Primary Care Network, along with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and area family doctors, launched a new online service June 29 to help make it easier for Albertans to locate a physician in the Calgary area who is taking on new patients.
The service is called Find a Doctor and can be found at calgaryareadocs.com.
“Through the new website, patients can search an interactive map that shows which Primary Care Network member doctors are accepting patients in which areas,” explained Keith Bradford, senior communications manager for the Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network, who said it was part of Primary Care’s mandate to improve access to primary care in Alberta.
Bradford said there was a need for patients to be connected with a physician more quickly and efficiently, so the seven Calgary-area Primary Care Networks worked in partnership with AHS and family doctors to develop this new online service.
A quick search of the website the day it went live revealed several clinics in Calgary and one in Cochrane – Oasis Medical Centre – which boast two doctors, one taking on new patients.
“There are also physicians in adjacent communities accepting patients,” said Bradford. “Cochrane residents who work in Calgary may decide that it’s most convenient for them to have a family doctor near their workplace so that it’s easier to make appointments during weekdays.”
Bradford added that there are currently over 230 family doctors in the Calgary area currently accepting new patients.
“In the past there have been shortages of physicians in certain areas or communities or long waits to find a family doctor. Patients who are looking for a family doctor can now use calgaryareadocs.com to review their options and ensure they and their loved ones receive the care they need.”
Primary Care Networks support doctors through member-based programs and services and are designed to meet the unique health needs of the geographic area they serve. Approximately 1,350 physician members and over one million patients are represented in the Calgary area.
