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Getting help: Family doctors to provide opioid treatments and support

Family doctors to provide much-needed opioid treatments and support Albertans from every walk of life struggle with opioid dependency. They are your neighbours, your friends and your co-workers. They’re not just those who have struggled with chronic mental health issues or homelessness. It doesn’t matter if opioids are prescription medications or street drugs; opioid use disorder can affect people taking either. Consequences may include strained or broken relationships, injury, dise…

Call your family doc first

When you’re not feeling well, you just want to get better. So going to a walk-in clinic seems like a quick fix. But doctors at walk-in clinics cannot access your medical history. On the other hand, your family doctor knows more about you and can more thoroughly assess your condition.   And they can add it to your primary health record. Information from visits to walk-in clinics or emergency rooms is not automatically sent to your family doctor. Your family doctor only knows ab…
 

The importance of continuity of care

Seeing your family doctor regularly can lead to better health and even life-saving care Continuity of care means your family doctor is with you every step of your care journey, working to do what's best for your health. It prevents tests from being duplicated and allows results to be reviewed promptly with your health history in mind. It also means that you commit to seeing your doctor regularly. For 69-year-old Stephen Nichol, continuity of care probably saved his life. In early 2018, he …

Finding care when your doctor’s office is closed

Our Access 365 Clinic operates 7-days-a-week. It provides after-hours care and same-day appointments (if appropriate) for patients who need urgent help. WHO CAN GET AN APPOINTMENT? Patients who: Have an urgent need to be seen by a doctor within 24 to 48 hours Can’t get an appointment within that time with their own family doctor Are patients of Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network doctors HOW TO GET AN APPOINTMENT Call your family doctor, if their clinic is open.�…

Flu season immunization

As the leaves fall and the temperature continues to drop, flu season is almost upon us. Starting Monday, October 15, all Albertans aged six months and older will be able to do their part to protect themselves and their families from influenza. Ask your family doctor if your clinic is offering immunizations this winter. Pharmacies and some Alberta Health Services clinics are also offering this service on a drop-in basis. Who should get the vaccine? Everyone aged six months and older shoul…

Primary Objective

Name: Bev Neuls, 78 Health condition: Poor circulation in legs, isolation, mild anxiety and depression. Health goal: Less pain, more stamina, energy and socialization. How I Feel Now: For the last three years, I’ve been walking twice a week with the South Calgary PCN walking group. Not only do I have more pep, but my legs feel less sore when I walk. Plus, I enjoy chatting and laughing with the walkers. I also feel better about myself — I am more confident. We can’t live life total…
 

Working together to meet community needs

Sometimes life throws curveballs, and you’re not sure what to do. It could be an aching shoulder, stress from your job, a financial problem—or all of the above. Your medical home can help. A main goal of the Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in the Calgary area is to understand and respond to your needs. Here are some of the community programs and services they offer. Calgary Foothills PCN: Help with housing Calgary West Central PCN: Primary care when you need it Calgary Rural PCN: Providing…

Primary Objective

Name: Chris MacLachlan, 47 Health condition: Severe back and sciatic pain after falling down stairs. Health goal: Find ways to function and manage the pain better. How I feel now: The class and the inversion table have changed my life. I’ve learned there isn’t one thing that will make your life better or easier, it’s many things. Pacing myself is a huge thing. You may not be able to do everything, but you can still do lots of things — and that’s huge for your mental well-being…

Director Vacancy: Independent Board Member

Director Vacancy: Independent Board Member The Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network (PCN) is a group of more than 450 family doctors who work with teams of other health professionals to offer patients the best in primary health care. Our PCN serves more than 379,000 patients in northwest Calgary and Cochrane. Together with Alberta Health Services, we offer round-the-clock care. We work to achieve better health outcomes for our patients. We believe we can make a difference. Calgary Foothill…

PCN pain programs and services

Calgary-area PCNs offer a variety of resources for pain management. Many are free. If you experience pain or would like information about accessing any of these resources, please talk to your doctor. With the right tools, you have the power to get back in the driver’s seat and control your health Calgary Foothills PCN Extended Health Team Provides care for patients with complex health needs, using a multidisciplinary approach to better manage chronic health concerns, including pain.…
 

Living well with pain

We’ve all felt pain and we’ve all felt the relief of its passing. But for people living with chronic pain relief is often brief, if at all. In broad terms, pain is an unpleasant sensation in your body that makes you want to stop or change your behaviour. In the case of chronic pain, the jabs, throbbing and spasms can persist even after the initial injury heals. In some cases, the cause may not be known. The experience of pain is different for everyone, making it difficult to diagnose and …
 

Who’s Who in your medical home

Your family doctor’s clinic is your medical home — a place of care that you turn to first for health support. It’s where your doctor connects you to the care you need, when you need it. Through Primary Care Networks, your medical home is backed by a team of healthcare professionals. Depending on the support you need, your doctor can provide access to a dietitian, social worker, kinesiologist and other healthcare providers. Speaking with your doctor is the best way to find out what suppo…

Calgary-area patients get help to find the right doctor for their family

calgaryareadocs.com site allows families to search by physician gender, languages spoken   CALGARY (Friday, February 9) – Patients looking for a family doctor in the Calgary area can now specify whether they’re searching for a male or female physician – and even review which languages they speak – at the click of a mouse. More than 390,000 people have used the Find a Doctor website calgaryareadocs.com to help them find a family doctor since it was relaunched by the seven Ca…

Diabetes: understanding the disease

Diabetes is common in Canada, yet few of us know much about it. This chronic disease robs the body of its ability to control blood sugar (glucose) levels, either because it cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. Without insulin, sugar builds up in the blood instead of being used as energy. Over time, this damages organs, blood vessels and nerves. A report by Diabetes Canada in 2015 found the number of people with diabetes more than doubled between 2000 and 2015…
 

Signs and symptoms of diabetes

Clues your body gives about diabetes By Colleen Seto More than one million Canadians have diabetes and don’t know it. That’s because, for many, diabetes gives no clues or symptoms. If you’re 40 or over, the best way to detect diabetes is to discuss your health and possible risk factors with your healthcare provider. Together, you may also consider getting screened for diabetes even if you display none of the signs of the disease. These include: Unusual thirst Frequent urinati…