What services will my primary care network provide?

The Provincial Primary Care Initiative determined that local Primary care networks should provide 24 services to their local population. As a patient, sixteen of these services will be provided directly to you by your healthcare providers, while the remaining eight services have been put in place to give primary care providers better access to other health services.

PCN services directly available to you through your healthcare providers:

• Basic ambulatory care and follow-up
• Care of complex problems and follow-up
• Psychological counseling
• Health Screening/chronic disease prevention
• Family planning and pregnancy counseling
• Well-child care
• Obstetrical care
• Palliative care
• Care of the Elderly
• Care of chronically ill patients
• Minor surgery
• Primary in-patient care including hospitals and long-term care institutions
• Rehabilitative care
• Information management
• Population health

Services allowing healthcare providers better access to other health areas:

• 24 hour, 7 days per week management of access to appropriate health care
• Access to laboratory and diagnostic imaging
• Coordination of home care
• Coordination of emergency room services
• Coordination of long-term care
• Coordination of secondary care
• Coordination of public health
• Services related to the provision of services to unattached patients

A PCN isn't necessarily physicians and healthcare providers working under the same roof - It could be one clinic with many physicians and support staff, or several physicians in several clinics across a geographic region. The idea is to create a 'network' between these facilities and healthcare providers, in order to give you more interactive and comprehensive healthcare services. There are a number of participating PCN clinics and healthcare providers already existing in Camrose. Click here to find out which facilities have decided to get on board with the Camrose PCN.

If your family physician joins the primary care network, you become part of the network as well. But whether your family physician has decided to participate or not, the additional services and information provided by the PCN are available to everyone in the Camrose community. Browse through our website to get up-to-date on the events and services available to you through the Camrose PCN. If you have any more questions, please contact the Camrose PCN office.

All family physicians will have the opportunity to participate in primary care networks, but there is no requirement to do so. Physicians will join based on their own personal and professional preferences.

If your physician is not part of a PCN you will continue to receive the quality care that your family physician has always provided. Family physicians will continue to refer patients to other healthcare providers for services that they do not personally provide.

It isn't necessary for PCN physicians to work under one roof. In some cases, physicians may even be in different communities. By agreeing to be a part of the Camrose PCN, your physician is agreeing to cooperate and communicate more effectively with other physicians and healthcare providers throughout the Camrose area.

Primary care networks are part of the public healthcare system funded by the Government of Alberta and are covered in the same way as other publically funded health services. If a physician provides you a service that is not publicly funded you will be required to pay for that service.

Patient privacy is very important to Camrose family physicians and healthcare providers. Whether or not they are part of a primary care network, physicians and other healthcare providers will continue to ensure patient privacy. All publicly funded healthcare providers in Alberta are required to follow the Health Information Act and since PCNs are publicly funded your health information is protected under the Act.

If you still have more questions, the PCN office can help. Please click here to find out how to contact us.