Happy Holidays from all of us at the PCN

New health education classes now available!

Our healthcare education classes for January - June 2018 are now available on our website - please register! Descriptions for each class can be found on our website.

Click here for more information and to register: http://lbdpcn.com/Pages/Events.aspx

November is Falls Prevention Month

Stay Independent. Prevent Falls.

2017 marks the 10th annual Finding Balance Falls Prevention campaign.

“Check Your Vision” Week focuses on creating awareness around seniors’ eye health, vision care, and the steps they can take to reduce falls due to changes in their vision. Plan activities to encourage seniors to have their eyes checked by an optometrist or ophthalmologist yearly.

November is Falls Prevention Month

Stay Independent. Prevent Falls.

2017 marks the 10th annual Finding Balance Falls Prevention campaign.

During November 8-14, the campaign will focus it's key messaging on Keep Active:

Keep Active

As you age, it is important to keep active to improve your strength and balance.

Benefits of physical activity

• Keeps bones and muscles healthy and strong
• Improves your balance
• keeps your heart and lungs healthy
• Increases your energy
• Helps you sleep
• Reduces your fear of falling
• Helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and high blood pressure
• Improves memory and attention
• Improves mood and sense of well-being

Suggestions

• Try to do 30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity at least 5 days each week.
  • Moderate intensity: you will sweat and breathe harder
  • Vigorous intensity: you will sweat and be out of breath
• If you are just getting started, build up slowly and add a few minutes each day
• Include activities that strengthen both arm and leg muscles
• For strength try wall push-ups, stair climbing or exercises with weights or bands.
• For balance, try standing exercises, Tai Chi
• For endurance, try walking, gardening, dancing, cross-country skiing, or swimming
• For flexibility, try stretching, yoga, or Tai Chi

 
 

Here comes the flu!

Like clockwork this time each year, the days get shorter, the temperature gets colder and the flu bug hits hard!

Alberta Health Services launched their annual influenza immunization campaign this week; check their website to find a flu clinic near you: http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/influ/

Take a moment to watch this video on the dreaded "man-flu", with tips on how to prevent it and how to manage if if you do come down with the bug. It's something we all need to watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kk_C4B9lKE

Flu clinic schedules

The 2017/18 Influenza Immunization Program will begin October 23, 2017.

Influenza immunizations will be offered, free of charge, to all Albertans six months of age and older, through AHS clinics, pharmacies and physician's offices.

Please check this link to search for influenza immunization clinics near you:

http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/influ/

Health Talks

Our PCN healthcare team brings you Health Talks - a series of health related sessions offered to you for FREE! No need to register, just show up to the session(s) you want to learn more about. Questions encouraged! See our website for descriptions of each session. 

Our Autumn 2017 Newsletter is out!

Please enjoy our Autumn 2017 edition of the LBD PCN Newsletter!
Click the "Subscribe" button to have it delivered to your email inbox; editions are released quarterly.

LBD PCN Newsletter

Alberta Open Farm Days

Alberta Open Farm Days is a province-wide open house!

Join Alberta’s farmers, ranchers, and chefs as producers open their gates on August 19th and 20th to the public. 

Alberta Open Farm Days is about farmers and ranchers inviting their urban and rural neighbours to stop in for a visit to share stories, see demonstrations, and learn more about the farmers who grow their food.

Some of Alberta’s most talented chefs and rural communities will be hosting a memorable series of farm to table culinary events that will be held around the province using Alberta farm products.

For more information, to see a list of host farms and plan your trip, please visit http://albertafarmdays.com/

How can the Leduc After-Hours Clinic support you?

2017 Summer Newsletter now available!

Our 2017 Summer Newsletter is now available!
Please subscribe to have this quarterly newsletter delivered right to your inbox. Don't worry - we won't spam you!

2017 Summer Newsletter

June is Stroke Awareness Month

Quick facts about stroke, risks and how to reduce the chance of a stroke:

• •         Stroke survivors often have a more sedentary lifestyle which leads to loss of muscle mass and are also at increased risk for falls. 
• •         Studies have found that participation in regular physical activity is lower in stroke survivors than those of elderly persons with other chronic health conditions. 
• •         Those who have suffered a previous stroke are at risk for recurrent stroke and other CVDs.

Some of the risk factors you can change for prevention of stroke:

• •      monitor your blood pressure
• •      Find out if you have Atrial fib (an irregular heartbeat which allows blood to pool in the heart and cause blood clots)
• •      Quit smoking
• •      Limit alcohol
• •      Monitor cholesterol and manage especially – LDL
• •      Manage diabetes
• •      Exercise regularly
• •      Eat foods low in sodium and saturated or trans fat
• •      Monitor any circulation problems with doctor visits

 Some of the benefits of regular physical activity for prevention of stroke:

• •         Improve circulation and blood flow
• •         Increase oxygen flow to the brain and heart
• •         Decrease blood pressure over time
• •         Increase efficiency of the heart and lungs 

       Talk to your PCN family doctor if you would like additional support from our PCN healthcare team.

 Corinne Cutler is an Exercise Specialist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

We're hiring!

Medical Office Assistant

Part-time Position 

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network is a joint venture between participating local family physicians and Alberta Health Services.  

Our mandate is to sustain and enhance the quality, coordination, and integration of health care services in Leduc and area and to improve the quality of life for the community of patients and physicians.

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network is seeking an experienced Medical Office Assistant. The successful candidate will work part-time at the Leduc-After Hours Clinic based in the PCN’s centralized office in Leduc.  Applicant must be available to work 1-2 shifts per week. The Leduc After-Hours Clinic is open Monday to Friday from 5:30-10:00 pm.

The position will be the first point of contact for patients and the public.  Some of the responsibilities include: operating the phone system, booking patient appointments, updating medical records and submitting billing as required.

The ideal candidate for this position should meet the following requirements:

• Excellent organizational, communication and time-management skills as well as the ability to     multi-task;

• Medical Office Administration diploma and/or previous experience in a medical setting;

• Grade 12 education or equivalent;

• Current CPR certification;

• Knowledge of Alberta Netcare is an asset;

• Knowledge of PS Suite EMR is an asset;

• Demonstrate knowledge at an intermediate level of with Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word and Excel). 

Please forward a letter of interest and resume by May 28, 2017 to:

Penny Garton, Clinic Manager

Email:  penny.garton@lbdpcn.com

Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

A criminal record check will be required of the successful applicant. 

It's almost time to GOGA!

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) would like to invite you to participate in our 4^th annual Get Out, Get Active (GOGA) Challenge. GOGA is a free six-week event running from April 24 to June 4, 2017 that is open to everyone, no matter your age, fitness level or ability. This year we are offering participants a “virtual health Challenge” and invite everyone to discover the benefits of physical activity in a brand-new way!  The 2017 GOGA Challenge will virtually demonstrate how physical activity has a positive impact on your body. We want to inspire everyone to learn and experience why physical activity is so important for their health and quality of life. AND, there are fantastic prizes to be won!

GOGA website

GOGA Facebook page

GOGA Twitter account

Join our LBD PCN GOGA team buy visiting the website, here.

Barriers to physical activity

We know there are many barriers that keep people from being physically active and we have some helpful tips for breaking through those barriers:

Thanks to our PCN Exercise Specialist, Corinne Cutler, for this handout.

Today is Dietitians Day!

Once a year, a special day is dedicated to all dietitians across Canada. It celebrates dietitians as health care professionals, committed to using their specialized knowledge and skills in food and nutrition to improve the health of Canadians.

March 15, 2017 marks the eighth anniversary of Dietitians Day. It spotlights the profession and reminds us that dietitians are the smart choice for advice on proper eating, good nutrition and healthy living.

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network salutes our registered dietitians Sally, Ginette, Andrea and Lori and would like to recognize the outstanding work they and other registered dietitians do for their patients and the community.

Happy Dietitians Day!


Sally Ho
LBD PCN Registered Dietitian

Ginette Markham

LBD PCN Registered Dietitian

Andrea Shackel

LBD PCN Registered Dietitian

Lori Briggs
LBD PCN Manager, Chronic Disease
Registered Dietitian

March Newsletter now available!

Our March 2017 newsletter is now available online.

If you would like to receive future editions to your email inbox, please click the Subscribe button in the newsletter.

LBD PCN Newsletter March 2017

March is Nutrition Month!

Take the Fight Out of Food this #Nutrition Month

Do you ever get frustrated by food and nutrition? Maybe you can’t figure out why you feel bloated after eating certain foods, have family mealtimes that are mayhem or are unsure about which foods are best for a particular health condition. Dietitians call these “food fights” – they represent times when you struggle with yourself or others about what to eat.

Part of the dietitian’s job is to coach people to calm these food fights, so we were super excited that the Nutrition Month 2017 theme is “Take the Fight out of Food” – it’s exactly what we do every day!
Nutrition Month 2017’s campaign from Dietitians of Canada guides people through a three-step approach to improve their relationship with food, no matter what the struggle. Dietitians across the country will empower Canadians to:

1. Spot the problem. Identify or define the specific nutrition problem that needs to be solved, since it’s causing a fight with food.
2. Get the facts. Decide what needs to be done to solve the problem, using reliable and credible sources.
3. Seek support. Put the plan into action with support from family, friends, a dietitian and other members of the health care team.

Over the next month, our PCN Dietitians will post examples of these “food fights” and walk you through how to get the facts and seek support on our PCN health blog and social media accounts. We will also post recipes that have been tested and rated by our PCN staff!

Blog
Facebook
Twitter

You can take action right now by committing to Take the Fight out of Food at www.nutritionmonth2017.ca. You can also find recipes, local nutrition month event listings and more.

Our PCN Registered Dietitians are here to help if you have a food fight too! Ask your family doctor for a referral to see one of our Dietitians or see our website for upcoming classes and workshops (no referral required): LBD PCN Classes and Workshops

LBD PCN Registered Dietitians:

Sally Ho

Ginette Markham

Andrea Shackel

Did you know that Dietitians of Canada has led Nutrition Month Campaign for more than 30 years? This post was adapted from materials found on the DC Nutrition Month website.

February is Heart Month

February is Heart <3 Month! Learn how to keep your heart healthy: http://www.heartandstroke.ca/heart
The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network has a number of health education classes to keep your heart healthy but one specific to this topic:

Join us at our next Heart Healthy classes: 

February 22, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
May 29, 4:00 - 6:30 pm

National No-Smoking Week & Weedless Wednesday

National No-Smoking Week & Weedless Wednesday

January 15 - 21st is National No-Smoking Week in Canada!

The purpose of this themed week is to educate the public on the dangers of smoking, prevent those who do not smoke from starting, encourage and support those who do smoke to quit, educate the public on the dangers of secondhand smoke and to denormalize the tobacco industry, their marketing practices, tobacco products and usage.

January 19th is Weedless Wednesday!

The purpose of this day is to encourage those who smoke to abstain for just one day. The goal is that by not smoking for one day, it will kickstart the quitting process.

If you smoke and would like to quit, our PCN can help with education and one on one support. Please contact our office at 780-986-6624 for more information or visit our website at:

http://lbdpcn.com/Programs/Pages/Tobacco-Cessation.aspx  

Quick Facts:

• Tobacco use is one of the leading risk factors for chronic disease and is responsible for more than 37,000 premature deaths in Canada each year.
• 3,400 Albertans die each year as a result of tobacco-related diseases.
• Smoking is still responsible for more deaths each year than drug and alcohol abuse, car crashes, AIDS, murder and suicide combined. According to the World Health Organization, every eight seconds someone dies from a tobacco-related illness. It's clear that nicotine has a firm grip on those who consume it.
• Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness, disability and death in Alberta and Canada.
• Half of all regular smokers will eventually die from their habit. Most of these deaths are premature.
• Researchers estimate that, on average, smokers lose about 15 years of their lives.
• On average, people who quit smoking before they turn 50 cut their risk of death in half.

For more information, please visit the Canadian Cancer Society website and Alberta Health Services website.

New Year's Resolutions - Be Specific!

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, try to keep in mind that making those plans and goals as specific as possible will help with following through.  So many of us come up with general wants and wishes such as:

I want to lose weight.

I wish to be more active.

I want to eat better.

It is a common mistake to make the resolutions too big and too much to change at one time:

I am going to go to the gym every day.

I am going to start eating healthier.

These goals are too broad and too much to change all at once.  Gyms and fitness centres are jam packed with people in January and February and then look like a deserted wasteland by March.  When it comes to eating healthier, we tend to go with the all or nothing mindset so one setback can often send everything off the rails. Sound familiar? 

Instead of setting such lofty general goals that are setting us up for failure, think about making your goals specific. This will give you a better chance of success and sustainability. A good example is:

I will go for a walk on my lunch hour for 15 minutes three days per week. 

In the winter months, dress properly for walking outdoors. Walk in the stairwells or hallways if the weather does not permit, that is better than nothing! When meeting a friend at the mall, plan to walk for 15 minutes at a brisk pace before you do your shopping.  There are multiple ways to get those 15 minutes in, even in our harsh Canadian winters.

Another specific goal is to join an exercise class one or two days a week. Signing up for a registered class for a pre-determined number of weeks is often a good way to stay motivated.  Knowing there is an end date and having paid for the class upfront can is often enough motivation to keep you going.  Schedule your day around this class and plan ahead.

Almost all of us want to be healthier, be more active and lose weight but those are all end results of what may come from making lifestyle changes with setting more specific goals and sticking with those changes.  

Corinne Cutler is the Exercise Specialist at the LBD PCN.