Walk With a Doc

CBC Edmonton covered our local chapter of Walk With A Doc - take a look!
Edmonton-area doc walking the walk when  it comes to care

This FREE program takes place every Thursday evening at the Leduc Recreation Centre. Come on out, bring a friend!

The cold snap may mean many of us aren't getting outside to exercise, but a free program is helping Albertans get fit no matter the weather.

December 2019 PCN Newsletter

Our December 2019 Newsletter is now available for your reading pleasure!

Find out about:

• PCN and Leduc After-Hours Clinic holiday hours
• How an Exercise Specialist can support you
• www.AlbertaFindADoctor.ca website
• January - June 2020 health education classes at the PCN
• Holiday eating tips
• The Patient's Medical Home and what continuity means
• How to get your own Naloxone kit

Click here to read the December 2019 PCN Newsletter. Click the blue Subscribe button inside the newsletter to receive future editions right to your inbox. 

Holiday Eating Tips

The holiday season is finally here! That means lots of get togethers with family, friends, neighbours and coworkers. That also usually means food and drink will be present. Here are some holiday eating tips to keep you on your healthy lifestyle journey:

November is Diabetes Awareness Month!

November is Diabetes Awareness Month! 

Eleven million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes. 

What is Diabetes?

It’s a chronic disease where the body cannot make enough insulin or cannot use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps to control blood sugars. A high amount of sugar in the blood over a long period of time can damage organs, blood vessels and nerves.  

Are you at risk?

Not much is known about definite risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes but there are quite a few risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes. Some we can have some control over, but some we cannot:

• A parent, brother, or sister living with or who had diabetes.

• Being a member of high-risk group (Aboriginal, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian, African descent)

• Given birth to a baby weighing more than 4kg or 9lb

• Had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)

• Prediabetes diagnosis

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol or high blood fats

• Extra weight around abdomen, overweight

• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis

• Acanthosis nigricans diagnosis

• Obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis

• Diagnosed psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, depression

If you are over 40 years old or have any of the above risk factors, talk to your doctor.

Take the Diabetes Canada test.

Don’t have a doctor?  Find one here: www.albertafindadoctor.ca

Our PCN health care providers offer education through classes and workshops that are open to the public; a referral from a family doctor is not needed to register for these classes.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Diabetes and the Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is very beneficial to those living with diabetes. The short-term benefits of increasing physical activity are: 

• Lowers your blood glucose within one hour.
• Increases your energy and strength during the day
• Decreases stress, anxiety and fatigue
• Improves relaxation and sleep
• Improves overall well being    

The long-term benefits if activity is sustained: 

•  Improved blood glucose (sugar) control
•  Helps with maintaining weight management when healthy eating is involved.
•  Lowered blood pressure
•  Stronger bones and muscles
•  Lower risk of diabetes complications such as eye, heart, and kidney disease
•  Improved quality of life

One of the most effective aerobic activities with the lowest dropout rate is walking. It can be as simple as going for a brisk walk in your neighborhood.  Here is an example of a walking plan if you are just starting out:   

Sample Walking Plan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Both aerobic and resistance exercises are important when it comes to decreasing the risk of developing or advancing Type 2 Diabetes as both help to improve the body’s insulin sensitivity. 

Make sure to interrupt sitting at least every 30 minutes by getting up and walking, standing or stretching.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a very effective form of exercise at a higher intensity for shorter durations, as an option for those who are able to tolerate. 

Tracking your activity/steps throughout the day is another way of monitoring the amount of time you are active and for some it is a strategy for reducing sitting time by staying accountable.

Canadian Diabetes Association information: 

www.diabetes.ca

• Low physical fitness is as strong a risk factor for mortality as smoking.
• Higher levels of physical activity and fitness level is one of the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality in people with diabetes.
• Physical activity can be as powerful as glucose-lowering medication… with fewer side effects.
• Regular physical activity, in conjunction with healthy eating and weight control, can reduce type 2 diabetes incidence by 60 per cent.

      If you require help with getting started on an exercise or physical activity plan, ask your family doctor for a referral to the Exercise Specialist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

Penguin Walk

It's getting slippery out there! Winter is here in Alberta and with that comes a risk of falls on slippery streets and sidewalks. Here are some precautions to take:

See this video from our friends at Alberta Health Services on keeping safe this winter.

Please help keep your neighbours, friends and family safe by keeping your sidewalk clear of ice and snow. 

New website makes it easier for Albertans to find a doctor

New website makes it easier for Albertans to find a doctor

albertafindadoctor.ca lists almost 1,000 physicians accepting patients

CALGARY (Wednesday, October 16, 2019) – Albertans looking for a family doctor can now find one at the click of a button, thanks to the launch of a new provincial Find a Doctor website.

About one in four family doctors throughout the province – 956 in total – are currently accepting new patients. Alberta’s Primary Care Networks (PCNs) have joined forces to make it quicker and easier for those looking for a doctor to connect with physicians, in both rural and urban areas.

Albertans can visit albertafindadoctor.ca on their mobile device, tablet, laptop or desktop computer to find out which doctors are taking patients in their community.

“This website is a great tool to help Albertans find a family physician,” said Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health. “There are nearly 1,000 family physicians willing to take on new patients and this site will help connect them with patients who need them. Congratulations to the PCNs and Alberta Health Services for collaborating to strengthen primary health care in Alberta.” 

Visitors to the website can search for doctors by location, using a Google Maps search tool. They can also specify physician gender and languages spoken. Once the patient decides which doctor or clinic works best for them, they can call the clinic to request an appointment.

“The Find a Doctor website makes it easier for all Albertans to find a doctor and health team to help them build a healthier future,” said Calgary family doctor Dr. Ernst Greyvenstein, Primary Care Networks Physician Lead for the Calgary Zone. “Patients who have a long-lasting relationship with a family doctor and team are healthier as they age, make less visits to emergency departments and spend less time in hospital. This new service is about connecting families with doctors who are taking patients – and ultimately improving the health of Albertans.”

The service is free to use and in addition to being available online, it can be accessed by calling Health Link at 811.

“I used the website to help me find a doctor when I moved to Alberta from Cranbrook, B.C.,” said Divya Laxmi, who recently relocated to Calgary. “I searched for someone who met all my needs, so I looked only for female physicians. It was very easy – the whole process only took 10 to 15 minutes. I’ve already recommended the website to friends.”

Because the new website is interactive, there are no delays or long waits. The listings are updated regularly to ensure the data is as up-to-date and as accurate as possible.

“Access to a family doctor is a very important part of our healthcare system. Family doctors and teams play a major role in keeping Albertans and our communities well,” said Dr. Linda Slocombe, Senior Medical Director for Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) Primary Health Care program. “AHS continues to work together with Primary Care Networks on exciting initiatives, such as this new provincial website, to help connect patients to the care they need.”

Alberta Find a Doctor brings together services that previously existed in Calgary (calgaryareadocs.com), Edmonton (edmontonareadocs.ca) and some other parts of the province.

“We believe every Albertan should have access to a family doctor and a medical home,” said Edmonton family physician Dr. Justin Balko, Primary Care Network Physician Lead Executive for the Edmonton Zone. “Four or five years ago we were dealing with severe doctor shortages throughout the province and although the situation is much improved, there’s still a perception that it is very difficult to find a family doctor. The Alberta Find a Doctor website gives Albertans a single, simple and reliable way of finding a doctor and where possible, one who is close to home, work or wherever is most convenient.”

In Alberta, most family doctors are members of Primary Care Networks. PCNs develop programs and services to help meet the everyday health needs of the patients and communities they serve. They work alongside more than 3,800 family doctors and 1,400 other health professionals – including nurses, pharmacists, mental health professionals and social workers – to provide team-based care. Information about how patients can find their PCN and access free programs and services is also available via the website.

“The new website will help Albertans who have a family doctor to make the most of that relationship, by explaining how to access health teams and programs and services that are available through their PCN or family doctor,” said Dr. Greyvenstein. “It’s a one-stop resource for patients who need a family doctor or have a doctor and want to learn more about how they can access the best possible care for their families.”

There are currently 956 doctors in Alberta taking new patients. Of those, 403 are in Calgary and 316 are in Edmonton. There are 120 doctors accepting patients in the north, 51 in central Alberta and 66 in the south. The Government of Alberta announced last month that nurse practitioners are set to be hired to work in PCNs and medical clinics in communities where patients have difficulty accessing a family doctor. Patients will soon be able to visit albertafindadoctor.ca to search for nurse practitioners who are taking patients. A report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) in September 2019 showed that the number of family physicians in Canada grew by 12 per cent between 2014 and 2018. Statistics Canada estimates that about 18 per cent of Albertans don’t have a family doctor.

ABOUT PRIMARY CARE NETWORKS: Primary Care Network services and programs are developed in partnership with family doctors and Alberta Health Services. They are designed to meet the everyday health needs of patients in the communities they serve.

-          30    -

For inquiries, contact:

Keith Bradford                                                                                   Candra Tinis

Senior Advisor, Communications                                               Communications Lead

Calgary Zone Primary Care Networks                                      Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network

403.620.2362                                                                                      780.980.8810

keith.bradford@cfpcn.ca                                                             candra.tinis@lbdpcn.com