One of the hardest things to do when you move to a new city is finding a good family doctor. I resided in Edmonton for more than a decade before I found one. Rather than go through the turmoil of pouring through the Yellow Pages just to be told “we are not accepting new patients at this time,” I would just make use of the emergency rooms and medi-centres when I needed a driver’s medical or a prescription.
When my medical condition was progressing with no cure or control in sight I happened to mention to a friend that I needed to find a family doc who could figure out what was wrong with me. Fortunately, for me, my friend’s family doc would take new patients, but only with a referral from a current patient. So after 11 years in the province I now had, and have to this day, a family doctor.
Today, the Edmonton Area PCN (Primary Care Network) announced a new website that will take a lot of the hassle out of finding a family doctor. What are the benefits of using the services of a PCN? A PCN is a group of family doctors working with a multidisciplinary team and Alberta Health Services to coordinate health services for patients. A PCN is not necessarily a bricks and mortar building – it is a network of doctors and other health providers such as nurses, dietitians, mental health professionals, therapists, pharmacists and others working together to provide primary health care to patients.
The new user friendly website, www.edmontonareadocs.ca will be updated quarterly. PCN doctors can be searched using the Edmonton and area map, gender, location and language spoken.
This is a great idea, though way overdue in arriving!!
For more information and updates follow @yegSouthsidePCN on Twitter.
Horses and Politics. Is there anything else?
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