New Executive Health Clinic Opens in Muskoka

GreeneStone Clinic Muskoka Offers The "Comfortable Colonoscopy" in a Resort Setting

BALA, ON, Nov. 8 /CNW/ - Canada's first resort-based, full service medical clinic officially opened here yesterday. GreeneStone Clinic Muskoka, located in the heart of Ontario's picturesque cottage country, offers executive health care and "comfortable colonoscopy" services in a year-round resort setting.

"GreeneStone Muskoka is a unique concept to comprehensive health care in Ontario," said Dr. Jay Parekh, the clinic's Medical Director, and one of several doctors who are partners with Leon Developments in the project. "It is entirely a patient-focused facility in terms of its location and ambience and most importantly the delivery of services and its family orientation."

GreeneStone is unique in that patients arrive on a Friday for a two night stay at the resort during which they receive a full medical assessment and colonoscopy, and are provided the results immediately, unlike other clinics at which patients must wait to hear the results from their family doctor. When the tests and procedures are completed, patients can then relax for an evening with dinner at the resort.

"Many people are very nervous and apprehensive about receiving a colonoscopy," said Dr. Parekh. "The comfortable colonoscopy is based on allaying those fears in that by arriving the evening before we assist with the prepping and when the procedure is complete, the patient can recover at the resort with our medical staff available to them at any time during their stay."

Spousal or partner involvement is also welcomed and encouraged at GreeneStone.

"Business people are often unable or unwilling to book off a day during the week for a full medical assessment and colonoscopy," said Dr. Parekh. "They are also often unwilling to share the full results with their spouse or partner. By providing a weekend service, a couple can spend time together at the resort and also meet with our doctors to hear and discuss the results."

GreeneStone Clinic Muskoka features a fully equipped endoscopy clinic, doctors' offices, and by appointment clinic. With a highly specialized team of Family Physicians, Internists, Cardiologists, Urologists, General Physicians, Surgeons, Endoscope, and Colonoscopy Specialists working together to provide proper assessment and care, assessments are augmented with specialized "wellness knowledge" sessions, to help patients better understand their test results.

The Clinic is also one the few in Ontario which has an anesthetist on site for colonoscopy procedures. Transportation services from Toronto are also available to patients who would prefer not to drive to Muskoka.

GreeneStone is the brainchild of Shawn Leon who purchased the resort in 2007 but believed it had a greater potential than what it was being used for. "Eileen Greene, my wife, and I have been personally involved in health and wellness initiatives and have always considered growing that part of the business at the resort," he said.

"Many colorectal surgeons with whom we met shared our vision of better health and proactive care and suggested we focus on 'comfortable colonoscopy' as a prevention offering. As part of the offering they also suggested comprehensive health assessments by internal specialists. They invested and are partners in the company that runs the entire facility."

Mr. Leon said GreeneStone will continue to evolve and develop in line with its "unique concept to comprehensive health care in Ontario" mission statement which will include eventually extending the weekend executive health and colonoscopy service to Friday and Monday, and offering daily family practice services.

The Resort Facilities

The resort offers inspiring meeting space/conference facilities for groups of up to 60, fine dining, beautifully appointed rustic guest rooms, Tranquility, a first class full-service wellness spa, fitness centre, yoga studios, hiking trails, indoor saline and seasonal outdoor heated pools, running track, various outdoor courts and a wide array of recreational activities on 43 acres of natural splendor in the heart of Muskoka.

GreeneStone also hosts and supports a variety of personal, public, corporate, executive, workplace wellness, educational programs, nutritional, fitness, cleansing detox, and healthy living seminars.

Directions and additional information on GreeneStone Clinic Muskoka are available at www.greenestone.net.

For further information: Shawn Leon, [phone], [e-mail]; Media contact:Dan Bobbie, DBA Communications, 487 Adelaide Street West, Suite 303, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1T4, [phone] ext 107, [e-mail]