Provost Primary Care Network

Provost Primary Care Network has more than 15 different programs which are offered, all programming is done in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and we work closely with Alberta Health and AHS. We have 3 physicians who are enrolled with the PCN and all patients who are involved with the clinic are considered to be a part of the Provost PCN. In conjunction with the clinics we run we also work closely with other community groups and are involved with both the Community Living and You and the United Neighborhood Connection committees.

The PCN hosts booths at the Seniors Fair and the Community Awareness night as well as being involved with the Where’s my Smile- a depression and anxiety support group; and the recently started Living Well with Memory Loss and Dementia support group. The PCN is also a sponsor of healthy living activities such as the Mother’s Day Run, the Terry Fox Run and any community event which may meet the PCN initiative goals.

The Provost PCN is expanding and developing new clinics and opportunities for patients to learn how to better cope with their chronic diseases with healthy lifestyles and behaviour changes. We are also currently looking into the possibility of starting a supervised exercise program in collaboration with the Alberta Healthy Living Program and AHS.

Numerous education sessions are being offered with the current emphasis being on weight management, but upcoming Heart Wise and Better Choices Better Health sessions will be offered. All education sessions are offered free of charge in conjunction with the Alberta Healthy Living Central Zone Program.

Primary Care Network Overview

Primary Care Networks (PCN) are groups of family doctors that work with Alberta Health Services and other health professionals to coordinate the delivery of primary care services for their patients. A PCN is a network of doctors and other health providers such as nurses, dietitians and pharmacists working together to provide primary health care to patients.

A PCN can be comprised of one clinic with many physicians and support staff, or several doctors in several clinics in a geographic area. The Alberta government provides supplementary funding to hire other health professionals to help deliver enhanced services to their patients. Each network has the flexibility to develop programs and to provide services in a way that works locally to meet the specific needs of patients.

The Primary Care Initiative (PCI) was established in 2003 by the Alberta government, the Alberta Medical Association and Alberta’s Regional Health Authorities (now Alberta Health Services) to improve access to family physicians and other frontline health care providers in Alberta. The PCI developed Primary Care Networks, referred to as PCNs.

• There are over 40 PCNs operating in Alberta. Approximately 3300 providers (family physicians, pediatricians, nurse practitioners) participate in a PCN, and approximately 3.2 million Albertans are informally enrolled with PCNs.
• Approximately 800 other health care providers, including nurses, dietitians, social workers and pharmacists, are currently part of a PCN.

PCNs work to achieve 5 goals:

1. Increasing the proportion of Albertans with ready access to primary care.
2. Managing access to appropriate round-the-clock primary care services.
3. Increasing the emphasis on health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and care of patients with complex problems or chronic disease.
4. Improving the co-ordination of primary care with hospital, long-term and specialty care.
5. Facilitating the greater use of multi-disciplinary teams in primary health care .

PCNs are:

1. Reducing the use of emergency rooms and wait times through extended and after-hours service.
2. Providing comprehensive patient education.
3. Optimizing the skills of clinical care teams through outreach programs.