Protect the natural health care you love – share your story

THANK YOU to so many of you who have already shared your story about how Naturopathic care has helped you.
As we mentioned in our e-newsletter (sign up here) earlier this week, new regulations governing naturopathic practice are scheduled to take effect this summer. This is a change that’s welcomed by NDs across Ontario, with a few exceptions:
 
Right now, without any explanation, we stand to LOSE ACCESS to HUNDREDS of LAB TESTS that your ND can currently order for you if and when you need them.
Lab testing is essential to safe, effective health care. We use lab tests regularly to make accurate diagnoses and create effective treatment plans that help you feel better. Whether it’s been diagnosing autoimmune thyroid disease so that you can finally receive the correct treatment for your hypothyroidism; resolving a hormonal imbalance to help you conceive a baby; identifying the foods that inflame your body; clearing up a chronic infection; diagnosing an immunological disorder in your child; or realizing you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency that changes your life when identified and treated appropriately…Our ability to provide the excellent health care you deserve depends on maintaining full access to the laboratory tests NDs are already using. 
There are many problems with limiting lab access. For example, the new regulations will provide for NDs’ ability to prescribe certain prescription medications such as bio-identical hormones, while the blood tests needed to ensure your bio-identical hormone prescription is safe are missing from the government’s proposed list of tests that NDs could access.
This not only makes zero sense, it may compromise the quality of health care we can provide to you if changes aren’t made before the regulations take effect.
The government needs to know that you want continued access to the safe, effective and comprehensive health care that you’ve come to expect from your ND (and that we remain 100% committed to providing to you), and that includes lab testing.
YOUR VOICE MATTERS.
If you haven’t already, would you consider telling your story about how Naturopathic care has been important to you?  
You can send it in by replying to this email. Make it as brief or long as you wish. Every note helps the Ministry of Health to understand how NDs practice and the quality of health care we offer.
We respect your privacy, and only I (Dr. Cherevaty) will read your message before your name is removed from your story. YOUR STORY WILL BE 100% ANONYMOUS when submitted to the Ministry of Health unless you specifically request that your name be included. 
Thank you SO much for reading this, and for considering contributing to the hundreds of patient stories that are being sent in to the Ministry of Health this week in support of full access to the unique health care that NDs are trained to offer you.
Let’s rock this! Please send in your story by this Friday, May 15th. Just email me at drcherevaty @ norfolkwellness.com and I’ll take care of the rest.
With very sincere thanks in advance,
Dr Liz
P.S. Did you know it’s officially Naturopathic Medicine Week across Canada!  (Help us celebrate life-changing health care by sharing us your story?)