October 6, 2008 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are relatively new in Alberta. In the Red Deer area, there are three communities involved in PCNs: Rocky Mountain House, Red Deer and Consort. Their purpose, to:
When Sandra Howes recently learned she had type II diabetes, she had a lot of questions. Fortunately, Howes connected with the Rocky Mountain House PCN, and is successfully managing her illness. “When I have any question, I just ask Brenda”, said Howes, referring to Brenda Sands, Chronic Disease Case Manager, and a part of the Rocky Mountain House PCN. “My job is to make sure Sandra receives the right support to manage her diabetes properly,” said Sands. “I can ensure that she sees a doctor if needed, register her for a class about diabetes care, and see that lab work gets done. Basically, I look at the whole situation to make sure we aren’t missing anything.” Sands likes the changes that have come through PCNs. For example, Sands said in the past, a new patient with diabetes would receive a diagnosis from the doctor and go home with pills or insulin. There may have been some instruction, and a class may have been available, but if the doctor wasn’t aware of it or if the class was out of the community, patients might not have attended. In addition to Sands’ position, the Rocky Mountain House PCN has a dietitian and a mental health professional who spend a set number of days at the clinic. There is also a nurse practitioner, midwife, nurse navigator and clerk, all dedicated to making health care more focused on individual patient needs. All of the professionals work together with the family physician to ensure patients’ needs are addressed. Doreen Parcels, Manager of Primary Care Networks, said PCNs in the area were formed to enhance primary care. “We are working with family physicians to put supports in place so patients get access to more resources and expertise.” Parcels’ role is to work with health professionals in a particular community to uncover areas that need to be enhanced, and then coordinate planning to put the new services in place. The services might already be available elsewhere in the Red Deer area, but through the PCN they are made more accessible. For example, a PCN could involve bringing a geriatric, mental health, or palliative nurse to a community on a particular day of the month, and having them set up in the community’s medical clinic. The nurse often sees the patient first to collect information, and then may go with the patient to meet with the doctor. This team approach offers more comprehensive care for patients. Also, the doctor can make better use of the time they have with a patient. “The result is improved access and enhanced healthcare for patients,” said Parcels. Rocky Mountain House, Red Deer and Consort are currently the communities in the Red Deer area with PCN’s. Networks will soon be operating in Drumheller, Hanna, Lacombe, Three Hills, Trochu, Ponoka, Rimbey and Sylvan Lake. “Primary Care Networks are changing how health care is delivered,” Parcels said. Consort PCN makes for an ‘ideal practise’ Care for diabetic patients has improved in Consort as a result Primary Care Networks (PCN). Dr. Gerhard Malherbe, a Consort family physician, said about a third of his diabetic patients have seen improvements in their lab results since PCN’s began operating. “I think it’s a fantastic program. Really what we’re doing is changing the face of health care,” said Dr. Malherbe. In fact, Dr. Malherbe said PCNs have made his practise ideal. Before the introduction of Consort’s PCN, Dr. Malherbe felt he offered the best care possible, but wished for more time to spend with patients to address health issues. Now, according to Dr. Malherbe, with a PCN, patient care has improved significantly. The Consort PCN includes two registered nurses who have been able to focus on four specific areas: women’s health, healthy lifestyles, chronic diseases, and geriatrics. There is also a mental health professional available for referrals. Similar to Rocky Mountain House’s PCN, the registered nurses see patients in advance of the doctor appointment. “A whole new world has opened up for me with my patients,” said Malherbe. “It’s really exciting to work in a team environment. I can now focus my energy on patient contact. People feel listened to and taken care of.”