With the tentative amendments to the Master Health Plan announced yesterday (September 1), the Airdrie Highland Primary Care Network is looking forward to seeing what these changes will mean for Airdronians.

Board Chair for the Highland Primary Care Network and Family Physician, Mindy Gautama, said that she is most excited at the potential for more support in comprehensive care.

"I've been in Airdrie for 15 years and in practice in Alberta for 23, and I think that the changes I've seen in primary care in the last 10 years are very exciting. This is a great move forward, anything that we can do to support Doc's to help them manage their more complex patients is a positive thing."

Dr. Carl W. Nohr, President of the Alberta Medical Association said that to carry out the new amendments, the AMA will rely heavily on Primary Care Networks to ensure patients are the top priority.

"We know that a good majority of Doc's in Alberta do belong to Primary Care Networks," said Gautama. "In terms of Highland and specifically for Airdrie, almost 100 per cent of our Doctors are part of our PCN."

Both the Alberta Government and the Alberta Medical Association say the amendments are key to slowing down the growth of health care spending across the province.

Gautama said that a couple ways to help reduce spending is by avoiding duplication in the system, as well as getting patients in a better state of health.

"What I would like to do, both as a family physician as well as a member of the PCN, is to elevate the health of the population as well as my own patient practice."

Another area the Health Plan is tentatively being amended is in the placement of doctors; ensuring that communities that are in need of additional physicians will get them.

Gautama was happy to share that currently Airdrie is in a good place for Doctor to patient ratio.

"A good portion of Doc's in Airdrie are taking patients, which is very exciting. Within the last couple of years is the first time that we feel that we can match a patient to a family doctor easily."

The amendments announced at the press conference will be presented to the representative forum of the AMA next week, and if all are in agreement the amendments will be presented to the members for a final vote.