Recently we have seen a crunch on our physicians in the Bow Valley. With some doctors leaving the community we are now in the unique position of having no physicians accepting new patients. This creates a challenge for all of us as we try to keep our community and ourselves in optimal health.
At the Bow Valley PCN with the support of our physician members we are doing what we can to hasten recruitment and find ways to help make this community more livable and appealing to healthcare professionals. In the meantime, we are very grateful for our excellent doctors currently living and working in the valley.
As patients, what can we do to make the most of our current healthcare services? And what can we do to minimize the impact on our overburdened physicians so they are able to offer the highest level of care? Most appointments are 10-15 minutes long, including paperwork, so our physicians often find themselves working after hours to complete their work in order to give the best one-on-one care to their patients.
Here are a few suggestions on what you can do to make the most of your appointments:
If you do have a doctor and a second address in a city centre such as Calgary or Edmonton, please consider finding a doctor in one those regions where doctor shortages are less of a problem. Your doctor can likely recommend someone who would be a good fit with your needs.
For those who do not have a family doctor, please be patient as organizations in the Bow Valley work to address this shortage. Walk-in appointments can booked with a physician at Banff Alpine Medical Clinic (please call ahead 403-762-3155). Please note that this clinic is not accepting new patients does offer appointments for single-issue visits (e.g. urinary tract infections, injuries, STI’s).
If you require urgent emergency care please visit the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital or Canmore General Hospital.