Health Matters is published by Calgary and area PrimaryCare Networks (PCNs) to give you information about theprograms, services and health teams available to youthrough your family doctor.
Founded more than 10 years ago, PCNs work with teamsof other healthcare professionals, as well as offer programssuch as Prescription to Get Active and Find-a-Doctor.
Health Matters, Winter 2019 Issue publication team:
Shelley Boettcher, Keith Bradford, Terry Bullick,Jessica Hone, Dr. Christine Luelo, Nicole Ouellet,Colleen Seto, Serena Shane, Brett Tiesmaki,Chrissie Worth, Shelly Wright
Contributors:
Dan James, Jimi Scherer, Colleen Seto, George WebberCover photo of Stephen Nichol by George WebberWe appreciate your feedback and article suggestions.
Contact our editorial team at communications@mypcn.ca.
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CALGARY AND AREA
TWO HEALTH MATTERS WINTER 2019
Continuity of care means your familydoctor is with you every step of yourcare journey, working to do what’sbest for your health. It preventstests from being duplicated andallows results to be reviewedpromptly with your health history inmind. It also means that you committo seeing your doctor regularly.
For 69-year-old Stephen Nichol,continuity of care probably savedhis life. In early 2018, he went forhis annual checkup with his familydoctor, Dr. Chris Bockmuehl atCrowfoot Village Family Practice inCalgary. Nichol has had high bloodpressure for a few years, but he’san active person who takes goodcare of himself—walking and bikingfrequently. He appeared to have aclean bill of health. Still, Bockmuehlsent him for an ultrasound asproactive screening.
The ultrasound revealed Nichol hadan abdominal aortic aneurysm—aswelling in the aorta, the largestartery in the body.
“The risk of an undetected aneurysmis that it can grow slowly and thensuddenly burst, which would be acatastrophic life-threatening event,”Bockmuehl says. “We want to findit early and repair it before it getstoo big.”
