Health Matters - Apple Magazine Health Matters Summer 2016 | Page 2

Cover: Ron McLane PHOTOS BY NEIL ZELLER CALGARY AND AREA Your Health Matters Health Matters is published by Calgary and area Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to give you information about the programs, services and health teams available to you through your family doctors. More than 60,000 copies are distributed in the Calgary area. Research shows when people visit a family doctor regularly, they are healthier and live longer. People with chronic diseases also receive more care, make fewer emergency department visits and are hospitalized less. More than 1,300 family doctors in 346 clinics belong to PCNs in the Calgary area. They provide care for about 1.1 million patients. Health Matters, Summer 2016 Issue publication team: Jennifer Allford, Keith Bradford, Terry Bullick, Bart Goemans, Cori Leyte, Dr. Christine Luelo, Jacquie Maurice, Amy Sawchenko, Chrissie Worth Contributors: Jennifer Allford, Mike Fisher, Anne Georg, Jacqueline Louie, Jimi Scherer, Neil Zeller We appreciate your feedback and article suggestions. Contact our editorial team at [email protected]. To find your PCN, visit mypcn.ca TWO › Bow Valley Primary Care Network › Calgary West Central Primary Care Network › Foothills Primary Care Network › Highland Primary Care Network › Mosaic Primary Care Network › Calgary Rural Primary Care Network › South Calgary Primary Care Network APPLE SUMMER 2016 Whether they’re a family doctor, nurse, a pharmacist, social worker or a dietitian, they’re all a part of your team. Your home team advantage PCNs coach you to better health BY JACQEULINE LOUIE Whatever your health goals, it helps to work with a team. Your team will guide you, encourage you and keep you on track with information, advice and resources that help you across the finish line. Primary Care Networks (PCNs) have a team- based approach to helping their patients. “Whether they’re a family doctor, nurse, a pharmacist, social worker or a dietitian, they’re all a part of your team,” says Mike Thompson, the health team manager with the Calgary Foothills PCN, which serves northwest Calgary and Cochrane. PCN teams can also include health management nurses, psychologists, social workers and certified counsellors. “Patients receive more comprehensive care by having different team members, who are all working together,” he says. “There is strong collaboration and communication. Everyone is working with the same care plan to help patients meet their goals, and all care is coordinated in one place. It really ensures they get the comprehensive care they need.”