remember Joy!”. My son, still wide-eyed, looked at me after it flew off and simply exclaimed “Wow, mom!" We both drank in the moment and the magic.
I have been blessed by many spontaneous and powerful animal connections over the years including, most dramatically, at 8-years-old being run over by a bear while in a tent in the middle of the night. I see each of these events as symbolic and poignant and while meaning is up to the individual for me this message from the hummingbird was loud and clear: Remember Joy! I also took it as a sign that things would be just fine.
Nature has a way of showing us her strength, reminding us of ours and letting us know that the cycles of life are natural and continuous. Some things erode and fall away, and other things are created and birthed into new ways of being. In this case Sage Clinic ‘the business’ will not continue as it was however each doctor’s individual naturopathic practice will continue to emerge and grow. Pivoting to a combination of telemedicine and in-person appointments with administrative support by a virtual assistant is a timely new business model that is potentially healthier for everyone in the long term. I am inspired by these changes and my love for the medicine has never wavered even as the business “shell” has cracked. The need for natural medicine is greater than ever and the core tenets of Treat the Whole Person, and Identify and Treat the Root Cause of Illness are timeless. In the wise words of Frank Lloyd Wright “Stay close to nature, it will never fail you”.
I share this story to offer my experience of these past few weeks and my optimism for this next phase of my naturopathic practice - flying solo. I am confident you will be pleased with the business ‘pivot’ and I look forward to seeing you again. May you stay safe, remain healthy, and remember joy!