Frequently Asked Questions

You can find us on the 3rd floor of the Central Block in the University District. Simply take the elevator to the 3rd floor and turn left.

Our address is: Suite 320, 4015 University Avenue NW, Calgary Alberta

Free underground parking is available for up to 3 hours at the University District Retail Parkade. Please remember to register your license plate at one of the pay machines located at each entrance to activate your free parking and avoid possible ticketing.

Public washrooms are conveniently located in the shared hallway on the third floor. To access them, proceed straight from the clinic entrance.

To receive the door code, kindly scan the QR code in the waiting room or ask our reception staff.

It is an appointment intended to offer medical care to individuals who either do not have a family doctor or are unable to reach their existing one.

No, availability may vary. Our reception staff will assist you in scheduling the earliest available appointment or guide you through other options to access the necessary care you need.

This initial appointment is designed to introduce you to your new doctor and facilitate the collection of your medical history and establish the duty of care.

Your previous family doctor’s office may apply a charge to account for the time and effort required to prepare and transfer your medical records. The specific amount of this fee is determined by your former family doctor’s office.

Firstly, you NEED to be enrolled on AVA Connect, which can be found in the following question below.

To schedule an appointment online, navigate to AVA Connect by clicking “Book Appointment” on our homepage or visiting avaconnect.ca. 

Sign in with your email and password, then follow these steps:

• Click on “Appointments.”
• Choose Aspire Medical.
• Select a practitioner.
• Choose the appointment type.
• Pick the date and time.
• Provide the reason for the appointment.
• Click “Submit.”

To register for AVA Connect at Aspire Medical, contact our reception for the invitation link to be sent to your email.

YES: the sign-up link expires after 5 days for security reasons. Prompt sign-up is recommended. Contact our reception if the link expires.

Yes, if you’re a walk-in patient without a family doctor at Aspire Medical, you can still register for AVA Connect. This allows you to schedule future appointments online.

We recommend AVA Connect for several reasons:

• Efficient Appointment Scheduling: AVA Connect offers the convenience of scheduling appointments online, reducing phone wait times.
• Secure Communication: AVA Connect allows your doctor to securely send you messages, requisitions, and educational resources.
• Personal Information Management: AVA Connect enables you to update your contact information and medical history.
• Health Monitoring: You can share your home blood pressure and blood sugar readings with your doctor through AVA Connect.
• Test Results: Upon request, your doctor can send you a copy of your test results through the AVA platform.

No. AVA Connect sign-up is free of charge.

No, Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) ONLY provides eligible Alberta residents with full coverage for medically necessary physician services and medically required diagnostic tests.

Medical services that we offer at our clinic and are not covered by the AHCIP include:

• Driver’s medical exam
• Health services requested by a third party, such as medicals for employment, insurance or sport
• Medical forms and notes
• Travel advice and vaccinations for travel purposes (future service)
• Transfer of medical records

For more information: https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-what-is-covered.aspx#jumpl

AHCIP covers treatment for genital warts, plantar warts, certain skin growths that might become cancerous, irritated seborrhoeic keratoses needing medical attention, warts in patients with weakened immune systems, or molluscum contagiosum. However, it doesn’t cover treating common warts or certain other types of skin growths.

Tetanus shots required for wound care, flu, pneumonia vaccinations for eligible patients, and allergy desensitization injections are covered by AHICP. However, AHICP does not cover vaccinations for hepatitis, travel, Gardasil, or any other injections. For non-wound related tetanus shots and other vaccines, you can visit public health centres. For more information and to locate a public health center near you, visit: Public Health Centers.

Forms

• Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program (AISH): $150
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefit (Patient Portion): $0 to $115 (Service Canada pays up to $85 of the cost of the medical report)
• Short insurance & disability forms: $175
• Long insurance & disability forms: $250
• Medical EI form, illness, maternity, or disability: $250
• Drug benefit form (for third party): $40
• Work fitness forms: $150
• Camp forms: $125
• University Student Accessibility Services verification Form: $125
• Calgary Transit Access Application: $85
• Disability parking permit form: $75
• Application forms for residency in a care facility: $150
• Proof of life physician’s statement: $50
• Proof of death physician’s statement: $100
• Income Tax Disability form: $150 to $350
• Medical certificate for government employment insurance: $125
• Special authority form: $125
• Other forms ( $75 per 10 min, or part there of, min $125): $125

Notes & Certificates

• Sick note for work or school: $35
• Medical leave or off work letter: $175
• Insurance Company letter short (1 page): $200
• Insurance company letter, long (≥ 2 pages): $400
• Medical advice by letter: $175

Examinations

• Driver’s license physical exam: $165
• Regular office visit (not covered AHCIP): $60
• Complete examination (not covered AHCIP): $250
• PAP (not covered AHCIP): $100
• Limited examination for special policies: $175
• Industrial First Aid (limited exam): $150
• Insurance & Industrial Examination (including CPP, Pilots & Air Traffic Controllers): $180
• Physical fitness exam and form for school, camp etc: $180

Procedures

• Injections (not covered by AHCIP such as Twinrix, Gradasil, Shingrix, Depo-provera, etc): $15
• Cosmetic nonsurgical removal of warts, moles, skin tags (not covered AHCIP): $25
• Cosmetic surgical removal of warts, moles, skin tags: $200
• Metabolism Measurement (Indirect Calorimetry): $100
• Body Composition Evaluation: $75

Other

• Missed appointment or < 24 hours cancellation (regular visit): $50
• Missed appointment or < 24 hours cancellation (visit longer than 15 minutes): $100
• Transfer of records (Basic fee & first 20 pages): $50
• Review of records (per 15 min or part of): $50
• Material cost for photocopying and printouts (over 20 pages): 25¢/page
• Material cost for generating electronic records (per 15 min or part of): $15

To receive your results, please contact Dynamite Medical Lab at 403-770-3600 and follow the prompts to reach the appropriate department (press 2 when prompted). Be sure to have your healthcare card ready when you make the call.

Access your health records, such as lab test results and diagnostic imaging reports, by logging into MyHealth Records using your current Alberta.ca Account username and password. If you don’t have an Alberta.ca Account, you can create a new account to gain access to MyHealth Records.

Yes, a referral from your family doctor or a walk-in doctor is required.

Referrals will open in 2024. Stay tuned for updates.

Our weight wellness management uses precision medicine in two key ways:

1. Personalizing medical interventions based on each person’s unique health profile and underlying causes of weight issues. 
2. Offering precise measurements rather than estimates for important evaluations such as metabolism and body composition. This enhances our ability to tailor management plans with greater accuracy.

Yes, a referral from your family doctor or a walk-in doctor is required.

To be eligible for our program:

1. Participants must be 18 years of age or older: Referrals for younger patients should be directed to Provincial Paediatric Weight Management.
2. Participants must not be pregnant: Weight gain during pregnancy, below the target recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM),  can pose risks to fetal development and pregnancy outcomes.
3. Completion of online intake forms is mandatory: This is essential for us to conduct the comprehensive assessments designed for our program.
4. Participants should seek non-surgical management for excess weight: Patients considering surgical options should be referred to Calgary Bariatric Clinic.
5. Participants must not have severe untreated personality disorders, active psychosis, active substance dependencies, or major cognitive impairments: This is necessary for safe and effective engagement in our program.

We are currently accepting internal referrals exclusively from Aspire Medical doctors and preparing to schedule patients on our waitlist in the coming weeks. Once we have refined our processes and operations, we plan to expand our referral acceptance to include patients from any clinic. This is important to provide the best possible care.

We have a user-friendly referral form that can be quickly completed and faxed to our clinic directly. The form will soon be available for AVA EMR users and on our website, once we’ve seen patients from our internal referrals and refined our processes and operations.

Our receptionist will be pleased to schedule a telephone appointment with one of our walk-in doctors to complete your referral.

The Weight Wellness program only includes services that are covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP).

The Enhanced Weight Wellness program adds important assessments not covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) and includes the following features:

1. Metabolic measurement using Indirect Calorimeter: To gain a precise understanding of your resting calorie expenditure, to create personalized and accurate management plans. This goes beyond generic estimates, such as the Mifflin-St Jeor or Harris-Benedict equations.
2. Body Composition Measurement: This advanced analysis delves beyond the standard BMI and weight measurement, providing insights into fat, bone, water, and muscle composition within the body.
3. Our Weight Wellness e-booklet: Packed with easy-to-understand information on managing excess weight. 
4. Milestone Tokens: To acknowledge and celebrate your achievements along your journey.

While the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) does provide coverage for medical physician services and consultations, it does not cover the expenses associated with device assessments or single-use items, such as disposable mouthpiece filters.

No, you don’t have to enrol in the Enhanced Weight Wellness Program. While the measurements offered in the Enhanced Weight Wellness are highly recommended for precision medicine weight management plans, participation in this program is at your discretion.

It’s important to note that while opting out of the program won’t impact the standard of care you receive, certain assessments such as Metabolic Testing and Body Composition Analysis won’t be provided. In such cases, we will use approximate estimates like BMI and the Harris-Benedict equation.

The program costs $400 for a duration of 1 year, commencing from the date of the initial consultation. This fee encompasses the following services:

• Metabolic Measurement and Body Composition Analysis during the initial comprehensive consultation
• Metabolic Measurement and Body Composition Analysis at the 4-month and 8-month follow-up visits
• Our Weight Wellness e-Booklet
• Halfway milestone and final milestone rewards

The upfront discounted fee is non-refundable once the first measurements have been provided.

This plan is valid for only one year from the date of the initial measurement.

No, measurements in the Enhanced Weight Wellness program must be used within the one-year validity period. Participants are encouraged to schedule their second and final measurements at the 4-month and 8-month follow-up visits respectively, to maximize the program’s benefits.

Yes, for optimal weight management, it’s recommended to monitor changes in metabolism and body composition after every 10% weight loss. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) measurement at $100 plus GST and Body Composition Analysis at $75 plus GST can be purchased individually if desired and financially feasible.

To ensure you’re well-prepared for your initial consultation, here’s what you should do:

1. Avoid alcohol for at least 12 hours before your appointment.
2. Refrain from strenuous physical activity shortly before your appointment.
3. Wear lightweight clothing and easy-to-remove shoes.
4. Do not consume large quantities of liquids immediately before your appointment.
5. Empty your bladder upon arriving.
6. Arrive 15 minutes early.

For participants in the Enhanced program, please follow these additional guidelines before your appointment to ensure accurate measurement of your resting metabolic rate:

1. Refrain from eating for 4 hours (water is acceptable).
2. Avoid exercise and caffeine for 4 hours.
3. Do not use nicotine for at least 1 hour before your appointment.
4. Avoid supplements containing ephedra, Ma Huang, or pseudoephedrine for 4 hours.

Metabolism is the body’s process of combining nutrients with oxygen to generate the energy essential for its functioning. This energy is quantified in calories.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the energy your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions at rest. This accounts for about 60-75% of our total daily energy.

Consuming fewer calories than your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) at first promotes weight loss. However, consistently eating below your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) can lead to metabolic adaptation, where your body adjusts by slowing down metabolism. This includes a decrease in thyroid hormones that regulate your metabolism, and lower levels of leptin, a hormone that controls hunger and energy use. This may also cause muscle loss as your body breaks down muscle tissue for energy. Since muscles burn calories even at rest, losing muscle mass can make it harder to lose weight. It’s important to balance calorie intake carefully to support metabolism and preserve muscle while aiming for weight loss.

Relying on estimates of metabolism can  often lead to in-accurate nutrition plans, and minimizing safe weight loss. Obtaining precise numbers with a calorimeter, rather than relying on estimation formulas, is crucial for:

1. Accurately balancing calorie deficits to prevent muscle loss, weight loss plateaus, and nutrient deficiencies.
2. Identifying a slow metabolism to tailor effective treatment plans.

Yes, our metabolism can vary due to several factors such as muscle mass, physical activity, illness, medications, genetics, and weight changes. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends accurately measuring RMR to create personalized nutrition plans. 

A study by McDoniel, Nelson, and Thompson in 2008 found that participants who followed nutrition plans based on measured RMR lost 50% more weight than those with estimated plans. 

In our own testing, we’ve also observed differences between actual and estimated Resting Metabolic Rates.

Weight loss lowers your Metabolism. It is a normal response because Metabolism is closely tied to your overall body mass. When you lose weight, your total body mass decreases, resulting in a reduced need for energy to sustain essential bodily functions.

Engaging in strength training exercises might help sustain a higher Metabolism.

Monitoring body composition (fat mass, muscle mass, water content) is essential for:

• Maintaining muscle mass and metabolism during weight loss.
• Assessing health risks associated with belly fat (visceral fat).
• Providing accurate health and fitness assessments beyond BMI, especially for muscular individuals.
• Monitoring for Sarcopenic Obesity where there is too much body fat and too little muscle. This condition is linked to worse outcomes and reduced survival in older adults.
• Measuring body water balance to assess hydration status, which is vital for overall health and bodily functions.
• Assessing cell health, which is influenced by several  lifestyle factors such as stress, sleep, and nutrition. This  provides insights into overall cellular well-being.

Yes, if you have a pacemaker, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), or other implanted electronic devices, you cannot undergo this assessment.

If you use glucose measurement sensors (such as FreeStyle Libre) or insulin infusion pumps, you will need to remove these devices before undergoing Bioimpedance Body Composition Analysis. After the analysis is complete, you can safely reattach the sensor or reconnect the pump as usual.

If you experience tremors or muscle cramps, it’s important to be in a stable condition before undergoing Bioimpedance Body Composition Analysis. Movement and muscle contractions can affect the accuracy of the measurements.

We do not recommend purchasing this plan if you have a medical condition that prevents you from undergoing Body Composition Analysis. Instead, we advise purchasing metabolism measurements individually as a more financially feasible option.

No, we strongly discourage the use of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) for weight loss. Well-designed trials have shown that hCG offers no advantage over a placebo. This hormone does not contribute to weight loss, redistribution of fat, or diminished hunger. The perceived efficacy of hCG stems primarily from the highly restrictive 500-calorie diet that accompanies its use, rather than the hormone itself.

Moreover, extremely low-calorie diets pose substantial risks, including gallstone formation, irregular heartbeats, fatigue, deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, and electrolyte imbalances. It’s also important to note that very low-calorie diets have not demonstrated superiority over conventional diets in achieving sustainable long-term weight loss.

No, we do not endorse liposuction as a sustainable method for achieving long-term weight loss. Liposuction removes the fat located beneath the skin, and does not target the visceral fat (the concealed fat stored deep within the abdominal region). This does not improve insulin sensitivity or coronary heart disease risk factors.

No, we do not recommend the use of over-the-counter weight-loss dietary supplements due to several concerns:

1. Lack of Evidence: There is insufficient scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of these supplements for weight loss. Substances like Green Tea, Garcinia Cambogia, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, and Chitosan have been found to be ineffective for weight loss.
2. Safety Concerns: Many of these supplements raise safety concerns, as they may contain undisclosed ingredients. Brazilian diet pills and Herbathin dietary supplements have been found to contain prescription drugs like tranquillizers, antidepressants, and stimulants.
3. Garcinia Cambogia: This supplement has been associated with cases of hepatic (liver) failure.
4. Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium): Weight-loss products containing bitter orange have been linked to increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
5. Guar Gum: Clinical trials have demonstrated that guar gum is ineffective for weight loss and can lead to adverse effects such as abdominal pain, flatulence, and diarrhea.
6. Chromium Picolinate: It has limited evidence supporting its effectiveness and lacks sufficient safety data.

Regaining lost weight is a prevalent challenge in the management of obesity. The body seems to have a natural “set point” for its fat mass, and following weight loss, it deploys counter hormones to reinstate the previously higher body weight.

The extended use of anti-obesity medications may mitigate and manage these underlying physiological adjustments.

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) has followed over 5000 individuals who have successfully lost substantial amounts of weight and maintained it over extended periods. The findings highlight several key strategies employed by these individuals:

1. Daily Breakfast: 80% of participants made it a habit to consume breakfast daily.
2. Caloric and Fat Intake Tracking: Participants monitored their energy and fat intake carefully, with diets typically comprising around 25% of energy from fat.
3. Daily Exercise (1 hour): 90% of participants engaged in exercise, dedicating about 1 hour or more per day to physical activity.
4. Reduced Sedentary Behavior: 62% of participants spent less than 10 hours per week on activities like watching television.
5. Regular Weight Monitoring: 75% of participants regularly weighed themselves, doing so at least once a week.

These strategies shed light on the practices that contribute to sustained weight loss.

Excess weight in children and adolescents is typically defined using body mass index (BMI) percentiles adjusted for age and sex:

• BMI above the 85th percentile is considered overweight.
• BMI above the 95th percentile indicates obesity.

Obesity severity is classified as:

• Class I: BMI ≥100% to <120% of the 95th percentile value.
• Class II: BMI ≥120% of the 95th percentile value or a BMI ≥35 kg/m².
• Class III: BMI ≥140% of the 95th percentile value or a BMI ≥40 kg/m².

Adhering to the 5-2-1-0 rule supports healthy weight and overall well-being across different age groups.

• 5: Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
• 2: Limit screen time to 2 hours or less per day for children aged 2 and older. No screen time is recommended for children younger than age 2.
• 1: Engage in at least 1 hour of physical activity every day.
• 0: Avoid sugary drinks; such as soda, sweetened fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks (choose water, unsweetened tea, and milk as healthier alternatives).