On June 20, 2012 the Alberta Government announced “Premier Alison Redford and her MLA team will fan out across the province this summer to discuss how government’s promise to improve access to publicly funded health care can work for individual communities.” 

What does this mean for YOU?

As you may know, the Camrose Primary Care Network (PCN) has been working together with local family doctors, health care providers and community stakeholders since 2005 to develop and implement local solutions for local needs supporting you and your family members in managing your health.   

Our PCN team provides you with access to a multi-disciplinary team of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, pharmacist, dietitian, mental health liaison, exercise specialist, social worker and medical office assistants in addition to your family doctor.  At present we have twenty seven (27) family doctors and nineteen (19) healthcare providers practicing at the Smith Clinic, Gemini Health Centre, Bashaw Medical Clinic, City Centre Walk-In Clinic/Maternal Newborn Clinic and the Edgeworth Centre.  

The Camrose PCN offers you and your family quality programs and services close to where you live.  This includes prenatal and postnatal care, diabetic management, medication reviews, weight management, geriatric assessment and grief and bereavement support.  A complete listing of our programs and services can be reviewed at www.camrosepcn.com. 

Since 2005, over 2,500 patient visits have taken place with the multidisciplinary team at our PCN Edgeworth Centre Clinic.  Since 2005 our Maternal Newborn Clinic has averaged 265 patients per year.  Health promotion events like the Virtual Trek saw over 400 participants and our Grief and Bereavement workshops average 40 attendees per event.

Collaborating and partnering with other community providers to ensure our patients are aware of all the other resources in and around their community to enhance their health and wellness goals is another important focus of the PCN. 

The PCN’s Edgeworth Centre Clinic is currently housed in the same location as the Alberta Health Services Healthy Living Centre and Augustana Fitness Centre.  This “one stop shop environment” means you have access to a variety of programs and services from health prevention to chronic disease management.   Sometimes you may only access one of the partners, other times you may access services from all three. 

At present, the Alberta Government is suggesting another model called Family Care Clinics. Within this proposed model, there is reference to individuals accessing healthcare and community providers without a referral from your family doctor.  This means you could receive care from a variety of health care providers, without your family doctor being involved or updated on your care plan.

I believe the key to a healthy community is developing and putting a plan into action that focuses on you - the individual and your family, to ensure you are receiving the right care, at the right time, from the right provider using a team based approach.  I also believe the family doctor plays an important role in an individual and their family’s care plan. 

The Camrose PCN and its attached family doctors and healthcare providers offer the majority of what is being suggested by the proposed Family Care Clinic model and by working together with you we can continue to be successful! This is what Primary Care is all about!

Over the next two months the PCN and its Board of Directors will be meeting with the Honourable Verlyn Olson, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, about access to local health care.  If you have questions or comments you would like for the PCN to bring forward on your behalf, please send us an email here.

The Camrose PCN is committed to and values working with government to strengthen the awareness and accountability of PCN’s.  With the support of our family doctors, healthcare providers and community partners, we look forward to continuing to offer YOU quality primary care in Camrose and surrounding area.

On behalf of the PCN team, I want to wish you and your family an enjoyable summer!

Stacey Strilchuk, Executive Director
780.608.4927
Camrose Primary Care Network