The formation of a primary care network (PCN) for the Olds-Sundre area is coming along nicely, with services likely to start flowing to patients sometime this fall, say officials.The networks are made up of groups of family doctors who work with Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Medical Association, the province and other health professionals to coordinate the delivery of primary health services for their patients.Fourteen physicians in Olds and seven in Sundre are involved with the Olds-Sundre PCN project. In the works since last fall, the proposed business plan for the Olds-Sundre PCN was submitted to a review committee last week.“It's been a very successful model across the province and it really is an opportunity to increase the services that are available to people in Sundre and Olds,” said Sundre physician Dr. Hal Irvine.“The bottom line is it is a mechanism to get extra money from the government that can be used to fill gaps the doctors have identified with their communities. So if there are care gaps, areas that aren't being sufficiently addressed through Alberta Health Services, the doctors can address those gaps this way.”As part of the process to put the Olds-Sundre PCN together, the physicians involved will form a non-profit corporation and that corporation will enter into a joint venture agreement with Alberta Health Services.In the business plan sent for review last week, doctors have identified four key priority areas where the new Sundre-Olds PCN will focus:• Chronic disease management. “We are looking at hiring a chronic disease manager, probably a nurse or nurse practitioner in that role that will help people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, help with their education, lifestyle management,” he said.“So the doctors will still be involved in assessments and medical managements and medication, but the chronic disease management person will sort of look after their care in terms of their education about their chronic condition and things they can do to gain more control of it.”• Coordinated obstetrical care. “We may be able through the PCN to have some joint staff that work in both maternity clinics (in Sundre and Olds) so that we have coordinated maternity care between Olds and Sundre.”• Mental health and social services, focusing both on youth and seniors. “We are probably looking at a social worker to help with people who need support in finding housing and how to access social programs that are available,” he said.“There's often lots available for people but nobody knows how to help get the people linked into the correct programs. And there may be some more mental health support for seniors and youths.”• Preventive services. “We are looking at things along the lines of health education, nutrition support and education, exercise and that sort of thing. We will be working with the services that are available, like the Sundre Aquaplex and the trainers they have there, working with them to support people who have health issues.”Now that the business plan for the new Olds-Sundre PCN has been submitted, things are expected to move forward in a timely manner, he said.“We are hoping to have approval of the business plan next month, with the executive director/manager hired by the end of September, and then we are hoping that initial services could start as early as this fall sometime,” he said.“When the business plan is approved, that gives us the go-ahead to start making it operational.”According to AHS, goals of the PCNs include “increasing the proportion of Albertans with ready access to primary care; managing access to appropriate round-the-clock primary care services; increasing the emphasis on health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and care with patients with complex problems or chronic disease; improving the coordination of primary care with hospital, long-term and specialty care; and facilitating the greater use of multi-disciplinary teams in primary health care.”Provincewide, about 2,800 physicians and more than 600 other health workers, including nurses, dietitians, social workers and pharmacists are taking part in the setting up of PCNs. To date, 40 of the networks are already operational in Alberta.
