The South Calgary PCN
has dedicated resources
to engage the community
in creating more health
programs, services and
partnerships.
Specialized diabetes care in the community
The Mosaic PCN sees more than
10,000 appointments annually for
diabetes management. It’s
identified northeast Calgary as an
underserviced area for diabetes
patients. Some require complex
diabetes care, and so the Diabetes
Optimization Team was created
to bridge that gap. Made up of
diabetes educators—pharmacists,
nurses and dietitians with specialized
endocrinology training—the team
provides specialized care to patients
in the community.
Specialized care includes
“advanced carb counting, complex
insulin regimens, optimizing oral
medications and helping the
patient manage the psychosocial
demands of diabetes management,”
Jackie Liu, the pharmacist who
created the Diabetes Optimization
Team, realized the community had
specific patient needs. “They didn’t
want to use specialists because they
didn’t want to drive all over the city.
Also, we needed to have sensitivity
to social determinants. If you get
your food from the food bank, you
can only adjust your diet so much.”
Some clients have difficulty following
complex medical instructions.
“A PCN diabetes educator can go
over them repeatedly, and provide
the steady consistent hand and
patience needed,” explains Liu.
“Other clients are reluctant to
change their lifestyles, but we can
still help them avoid a hospital stay.
Ultimately, the Diabetes
Optimization Team brings some
harm-reduction principles mixed
with the management of complex
medical needs, carried out at the
patient’s level.”
Access to the Diabetes
Optimization Team is via
referral from a Mosaic
PCN family doctor.
mosaicpcn.ca.