November 27 2015 Category: General, Tips & Tricks

 

7 steps to eating well

A dietitian’s step-by-step guide to eating well It might be your favourite pair of jeans that suddenly feels tight or a gnawing awareness your energy levels are low. For each of us, realizing our eating habits are spiraling out of control can come in a myriad of ways. Calgary Foothills PCN registered dietitian Andrea Kroeker says these are perfect moments to take stock and review the basics of healthy eating. But first, a word of warning. “It is important to take things slowly and mak…

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November 05 2015 Category: General

 

How to Get Active-Prescription to Get Active

Active living is a pillar of healthy living. But simply knowing this mantra is not always enough to get people up and moving. That’s why the award-winning Prescription to Get Active program—a partnership between Calgary-area PCNs and recreation facilities—gives people free passes to fitness centres. The starting point Lyndsay Waymouth received her Prescription to Get Active in January 2015. She has become an inspiration for friends and family. She invites them on hikes; they join her for…

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October 25 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Find a Doctor service: Patient finds success

Olena Badham’s growing baby bump added a sense of urgency to her search for a family doctor. But thanks to a new website that connects Calgary-area residents with doctors who are taking patients, the 27-year-old found one just in time—two months before her due date. “I wanted a doctor really close to where I live so that when the baby is born I can get there quickly,” says Olena, a first-time mom-to-be. Searching for a family doctor She spent months searching for a regular family docto…

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October 13 2015 Category: General, Tips & Tricks

 

5 tips to survive morning sickness

CALGARY realtor Rachel Vanderveen’s children were a true labour of love. Despite crippling morning sickness that lasted well into her second trimester, the Calgary realtor endured four pregnancies in five years. “At the time, my whole life was consumed by feeling sick and there were times I thought I couldn’t face tomorrow,” she said. Like so many moms - including the Duchess of Cambridge - who are battling to get through the day in a fog of morning sickness, Vanderveen strug…

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October 07 2015 Category: Patient Stories

 

Health Teams offer patients ‘one-stop shop’

DR. Jaco Kruger’s first experience with health teams came when he moved to Alberta. Having worked in 3 countries without that in-clinic support, Dr. Kruger says health teams vastly improve patient care. “It is such an asset to how we can practice,” he says. “It really channels your treatment approach into an evidence-based practice and offers more comprehensive care.” 1. Health Teams = better health care Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network has 54 health team members, including cl…

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September 16 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

How your doctor’s clinic is your ‘health home’

"(Patients) feel empowered and so much more aware of what is happening with their health because of the resources devoted to them." — Clinical Pharmacist Noorani Ramji TO say Robert Ward is happy with the care he receives at his health home—his doctor’s office in Capitol Hill—would be an understatement. In fact, the retired exhibition designer is thrilled with the changes he sees in the health system. “Identifying problems earlier and encouraging people to play a role in looking…

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August 15 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Find a Doctor in Calgary

WHEN Linda Sayers began her search for a family doctor, her son’s pediatrician recommended she register on the Find a Doctor website. “I’ve never really had a family doctor,” says Linda. “I’ve just gone to walk-in clinics. It (has been hard) to find a family doctor in this city, so I was thankful for the website. It was easy to find and registering didn’t take long." The Find a Doctor Website The Find a Doctor registry is an online service that connects residents of Cal…

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August 08 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Wellness role strives to educate, empower

FORMER Stampeder Fred James wanted to find out whether making lifestyle changes could help lower his cholesterol levels when they spiked last year. So family physician Dr. Lindsay Jantzie referred him to health management nurse Neelam Shah to discuss strategies that could make a significant difference. “I wanted to see if I could get my cholesterol levels down by consciously doing the things I needed to do—eating better and exercising,” Fred says. “I wasn’t ready to start taking [pre…

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July 03 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Get happy: workshops show you how

Happiness Basics is a workshop offered by Primary Care Networks in the Calgary area to help people learn skills that make them happier Take a deep breath. Reflect on it. Do you feel happy? It’s easy to think happiness—and the swirl of emotions that help it grow—are beyond your personal control. Research, however, shows the way happy people behave links directly to the positive way they feel. Those behaviours are skills each of us can learn and use to feel happier and improve our he…

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June 30 2015 Category: Patient Stories

Hockey star finds best medicine for life after hockey

June 29 2015 Category: General, News Releases

New website helps Calgary patients Find A Doctor

April 27 2015 Category: Patient Stories

 

Win the pain game

Watching Jen walk down the street, you’d never know she is bracing against the pain with each step. The 31-year old says that is part of the problem. “I look good on the outside. It would be easy for someone to think I am faking it,” she says. “On the inside I can be crying with pain.” Jen was 18 when she first experienced pain from endometriosis. In years gone by, there have been times when the dark clouds of pain hanging over Jen left her feeling down. By 26, the pain wa…

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April 08 2015 Category: General

 

Food choices fuel new outlook on life

AFTER learning he was overweight during a visit to his doctor, John-David Malta embarked on a 10-month battle to trim down. Eight months later, after not losing weight, John-David asked to be referred to a dietitian at his doctor’s clinic. Together, they discussed a range of food-related health issues, including how John-David could make healthier food choices and limit portion sizes. Gaining valuable health information: Two months after speaking with registered dietitian Kari Derbyshire, …

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March 08 2015 Category: General

 

Mental health support focuses on solutions

SZYMON Apanowicz spends his day helping people regain their life balance. “For many patients, it is the first time they’ve really opened up to someone about the way they feel,” he says. One of 14 behavioural health consultants with the Calgary Foothills PCN, Szymon provides short-term mental health support for patients referred by their family doctor. Appointments typically take place in the physician’s clinic. Range of issues: Some patients may be coming to terms with a physical d…

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October 01 2014 Category: Patient Stories

 

Healthy relationship with food on menu

WHEN Frank and Karla Mah became concerned about the long-term effects of over-eating, they turned to family doctor Andrew Eddy for help. “We’ve both struggled with weight since we turned 40,” Karla says. “We were concerned about how it might affect our blood pressure and cholesterol levels.” As it turned out, Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network had just started Craving Change™, a free program designed to help people build a healthier relationship with food. The couple decided t…

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