The St. Albert and Sturgeon Primary Care Network celebrated its 10th anniversary this week.
Established in November 2006, the PCN was part of the second wave of networks that began to crop up across the province a little over a decade ago.
“I think it’s a marker of success,” local physician and St. Albert and Sturgeon PCN president Dr. Darryl LaBuick said of the milestone. “Despite the political adversity we’ve had over the past number of years and the challenges we face within primary care, our PCNs have managed to survive and thrive. And I think that’s been a definite benefit for our patients.”
LaBuick was part of the group of doctors who got the ball rolling on the creation of the local PCN. He served as president during the initial planning stages of the project and was elected to represent the body again in 2010.
At the time, primary care was “underfunded, under-rated and under-resourced,” he said. Primary Care Networks (PCN) were created by the province and the Alberta Medical Association as way to improve the quality of care received within the community.
PCNs bring together physicians and other health professionals, such as nurses, dietitians, mental health specialists and pharmacists, in order to facilitate access to services and better co-ordinate a patient’s care.
More and more physicians are choosing to work within these team structures, which LaBuick says is “of a direct benefit to our patients.” There are currently 42 PCNs across the province with approximately 3,800 physicians and the full-time equivalent of 1,000 other health-care providers.
“It’s starting to become almost the standard or the pillar of primary care,” said LaBuick. “It’s something that’s been a long time coming, but that’s certainly needed due to the complexities of health care these days.”
International research highlights the importance of medical homes in reducing the burden on the acute care system, from improved patient outcomes to decreased hospital admissions to better transitions out of hospitals.
Many times patients don’t even realize they have accessed services from the PCN, said LaBuick, calling PCN staff the “unsung heroes” in the effort to improve primary care.
LaBuick will be stepping down from his role as president of the St. Albert and Sturgeon PCN. This was his second time serving as president and he has held the role for the past five. His practice at Grandin Clinic will continue to be a part of the PCN.
To celebrate 10 years in the community the St. Albert and Sturgeon PCN hosted a meet and greet at Lions Park this week.
