What is Primary Care?
Primary Care is the first point of contact people have with
the health system. It begins with your family physician, but it may also
involve a team of other healthcare professionals. It includes screening for
early detection of disease, immunizations, care for common illnesses, and
management of ongoing health problems. Primary Care is different from Acute Care
- the urgent care that is provided at a hospital - which is provided by Alberta
Health Services.
Primary Care begins with your family physician, the leader
of your care team.
Depending on your unique care needs and your goals, you might also work with
some of the allied health professionals at the PCN - nurses, dietitians, certified diabetes educators, pharmacists, mental health therapists, exercise specialists, and respiratory therapists. While these healthcare providers are
not located in your family physician's office - most are located in the Wood Buffalo PCN
Central Clinic (301-108 Riverstone Ridge in Stoney Creek Village, Timberlea) - they provide
care under the direct guidance of your doctor, with whom they work as one
unified team to provide you with the care that you need.
To learn more about how to access the PCN and to connect
with your care team in Fort McMurray, follow the steps below:
1. Register for AHCIP
If you have lived in Alberta
for longer than three months, you are eligible to apply for health care
insurance through the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP). When you
register and receive your Alberta Personal Health Card, you will be able to
access a wide range of hospital and family physician services, including the
programs of the Wood Buffalo Primary Care Network.
Click HERE to apply for the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
2. Connect with a Local Family Physician
Your family physician is your partner in health. By becoming
attached to a local doctor, you ensure that you have one main provider who
knows your medical history and can provide you with whole-picture healthcare.
Family physicians also provide routine health screening tests even when you're
not feeling sick, in order to find problems early before they become serious.
If you do not
yet have a local family physician in Fort McMurray, you can
find a list of physicians accepting new patients HERE. You can also visit Alberta Find A Doctor to find physicians accepting new patients anywhere in Alberta.
Every resident of Fort McMurray stands to benefit from being
attached to a family physician, whether you're a newcomer, only live here
part-time, or have been a member of our community for years; many healthcare
programs and services (such as some of our PCN programs) are only available to
those with a family physician.
3. Get Acquainted with us: The Wood Buffalo Primary Care Network
In Fort McMurray, every family physician is a member of the
Wood Buffalo PCN. If you have a local family physician, you are already a
patient of the WB PCN, and can ask your doctor to access other WB PCN programs
and services which interest you.
Care for Chronic Conditions: We offer specialized care for
people with diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, chronic pain, asthma,
COPD, and more. We have programs for both children and adults alike.
Preventative Care: We provide access to health professionals
like Dietitians and Exercise Specialists for those who are looking to improve
their wellbeing, but don't yet suffer from chronic conditions. If you're
interested, talk to your Family Doctor about a referral to visit the WB PCN's
health professionals.
Women's Health Screenings: We provide pap testing (current
guidelines: once every three years, unless your doctor requests otherwise), and
can also screen for STIs during your pap visit.
Specialist Connections: We frequently host visiting
specialists at our clinics, specialists such as nephrologists, endocrinologists, and pulmonologists, to
prevent patients from having to travel to Edmonton to receive care.
Questions? Call us at (780) 714-2193