Moving forward together: A new space for primary care
Accessing primary health care support is getting easier.
- News
Health care often starts at your family doctor or nurse practitioner’s clinic.
There are times when your family provider looks to other professionals to support your health concerns — maybe from a specialist, like a surgeon or allergist.
Family doctors and nurse practitioners can also help you access other support from primary care networks: team-based care to help you along in your health journey.
How team-based care works
Primary Care Networks (PCNs) have teams of health professionals — like dietitians, registered nurses, social workers and pharmacists — who work together with family doctors and nurse practitioners to ensure you receive the right care from the right provider at the right time.
All team members are your support system: they know your story and work together to meet your needs.
As a partner in your care, your goals, needs and preferences are an important part of every decision. Your care team works with you to find an approach that fits your health and your life.
“We see patients as partners in their health journey and value what’s important to them,” says Julia Vanden Heuvel, director of the Patient’s Medical Home at Calgary Foothills PCN. “We consider all aspects of a patient’s life.”
Support from many disciplines
Team-based care at Calgary Foothills PCN gives you access to a wider range of health care providers. You can be referred by your doctor or nurse practitioner, or you can refer yourself to the team member you feel you need. Our health team can also suggest a visit with another team member if it helps with your health concerns.
This means your needs are met more quickly and more broadly than if you saw only your doctor or nurse practitioner.
You also develop new, supportive relationships with other team members, which enhances your care.
“Family physicians and nurse practitioners working alone create a bottleneck to providing coordinated care. With an integrated team-based care model, ideally we are all working to our full scope of practice,” explains Dr. Janet Reynolds, medical director at Calgary Foothills PCN. “Working with a team creates the conditions for more holistic care.”
The PCN’s health team offers in-person and virtual appointments with:
- Registered nurses
- Clinical pharmacists
- Registered dietitians
- Social workers
- Mental health support
- Access 365 Clinic
The image below shows what our team-based model looks like.
Why it helps
Having a team with you has some important benefits:
You get support from the person who can best help. Different members of your care team have different skills, so you can get the right kind of support for your concerns.
Your care is connected. The people involved in your care share important health information, helping your care feel more connected and saving you from repeating your story.
Care can be more flexible. Team members sharing information also means you may be able to connect with your care team in different ways, including in person, by virtual appointment or through secure messages.
“Team-based care creates relationships built on trust, knowledge and skills among health care providers,” says Vanden Heuvel. “Patients can see multiple providers because different team members may offer different perspectives and solutions.”
A real-life example of support for our patients
Julia Clark, a member of Calgary Foothills PCN’s Health Team, recently saw a patient in the One-Step-at-a-Time mental health counselling service. During the appointment, Julia noticed the patient was not feeling well physically and had some concerns.
“As soon as I started the session, it became very clear to me that the patient needed further medical attention,” says Julia Clark, behavioural health consultant. “I completed a risk assessment, and together we decided it would be best for him to be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.”
A doctor from the clinic saw the patient within an hour and recommended emergency health care. The patient was then transported to the Foothills Medical Centre Emergency Department across the street from our Calgary location, where he received the care he needed.
“I knew that he was going to be safe and get the medical care he needed at the right time and right place,” notes Clark.
PCN teams are here to support you on your health journey. Book an appointment or learn more about how we can help.