Clinic One
Dr Meer Janjua, MD, CCFP
Clinic One is an innovative health care center located in the heart of Winnipeg’s exchange district. The philosophy of the center is based on utilizing the combined expertise of various health professionals who are members of its interdisciplinary team. The clinic, founded by Dr. Meer Janjua MD, CCFP, boasts of a medical doctor working alongside a naturopathic doctor and a pharmacist. The clinic’s motto is “One team, one life,” describing the concept of several interdisciplinary practitioners coming together serving the same purpose: offering their patients the most complete and highest quality integrative medical care.
Clinic One is located on the main floor of a unique, historical building, the Maltese Cross Building. This seven-story heritage building was erected in 1909 for the Winnipeg Rubber Company, and served as one of the first distribution centers for goods traveling into Western Canada. The Company’s trademark was the modified Maltese Cross, which traces its roots to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem during the time of the Crusades. This symbol can be found adorning the stone trim of the building. Today the building has been adapted as office space in the heart of Winnipeg.
Dr. Meer Janjua MD, CCFP, is the clinic’s founder and a second-generation physician, whose father has practiced in the Toronto area for most of his life. Dr. Janjua completed his own studies in a number of countries, including premed at Hawaii Pacific University, kinesiology and health sciences at York University, and his medical degree at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. Dr. Janjua has both Canadian and British citizenship and his medical degree is internationally recognized. He completed his residency in family medicine in 2011 at the University of Manitoba, where he fell in love with Winnipeg and decided to stay.
Dr. Janjua attributes his open mindedness in part to his travels. International travel allowed him to become better acquainted with “people different than myself,” and in addition to broadening his understanding of humanity in general, he says that this experience has made him a better physician and health care provider. It has taught him to respect customs, which in turn enhances patient compliance. Being of Indian descent and the fact that he speaks Hindi also helps him better reach out to and serve the immigrant community in Winnipeg.
Dr. Janjua’s practice focuses on primary care. He treats a range of commonly occurring conditions in the community, for instance hypertension, diabetes, and thyroid disorders, however he also has a developed interest in surgery. He has a surgical rotation at the nearby Grace Hospital, where he assists in surgeries, and also performs out-patient minor surgery at the clinic. When his patients ask for non-pharmaceutical strategies to help manage their conditions, he openly refers them to Dr. Kelly Brown, the naturopathic doctor within the clinic. In these situations, Dr. Janjua will then collaborate with Dr. Brown afterwards to monitor the patient’s ongoing status.
Dr. Janjua is noticeably enthused about having an interdisciplinary team at the clinic. He actively sought to bring a naturopathic doctor to the clinic. He sees conventional medicine as being deeply rooted in naturopathic medicine historically, and is convinced that “every modality has its place in healthcare.” He has been impressed with how NDs treat the patient as a whole, and sees naturopathic medicine as an important part of disease prevention. Of the all-conventional versus all-natural stances, he states that “neither extreme works well.” Instead, to truly help people, he says that the collaborative approach is key.
Dr. Kelly Brown, ND is a 2010 graduate from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She offers natural therapies for a range of commonly presenting conditions including women’s health issues, endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism and diabetes, digestive disorders, skin conditions, immune problems, as well as mental health issues from stress and anxiety to addiction. Dr. Brown also offers acupuncture services for various conditions, as well as objective testing in the form of bloodwork, food allergy testing, and hormone analysis.
We have had the privilege of interviewing many integrative MDs; Dr. Janjua conversely practices a very conventional form of medicine, while fully appreciating the value of natural medicine, and active collaboration with an ND. He fully utilizes the diagnostic and therapeutic tools in which he has been trained, yet encourages his patients to obtain specialized ND care where appropriate, to benefit from complementary testing, nutritional counseling, supplementation, and other natural healing strategies. We feel that this type of complementary relationship – where there is room for both conventional medicine and naturopathic medicine practiced at their best, with the element of collaborative patient management – is the future of integrative medicine.
In addition to Dr. Brown ND, the clinic also has an internist that does consults on a part time basis. He treats patients with advanced, uncontrolled diabetes, performs cardiac stress tests, and conducts cardiac assessments. The clinic has also very recently added a chiropractor, and a registered massage therapist to the team, and plans to add psychological services and conduct Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy and Floatation Research in the fall. This innovative and dynamic clinic is also reaching out to its patients using social media, including profiles on facebook and twitter. As part of this more holistic, convenient, and interactive style of medicine, the clinic accepts walk-in patients and patients without a referral.
Dr. Janjua has a love of historical buildings, and he sees the physical environment as a critical element of a patient’s therapeutic experience. In the clinic’s historical surroundings, high ceilings, and natural lighting, he watches patients’ stress levels immediately fall, and their sense of wellbeing begin to improve. The clinic’s décor is a combination of rustic and modern. The ceilings in the reception area are 4.6 meters high, with heating ducts and other mechanical systems fully exposed. Large windows run the length of the wall, filling the room with natural light. Each of the nine clinic rooms is fitted with a different, refurbished antique door. Dr. Janjua is also an avid student of history, and over time he has accumulated a collection of historical medical artifacts. He is in the process of preparing a display for them within the clinic.
Dr. Janjua says the feedback from patients has been outstanding. Patients love it because it is so different from any other clinic, and makes their visit an enjoyable experience rather than a chore. The clinic has received considerable attention in the community and has been featured by local media outlets. We think the clinic’s distinct appearance fits well with and draws attention to the clinic’s unique, progressive vision of healthcare. In this distinctive clinic, the collaborative relationship between practitioners and the clean, uplifting environment work together to create both an inspiring and a therapeutic milieu.
Clinic One boasts an affiliated pharmacy managed by pharmacist Jeff Froese. The Clinic One Pharmacy focuses on meeting the individual needs of patients, offering patient consultations, personalized home visits, diabetes support, compounding services and blister pack drug preparation, as well as free prescription delivery. The pharmacy also carries a selection of professional line natural health products to complement the emphasis on natural healing at the clinic.
IHP thanks Dr. Janjua and the Clinic One team for allowing our readers a brief look into the inner workings of their unique team and facility. We wish the clinic much success in bringing truly progressive, integrative medicine to the city of Winnipeg.
