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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October 01 2014 Category: Patient Stories

 

Team visits patients at home, ‘Eyes, ears’ of a doctor’s clinic

Team assesses patients' needs in their homes As a personal care nurse, Rosalyn Watson built a long and successful career out of helping others. But when the Calgary senior developed health problems of her own and was forced to take a leave of absence from her job, she felt overwhelmed and turned to her family doctor for help. Dealing with chronic dizziness, a lack of mobility and financial and personal stress as she waited for head and neck surgery, she was referred to the Calgary Foothil…

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September 29 2014 Category: General

 

Program benefits new grads, patients

For new graduate Dr. Janice Lui, Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network’s decision to start the New Grad Program could not have come at a better time. Launched in July 2013, the program exposes new family medicine graduates to different clinics, while providing mentoring support. It also expands access to primary care services because the new graduates see member physicians’ patients, including those who call for same-day appointments. The new graduates say treating another doctor’s patien…

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September 28 2014 Category: General

 

Emergency department refers patients to PCN after hours

If there is a silver lining to the dark cloud of the Alberta floods of 2013, it could be the new Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network and Foothills Medical Centre emergency department referral program. Initiated last June during the floods as patient numbers grew, emergency department staff directed suitable patients to PCN-managed after hours clinics. Some 27 patients were sent to Calgary Foothills PCN’s after-hours clinic, Access 365. During a subsequent pilot program that ran from D…

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September 28 2014 Category: General

 

Drug switch a ‘life-changer’ for patients

Family doctors now proactively help groups of patients to improve the health of all Improving the life of just one patient is a true success story for any treating physician and team. Radically transforming the care of almost 20 is a major achievement. Over the past year, the lives of many of Dr. Ted Jablonski’s patients got a whole lot better, thanks to an innovative practice enrichment project. The drug-switching initiative took 4 months initially and involved at least 6 staff. But patie…

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