Stand Up To Falls

We have a new class offered at the PCN!

For more information and to register: http://lbdpcn.com/Pages/Event-Details.aspx?EventID=102&EventSeriesID=225&

Walk With a Doc in Leduc has moved to Wednesdays!

Walk with a Doc in Leduc

Last week, the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network, in partnership with the Leduc Recreation Centre and led by Dr. Trevor Byers of the Smyth Clinic, launched Walk with a Doc to a full room of participants.

The weekly event takes place each Thursday at 7pm at the Leduc Recreation Centre. Participants meet in the Vantage Room upstairs by the gym for a quick health-related presentation, then gather outside for a walk around the trails behind the LRC. Feel free to ask Dr. Byers any health-related questions, or just chit-chat!

This event is FREE and open to all; please bring a friend! Registration is not required, just show up and be prepared to walk outside. If the weather is terrible, we will walk on the indoor track at the LRC.

Here are a few pictures from our inaugural event!

Full house in the Vantage Room at the LRC - Dr. Byers gave a presentation titled "Physician, Heal Thyself" about his own past health concerns, what triggered him to change and how he did it.



Recipe for Change



Enjoy the ride!



Off we go for a quick walk around the trails behind the LRC. Dr. Byers brought flashlights for everyone - it was dark out there! But NO EXCUSES :)



Like, it was REALLY dark out there.




We look forward to see you this Thursday at the LRC!

LBD PCN Launches Walk with a Doc Program in Leduc

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network (LBD PCN) is encouraging Leduc and area residents to take a step toward better health with Walk with a Doc, a health program that brings doctors and patients together to get out and walk.

Walk with a Doc is an initiative whose mission is to encourage healthy physical activity in people of all ages and reverse the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle in order to improve the health and well-being of the country.

“This program has had tremendous participation and success in hundreds of cities in both Canada and the US,” says Dr. Trevor Byers, a LBD PCN member physician. “I’m very pleased to bring this exciting and simple program to Leduc as it has shown such improved health results for countless people.”

Walk with a Doc is open to the community. Participation is free and pre-registration is not required. The first Walk with a Doc event will take place on October 20^, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Walkers will first listen to a short health-related presentation in the Vantage Room at the Leduc Recreation Centre and then enjoy a refreshing and rejuvenating walk on the trails with Dr. Byers and other LBD PCN healthcare professionals, who will provide support to participants and answer questions during the walk.

“Walk with a Doc is honoured to team up with the LBD PCN. By incorporating this program into the practice, Dr. Byers (pictured) and the PCN are demonstrating an exceptional level of care and commitment to their community,” said Dr. David Sabgir, founder of Walk with a Doc.

Why walk?

“First, because it is fun and it feels good.  Also, an active lifestyle reduces the risk of many chronic medical illnesses, including coronary heart disease, breast and colon cancer, Type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety.” says Dr. Byers.

According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, walking as little as 30 minutes a day can provide the following benefits:

·         Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels

·         Help maintain a healthy body weight and lower the risk of obesity

·         Enhance mental well-being

·         Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke

Leduc joins a growing list of communities in both Canada and the US that have started local Walk with a Doc (WWAD) programs. WWAD was created by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist with Mount Carmel Health Systems in Columbus, OH.  He has walked with patients and community members every weekend since 2005.

Learn more about Walk with a Doc at www.walkwithadoc.org.

CALLING ALL COUCH POTATOES

Tell me this; are you happy with how you feel?  Are you satisfied with your health and feel you are getting the most out of life? Really? Then why are you reading a health blog?

I'm going to guess that, like me, you have had health challenges in your life. You would like to feel better, but don't know where to start. Maybe you feel isolated and alone. You have been to the doctor but he or she can't seem to help.

Let me tell you, I know exactly how you feel. Not only have I been there with my own health, but as a doctor I have spent 16 years trying to tell people how to be healthier, with little success. I see a constant parade of patients that have chronic illnesses for which medication does little to no good, but lifestyle changes seem to be impossible for people to follow. 

A few months ago, I read a CNN article on the Walk with a Doc program. This is a program started by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Ohio. He was also frustrated in his inability to change his patient's behavior. He invited them to go for a walk with him in the park and to his surprise, over 100 took him up on it. He has now been walking with his patients for 1 hour every week for 10 years. Each walk is accompanied by a short discussion of a health topic.

This program intrigued me. A one-hour walk a week may not seem like enough to make a major difference in health, and it probably isn't. But this program brings together people with similar challenges, and similar goals. It provides a community where people can learn about health and interact with health professionals as peers in a non-threatening, non-judgmental, and health-promoting way. It can help kick-start them adopting a healthy, active life.  If we all have the same goal of feeling better, we can encourage and mentor each other toward better health.

I have experienced this first hand. Twelve years ago, I was sedentary, overweight, stressed, and tired. Over the next number of years, I changed the way I lived life, choosing a more active lifestyle, to the great benefit of my physical and mental health. Along the way, friends who were making the same changes in their own lives were great support to me, as I probably was to them. The shared journey was fun and rewarding.

I am hoping that this is what the Walk with a Doc program can do for people in the Leduc area. Every Thursday evening, we will meet at the Leduc Recreation Center, for a brief (5-20 minutes) health discussion and then a 1-hour walk, where the conversation can continue. On good weather days, the walk will be outside. On bad weather days, the walk will start inside on the walking track and then anyone who is brave enough can continue outside with me, as I always prefer outside to inside, regardless of the weather. The program is free, has no age restrictions and is open to anyone who can walk (or wheelchair, or otherwise propel themselves forward) and wants better health.

The first date is set for October 20, at 7 p.m. Please meet me in the Vantage Room at the Leduc Recreation Centre were I will talk about my own personal journey to health. After that, we will go for a walk outside on the trails around the LRC. Please join me, invite your friends and family!  Let's get healthier and happier together. 

Dr. Trevor Byers  

Stepping Out - a new walking group in Leduc

New specialty clinics now accepting patients!

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network is proud to announce the launch of two, locally offered and medically supervised specialty clinics to our PCN patients.

Leduc Obesity Clinic

The Leduc Obesity Clinic offers patients who are willing to or already making healthy lifestyle changes a new treatment pathway for obesity management.

Screening assessments will be done to determine if this clinic is right for you.

Patients must be able to commit to 1 year of involvement with the interdisciplinary team.  This will involve participating every two weeks in group medical appointments/ classes as well as regular meetings with team members and regular weights and measurements.

Evidence based treatment plans for obesity have been developed by the interdisciplinary team.  This may include but not limited to addressing exercise, depression, diet, medication adjustments, sleep or referral to specialists as needed, etc. 

The Leduc Obesity Clinic – Weight Support Team includes a LBD PCN member Physician, Registered Nurse, Mental Health Professional, Registered Pharmacist, Registered Dietitian, Exercise Specialist and an Administrative Assistant.

Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

In response to the growing need to support cardiac patients in a local setting and in partnership with the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network (LBD PCN) is also proud to announce the introduction of the Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. 

This program will operate out of the LBD PCN office and the Leduc Recreation Centre (LRC). The program includes support from a LBD PCN member physician and the LBD PCN Exercise Specialist. Patients will also have access to the LBD PCN's Registered Dietitian. This program will help reduce fears about physical activity and may improve quality of life.

If you have experienced a recent cardiac event or procedure and think you would benefit from supervised exercise and heart health education, ask your LBD PCN family physician for a referral to the Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. 

To access the Leduc Obesity Clinic or the Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, please ask your LBD PCN family physician for a referral.

LRC Health and Wellness Fair TODAY!

The Leduc Recreation Centre is hosting day two of its annual Health and Wellness Fair today from 3:00 - 9:00 pm in the curling lobby by the fireplace.

Visit our booth to learn about healthcare programs and services offered at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

Andrea Lewis, LBD PCN Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, and Corinne Cutler, LBD PCN Exercise Specialist, will be hosting a FREE workshop - Heart Healthy - at the LRC Health and Wellness Fair in the Venger Room at 3:00 pm today.



Click on poster for larger image.