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Options | Spring 2013 32 Options | Spring 2013

Contents

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CORPORATE PROFILES

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Preventous Collaborative Health

Copeman Healthcare Centre

Provital Health & Wellness9

10/11 Mayfair Diagnostics

Peace of mindA Calgary couple with two young children, appreciates the collabora-tive and comprehensive nature of a private medical caregiver.

Leaving homeA survey of Canadian physicians indicates one per cent of patients travel to foreign countries for medical treatment each year.

14 Timely alternativeBattling cancer, a Calgary woman chooses to invest in rather than wait for her medical treatment.

The big pictureThe imaging systems that many people take for granted have saved countless lives.

Health questA series of medical challenges, including extreme headaches and back pain, has led a Calgary man to pursue private medical options.

12 Whole healthThe holistic approach to health at his private medical facility has helped a Calgary man eat better and, as a result, lose weight.

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Wake up callOn the verge of a heart attack, a Calgary geologist makes some significant lifestyle changes with guidance from his medical provider.

Cross-border shoppingIncreased awareness and new technologies are attracting more and more Albertans to a Kalispell, Mont. medical centre.

FEATURES

Of the estimated 46,000-plus Canadians who sought treatment in a foreign country in 2011, more than 9,200 — 20 per cent — were Albertans.

Leaving Canada for Medical Care/2011, Fraser Institute

20%

Wait times in Alberta, slightly down from 21.1 weeks in 2011 and a peak of 22.1 weeks in 2010.

Fraser Institute

20.7 weeks

By the numbers

is a special publication of the Calgary Herald Publication date: Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013

Special Projects Manager: Barb Livingstone, 403-235-7339 [email protected]

Advertising: Susan Walker, 403-235-8784

Cover and cover story illustrations: Jennifer Worley and Charlene Kolesnik

Average wait times across Canada in 2012 between referral from a general practitioner and receipt of elective treatment.

22nd edition of Waiting Your Turn, Wait Times for Healthcare in Canada, the Fraser Institute

17.7 weeks

Alberta wait time average in 1993. Today’s wait time has nearly doubled.

Fraser Institute

10.5 weeks

Wait times have soared in the past 20 years despite increases in federal health-care transfers that have outpaced population growth and

inflation by $97.6 billion since 1997/98.Fraser Institute

$97.6 billion

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Landmark Collaborative Health

Canada Diagnostic Centres

YOUR GUIDE TO PRIVATE MEDICINE

ptionsO

“PeoPle in Calgary work very hard to create lives they can be proud of,” says Preventous Collaborative Health medical director Dr. Rohan Bissoondath. “We’re here to help them figure out what they need to do so that they can fully enjoy their lives and be as healthy as possible.”

Knowing your health risks and how to avoid problems in the future is key to stay-ing healthy, hence the “prevent” part of the company name.

Bissoondath tells of seeing a 50-year-old man who had a heart attack, and in the next examining room sat a 22-year-old “who was not taking care of himself — smoking, etc. — and I just saw his future in the room next door.

“If we can help this kid avoid that other room in the next 20 to 30 years, that will be an accomplishment. Nothing in life matters if you’re not healthy.”

Bissoondath and the rest of the Preven-tous medical team are strong believers in the power of preventive health care for men, women and children.

That includes, when required, nutri-tion counselling as well as custom-designed fitness programs delivered in

the on-site fitness facility.Developing a relationship with each

client helps ensure success. At Preventous Collaborative Health, the traditional family doctor who knew your children’s names, and was there for you day and night, lives on.

“I didn’t like how impersonal the medi-cal system can be,” says Bissoondath.

Bissoondath started Preventous in 2007 because he saw a need for a one-stop shop offering strong, evidence-based family health care delivered in a caring, compas-sionate manner.

The Preventous family is 100 per cent committed to the people and families that rely on it for medical care.

“I don’t think you’ll find any other clinic that gives patients as much time as they need and offers full 24/7/365 care the way we do.” says Bissoondath.

As a lifelong Calgarian, Bissoondath takes great pride in bringing the high-est quality preventive medical care to this city, and nothing makes him hap-pier than great feedback from clients telling him Preventous is achieving that goal.

“We know we’re on the right track because of the positive comments we get from our clients,” says Bissoondath, citing this message from David Tuer:

“As a member myself of the Preventous orga-nization, and a fairly knowledgeable one given my role as chair of the Calgary Health Region for more than seven years…I feel well qualified to point out the advantages and the strengths that membership offers both individually and corporately.

“I take genuine pleasure in offering my comments on Preventous, largely because my personal experience has been as positive as I could hope for, and has established for me an intimate relationship with a team of health professionals who have my interests at heart and take whatever time is needed to deal with those interests.

“From a corporate perspective, and from a personal one, Preventous provides its services at an investment cost which seems to have an infinite yield — given that I have access to the highest quality health care on a 24/7 basis.

“So why Preventous? I can answer for me by saying that I have tried alternatives, and Preventous is ‘as good as it gets.’”

Preventous helps families enjoy happier, healthier lives

– CORPORATE PROFILE –

Our goal is to help people take control of their health and the health of their loved ones so they can fully enjoy all

that life has to offer.

Preventous founder, Dr. Rohan Bissoondath Members of the Preventous team from left, Georgie Weeks, Dr. Aaron Woodard, Dr. Sarb Grewal, Barb Schafer, Dr. Maya Grover and Dr. Rohan Bissoondath.

Name: Preventous Collaborative Health

Location: 1635 17th Ave. S.W.Calgary, T2T 0E5

Contact info:Phone: 403-229-0129 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.Preventous.com

Services:

n 24/7 Access to our health care team

n Total health assessmentsn Executive medicalsn Fitness assessmentsn Nutrition assessmentsn Free consultations

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PROFILE

By COLLEEN BIONDI

When Marissa Adams, 32, moved to Calgary from White Rock, B.C. in 2004 to attend Mount Royal

College (now Mount Royal University), little did she know how much access to reliable health care would play a critical role in her life.

But that same year she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. This means her pancreas does not produce insulin. Marissa has to inject insulin into her body daily, monitor sugar levels with a glucose meter, go for regular A1C blood tests — which measure sugar averages over three-month periods — and see an endocrinologist. From 2004 until 2010, she made numerous visits to the lab, enduring long waiting times, and travelled across town for visits with her family doctor.

But when her husband, Derek, who man-ages his father’s automotive shop, followed his long-term family physician, Dr. Sarit Sen-gar, to Provital Health & Wellness, Marissa soon followed. She was then pregnant with Abigail

(who is now two) and concerned about care for her child-to-be (son Jaxson would follow in late 2012). She’d also been having more difficulty accessing her own family doctor, having to default to local medical clinics when she needed help, like diagnosing and getting treatment for strep throat.

“You don’t want to be sick for a week before seeing a doctor,” she says.

Signing on with Provital has been a godsend. “We’re on the phone to them all the time, es-pecially with two young kids,” she says. When Abigail was suffering with a bad cold recently, a telephone consult confirmed there was a bug circulating, and suggested Marissa watch for breathing developments and recommended she hold Abigail in the steam of a bathroom shower to help with congestion.

“Then they called back the next day. They always call the next day to check in.”

Doctors at Provital are accessible by phone day and night and will recommend same day or next day appointments when necessary.

Provital has a lab onsite so now her quarterly

blood tests are a breeze. ”I can bring my kids and I am in and out in five minutes.”

And when the unthinkable, a miscarriage, happened, she called for advice and an action plan was immediately put into place. She was to rest that night (and call if matters got worse), get an ultrasound in the morning, then have a follow-up appointment with her doctor.

“The miscarriage started at 5 p.m. one day; the ultrasound and meeting with my doctor hap-pened by 10 a.m. the next morning.”

Marissa and Derek also take advantage of other therapies offered at Provital, especially the monthly massages. Marissa’s are relaxation and stress reduction-based; Derek’s target tightness associated with old sports injuries.

The cost of these services is $3,060 per person annually for Marissa and Derek (there is no cost for the children). The Adams are fortunate to have the cost absorbed by their employer, Derek’s dad, at Dale Adams Automotive Specialists (Ma-rissa is also employed there in an administrative role and is currently on maternity leave).

The Adams still use and value the traditional

system. Marissa continues to see a Calgary endocrinologist, is referring Abigail to a speech pathologist and was seen by specialists for both pregnancies which were considered high risk.

But they appreciate the collaborative and comprehensive nature of Provital, from its in-person medical advice to over-the-phone reassurances, from its emphasis on wellness plans before a problem surfaces to the whole health team being in one place. “We have had nothing but positive experiences at Provital,” adds Marissa. “From the front end to the doc-tors, we get great service and our questions are always answered. It is the best move we ever made.”

‘We have had nothing but positive experiences’Marissa Adams, with four-month-old son Jaxson, no longer has to endure long waiting times for blood tests related to Type 1 diabetes.

— Wil Andruschak photo

I can bring my kids and I am in and out in five minutes.


THe COPeMAN HeALTHCARe CeNTRe set a new standard for primary care in Alberta when it opened the doors of its Calgary Centre in October 2008.

The centre was developed to offer each client a personalized and expert team of professionals focused on all aspects of his or her health.

The state-of-the-art, centrally located 17,000-square-foot facility was expanded in 2011, and a second Alberta location opened in edmonton in May 2012.

Copeman Healthcare has created a Western Canadian network of doctors, specialized pro-fessionals and researchers to develop and imple-ment some of the most advanced programs of screening, diagnosis, prevention and health management available in the world today.

According to founder and CeO Don Copeman, the company began with a simple premise — to deliver unparalleled access to medical expertise while providing each patient with a highly personalized and “un-hurried” experience.

In addition to expert doctors, the centres are staffed with a complementary team that includes psychologists, psychiatrists, neuro-psychologists, physiotherapists, registered dietitians, kinesiologists, exercise medicine specialists, nurses, health coaches and other

specialized professionals who work together for the early detection and treatment of disease.

The centre is the only one of its kind to have a program recognizing that complete wellness must address all three areas of physi-cal, psychological and brain health.

Copeman’s brain health program is the first of its kind and is focused on early intervention for age- and disease-related cognitive decline.

Copeman Healthcare has become Canada’s leader in collaborative, team-based health care, but the services and technologies it has developed are now being shaped for implementation throughout the world.

One of the centre’s greatest contributions to the field of prevention and health manage-ment is its computerized Health Management System, which is a secure, online personal health record combined with sophisticated risk assessments, health surveillance and self-management tools.

Changes in laboratory results and other diag-nostic measures trigger personalized reminders about important risk factors and transmit both positive and negative trends to the patient’s health team. This advanced technology is made available to every client of the centre.

The centre offers a warm and comforting environment as well as an atmosphere of

genuine caring that belies the size and sophis-tication of its operations.

“We are committed to a large, expert staff and the most current technology and tech-niques, but creating a very personalized and highly available service is just as important to us,” says Copeman.

“We have a simple motto, which is to treat every client like we would have our own loved ones treated. Our clients’ health teams are dedicated to them and committed to looking after every aspect of their health.”

Although the centre has numerous sub-scription programs and services, the most popular offering is LifePlus, an all-inclusive prevention and health management program. It includes a comprehensive, four-hour annual health assessment and a complete package of professional services to support a client’s indi-vidual health plan. This service costs $4,200 per adult in the first year of service and $3,200 per year thereafter and the enrolment team works with clients to explore individual coverage as it relates to employee benefits packages and tax deductible health expenses.

In addition to the comprehensive adult health services, the centre also offers one of the most advanced programs for the prevention of child illnesses available in the world today.

A new standard of health care


Name: Copeman Healthcare CentreLocation: 4th floor, 628 12th Ave. SW Calgary, T2R 0H6

Contact info: Cristle JaskenPhone: 403-270-CARE (2273)Email: [email protected]: www.copemanhealthcare.com

Services: Advanced personal and family health care; 24/7 physician on call; integrated physical, psychological and brain health; exercise medicine and physiotherapy; comprehensive health assessments; corporate wellness; registered dietitians; concussion management services; de-mentia and Alzheimer’s screening; stroke and brain injury rehabilitation; integrated personal training; cardiac health and rehabilitation; health coaching and therapeutic lifestyle change.

Copeman Healthcare has introduced a highly

personalized and service-focused approach

to personal, family and corporate health care that

delivers excellence in prevention and health

management. Dr. Adrian Wladichuk, family physician.

By BRIAN BURTON

An array of technologies has enabled doctors to peer inside the human body and advance the science and

practice of medicine in innumerable ways.These imaging systems have saved

countless lives, yet many of their ben-eficiaries would be hard-pressed to say exactly what they are, how they work or which ones are used for which specific purposes.

Key developers of the X-ray, the related CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have all received Nobel Prizes in Medicine.

Developers of the X-ray flouroscope were nominated for the Nobel and ul-trasound developers won the prestigious Lasker Award. But despite daily, world-wide use of these technologies, patients often know little about them.

X-rays were first isolated and made use-ful by a long list of scientists, including Marie Curie of Poland and France, begin-ning around 1900. The first practical applications of medical ultrasound were achieved by Scotsman Dr. Ian Donald in the 1950s. And magnetic resonance imag-ing — MRI — was developed between 1950 and 1980 by several scientists, with American Dr. Raymond Damadian first demonstrating the ability to distinguish between normal and tumourous tissues in 1971. In 1980, General Electric built the first commercial MRI scanner.

The X-ray fluoroscope was first used

for fetal assessments in the UK in 1964. X-ray computed tomography, or CT scan, came into experimental use in the United Kingdom in 1971 and was in wide use by the early ’80s.

But what are all these gadgets and how do they work?

In the late 1800s, scientists discovered that high-energy radiation could be pro-duced by passing high-voltage electricity through a vacuum tube.

Around 1896, Wilhelm Roentgen of Germany discovered these rays would pass through various substances to illumi-nate a photographic plate and that when he placed his hand in the path of the beam the result was an image of the bones in his hand, which had absorbed the X-rays, while tissues did not. The medical implications were obvious.

By the outset of the First World War, Marie Curie, discoverer of radium, polo-nium and their related radiation, was ca-joling wealthy friends into building vans to carry X-ray machines onto battlefields and was credited with saving thousands of lives.

(Curie then moved on to capturing radioactive radon gas for implantation of tiny capsules into patients’ bodies to destroy diseased tissues. Over a lifetime of constant, unshielded exposure to radia-tion, Curie developed aplastic anemia and died in 1934.)

The fluoroscope enables X-rays to be used to produce a moving picture rather than a still snapshot. A patient is placed

between a continuous X-ray source and a fluorescing screen to produce a real-time, moving picture of bones — or of organs illuminated by ingesting or injecting bar-ium. Movement of surgical tools through the body can also be traced.

The first fluoroscopic experiments were carried out around 1900 but by 1903, concern for health effects, due to re-searchers’ constant exposure to radiation, led Thomas Edison and others to abandon fluoroscopy research and it was another 60 years before safe, high-resolution fluo-roscopy was developed.

The CT scan also relies on X-ray pic-tures, plus the use of mathematical data manipulation, to capture cross-sectional pictures of targeted portions of the body or to assemble a large number of cross-sections into a three-dimensional image.

X-ray-based technologies produce im-ages when dense materials impede the passage of radiation.

As a result, X-rays are best for examin-ing bone, spotting some cancers or locat-ing bullets or shrapnel but less useful for examining tissue.

Over many decades, scientists have developed detailed schedules for safe ex-posure to X-rays, while greatly improved receptor materials have enabled them to capture clearer pictures from much lower X-ray emissions.

But two image technologies work with-out radiation.

See ULTRASOUND, Page 12

By BRIAN BURTON

More than 9,200 Albertans travelled to foreign countries for medical treatment in 2011, according to

estimates of the Fraser Institute national think tank.

Albertan’s were some 20 per cent of the es-timated 46,000-plus Canadians who sought treatment abroad in 2011, says the Fraser Institute report, Leaving Canada for Medical Care/2011. The report is based on a Fraser survey of Canadian physicians that indicates one per cent of all patients access foreign medical systems each year.

The main reasons for hopping a flight for medical treatment in the United States, Europe, Mexico, India or other destinations were: n Provincial health-care referrals for treat-ments unavailable at home; n Concerns about the quality of health care at home; n Fear of medical deterioration due to wait times in Canada; and/or, n Unwillingness to endure pain or disability while waiting for treatment.

In its 22nd annual edition of Waiting Your Turn, Wait Times for Healthcare in Canada, the Fraser institute says average wait times across Canada have declined to 17.7 weeks in 2012 from 19 weeks in 2011. In Alberta, wait times contracted slightly, to 20.7 weeks from 21.1 weeks in 2011 and a peak of 22.1 weeks in 2010.

Despite improvements, the latest figures are no cause for celebration, according to Nadeem Esmail, a Calgary-based Fraser fellow and co-author of several reports on health care in Canada. He notes that national wait times have increased from 9.3 weeks in 1993 and that Alberta wait times are now essentially double the 1993 average of 10.5 weeks.

“The Canadian health-care system cannot meet the need for timely and efficient access — unless you consider access to a waiting list timely and efficient,” Esmail says. The

Fraser Institute has long called waiting lists a form of health care rationing by an over-burdened and outmoded system.

Wait times have soared in the past 20 years despite increases in federal health-care trans-fers that have outpaced population growth and inflation by $97.6 billion since 1997/98, the Fraser Institute calculates. At the same time, health care has become the largest and fastest growing budget item in nearly every province, Esmail notes. Total health care spending by governments and individuals surpassed $200 billion in 2011, according to the Canadian Institute for Healthcare Information (CIHI).

The Alberta Government projects final health-care spending for 2012/13 will be $16.6 billion, amounting to a 40.4-per-cent share of the total provincial budget of $41.1 billion.

“CIHI says Alberta’s per capita health-care spending is 35 per cent higher than the national average, yet its wait times are an average of three weeks longer,” Esmail says.

Another Fraser study, The Unfunded Li-ability of Canada’s Healthcare System, says that future obligations of the national sys-tem, for those currently 18 years and older, exceed anticipated revenues by $538 billion.

All of which indicates that big improve-ments in health care are unlikely to occur anytime soon, Esmail says. Despite all the public spending the Canadian system is ut-terly failing in its primary goal of providing equal access for all, he says.

“In the presence of waiting lists, preferen-tial access to health care is a reality,” he says. As evidence, he cites the current Alberta public inquiry into VIP queue jumping, as well as the growing number of people leav-ing the country for treatment.

He says both those avenues to care are out of reach for most people and proof of the evolution of a two-tiered system that’s the antithesis of what Tommy Douglas had in mind when he led the drive for universal medicare in Canada in the 1960s.

Jesse Stein, president of Landmark

Collaborative Health, says that, from her perspective, the Fraser estimate of one per cent of patients leaving Canada for care seems low.

“Medical tourism definitely has increased in the last few years,” and she says Land-mark regularly helps patients to assess costs and identify any insurance offsets that may be available.

Stein says there’s a clear dividing line, based on income, between those who elect to seek foreign treatment options and those who don’t. But she adds there’s also a point at which exigencies outweigh financial con-siderations.

“I’m definitely seeing a trend to people go-ing outside their means to access care.”

Other costs that tend to separate Cana-dians into two tiers are optical, dental and drug expenses, which are not insured under the Canada Health Act. Canadians must purchase private insurance for care in these areas, acquire it through employer plans — or pay it out of pocket as best they can. But the same services are typically part of basic coverage in many European countries with mixed public/private medicare systems.

Esmail says defenders of the status quo in Canada have portrayed medicare as a choice between Canadian-style health care and a demonized version of the U.S. system.

“That completely ignores what’s going on in the other 27 developed countries,” Esmail says. “There’s a lack of understanding (in Canada) of how other countries simply do universal access better.” He says Austria, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and several other countries “all deliver universal health care with no significant wait times.” They do it with a combination of: n Public and private health insurance; n Competition between public and private hospitals; and, n A modest level of user fees.

Conversely, he says, wait times are com-mon in countries, such as Canada, that have: n No user fees; n A government monopoly on hospital services; and, n Lump-sum funding of hospitals, rather than payments for procedures performed.

Options | Spring 2013 7

Medical tourism taking flight

I’m definitely see-ing a trend to people going outside their means to access care.

— Thinkstock photo

Imaging technologies help diagnose and fight disease

Quality care and unwillingness to suffer, prompt some Canadians to seek treatment out of country

COVER STORY

— Jesse Stein, Landmark Collaborative Health

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By COLLEEN BIONDI

Ryan Hobday, 34, had been an extreme-sports athlete all his life and was used to bumps and bruises. But in 2006,

when he got hit from behind and into the board playing lacrosse, he knew something terrible had happened.

“I’ve never had an injury like this and have had a whole schwack of problems as a result,” he says.

For the first few years he was hurting, but still functional, while trying to get an accurate diagnosis. He was running a successful land-scaping business and still playing lacrosse, hockey and squash. Finally, magnetic reso-nance imaging (MRI) scans on his shoulder in 2009, diagnosed a tear in his rotator cuff, damage to the acromioclavicular (AC) joint and three other damaged spots, requiring surgery to essentially reconstruct it.

But the symptoms continued — his legs would give out, he had terrible headaches and back pain. “I really didn’t understand how sick I was; I thought I was just recovering.”

An MRI on the back located a thoracic arach-noid cyst. In 2010, he had surgery again.

After this surgery, it took Hobday three months to walk again and he took opiates to get through the day. It was difficult to even be out of the house for a few hours. “The sur-geon was pleased I was not in a wheelchair; my other symptoms were being dismissed.”

No longer able to manage the physicality of landscaping he switched to the insurance business, but eight months into that practice his headaches and back pain were so extreme he could no longer work. Since the sum-mer of 2011, he has been unemployed and focused on looking for solutions to getting well, and becoming a productive member of society once again.

He’s been frustrated with the traditional system. No one seemed to know what to do with his unique case, specialists weren’t talking to generalists and no one was willing to help him research treatment options. “It is a very unprofessional approach to medicine.”

Hobday wanted his life back. His situation was taking a toll not only on himself but

the people he loves. He knows there may be some limitations as to what he will be able to do in the future, but he wants to know what they are, how to mitigate symptoms and how to manage his condition effectively. He wants to work with a team that shares his dream to live again.

“That is what landed me on the door-step of Landmark Collaborative Health,” he explains. A good friend of his, who is a kinesiologist there, suggested he take a look at the newly-opened facility.

What he found was a quality of staff and service of the highest order. There are a variety of therapists working in one location, willing to come together to discuss cases and find solutions. It is a “group think” environment with the emphasis being human health.

At the time of writing, Hobday had com-pleted a comprehensive, three-day assessment with Landmark — they examined his physical and mental health, his diet and biomechanics level (i.e. flexibility, strength, body fat) — and was awaiting the results and follow-up plan. ”I see Landmark as a real opportunity to get a

full rehabilitation plan going.”The membership cost for ongoing services

will be between $500 and $700 per month (this is a significant reduction from the $1,200 he currently spends for treatment). Hobday’s medical expenses are covered through his partner’s corporate health plan and his own private plan. His parents and sister are also helping him financially.

“If you are not getting the answers you want, take your health into your own hands,” recommends Hobday. “There are op-tions. Landmark is one of them.”

‘I really didn’t understand how sick I was’

Ryan Hobday, an avid extreme sports athlete, took his health into his own hands and joined a private, collaborative clinic. — Wil Andruschak photo

If you are not getting the answers you want, take your health into your own hands.


(L-R) Dr. Mariette VanWyk, COO Gary Iley, Dr. Donovan Kreutzer and Dr. Sarit Sengar.

IT HAS NOW been three years since doctors Donovan Kreutzer and Sarit Sengar opened the doors of Provital Health and Wellness.

Working together since 2004 in a typical hybrid type family walk-in medical practice, it became readily apparent that the patient and physician experience was deteriorating.

Operating a practice where patients wait several hours to have five minutes with the doctor resulted in an underwhelming expe-rience for the patient and led to decisions regarding medical management based on “snap judgments.”

Due to the increased congestion of prac-tice, simple administrative functions like filing papers sending out referrals to outside specialists were delayed.

They knew that there had to be a better way where the practice of medicine could be more efficiently implemented and where medical care could be provided within a much more nurturing environment; where the focus of medicine is not only on the problem at hand but also more broadly towards risk management and prevention.

To this end, Kreutzer and Sengar believe

they have found that happy medium.Provital Health and Wellness operates in

Marda Loop. The clinic has grown with the area and not only has it become the community family medicine clinic serving local patients but its central location enables patients from all over the city easy access.

Its focus is based on a more holistic ap-proach to health care utilizing the expertise of its team of family physicians, naturopath physician, chiropractor, psychologists, dieti-tian, massage therapists, exercise kinesiolo-gists, a pedorthist and pharmacist. Timely and expedient referrals are made to outside specialists as well.

“So many health concerns are interre-lated that it makes sense to collaborate and integrate care with our team of practitio-ners,” says Sengar.

Patient’s have access to their physicians 24/7. Initial assessment involves a complex examination and history involving all prac-titioners and the subsequent plan is tailored to the explicit needs of the patient.

It is a fluid and flexible plan that evolves as the health concerns of the patient changes.

Provital Health and Wellness is now open

on Saturdays thus allowing for greater convenience for its patients. As well, blood work is drawn on site via appointments resulting in less wait times.

Access to Provital’s team of practitio-ners, including workshops and boot camps, involve an annual fee.

Many packages are available that meet the needs of its patients. Discounted rates are available for snowbirds and students.

Furthermore, Provital administration staff work diligently with the patients and their insurance benefit providers to maxi-mize claims for much of the cost of their fees, if not entirely.

“It has been an exceptionally gratifying experience being able to practice medicine like I had been trained to do in medical school,” says Kreutzer. “It is a viable option for all those who want to take a more active role in their health-care execution.”

“All of our practitioners are here because they believe in this philosophy of collabora-tion in maximizing the administration and execution of preventative medicine” says Sengar.

“This is ultimately the forum of health care moving forward.”

Name: Provital Health and Wellness

Location: Suite 204, 2031 33rd Ave. S.W.Calgary, AB, T2T 1Z5

Contact info:Phone: 403-685-4520 Fax: 403-685-4525 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.provital.ca

Services: Providers of thorough and collaborative health care services to individuals, families and corporate clients. Provital provides timely, preventative & proactive health care, with the services of family physicians, naturopathic doc-tor, chiropractor, nurses, dietitian, exercise kinesiologists, psycholo-gists, massage therapists, pedor-thist and pharmacist on site — plus numerous allied specialist partners.

Provital – A new way of practicing medicine

All of our practitioners are here because

they believe in this philosophy of

collaboration in maximizing the

administration and execution of

preventative medicine. This is ultimately the forum of health care

moving forward.”Provital Physician & Co-Owner

Sarit Sengar

– CORPORATE PROFILE –PROFILE

10 11



As winter’s end draws ever nearer, outdoor enthusiasts are squeezing every second they can out of this year’s snow season. Whether they’re skiers or snowboarders, amateurs or pros, their bodies can pay a high price for alpine fun. No one is immune to injury.

Mayfair Diagnostics specializes in musculoskele-tal radiology (MSK). It uses MRI images to detect bone, joint, muscle and tendon abnormalities. When needed, Mayfair also performs a specialised imaging exam — the arthrogram — before the MRI to look for specific injuries like labral tears.

Of course, MRI isn’t just for sports-related injuries. For anyone who has suffered an injury from a fall on an icy sidewalk or from a work-re-lated repetitive stress injury, an MRI scan is often their doctor’s most effective tool for assessing the severity of the injury and determining the most effective treatment.

Mayfair Diagnostics radiologist and co-director Dr. Sarah Koles, who specializes in MSK imaging, says: “We know how frustrating these types of injuries can be because they can really affect your day-to-day life. It often takes a long time to diagnose the problem, and many patients

have exhausted their treatment options. An MRI is one of the best ways to clarify the problem and determine what treatments, including pain injec-tions, are best for each injury.”

Mayfair sees many patients who’ve injured joints, muscles or tendons but may face long waits to receive MRI scans in the hospital. Mayfair Diagnostics can see most patients within 48 hours, and the images will be promptly interpreted by its highly qualified and experienced radiologists.

It’s easy to see why Mayfair Diagnostics is the official diagnostic imaging provider of the Calgary Flames and the Calgary Stampeders. Mayfair has also provided imaging support for other sports professionals including the Cana-dian Alpine Ski Team and teams competing in the World Junior Hockey Championships.

Getting back on track after a sports injury needn’t be an uphill battle. If these high calibre athletes trust Mayfair with their diagnostic imag-ing needs, others can be assured they will be in good hands.

Make health a priority for 2013 and experi-ence quality service without the wait at Mayfair Diagnostics.

Name: Mayfair Diagnostics

Location: 120 Mayfair Place, 6707 Elbow Drive S.W.Calgary, AB T2V 0E3

Contact info:Phone: 403-777-4MRI(4674) Fax: 403-777-3198www.mayfairdiagnostics.com

Services: n Computed Tomography (CT)n Magnetic Resonance Imaging

(MRI)

Mayfair Diagnostics is part of Radiology Consultants Associated.

www.radiology.ca

Radiology Consultants Associated also offers the following imaging services at its 11 locations around the city.

Book your appointment at 403-777-3000

n X-rayn Image-guided pain therapyn Mammographyn Fluoroscopyn Bone densitometryn Ultrasoundn Nuclear imagingn Exercise stress testn Echocardiographyn Vascular centre

MRI scans invaluable in diagnosing soft-tissue injuries“We know how frustrat-

ing these types of injuries can be because

they can really affect your day-to-day life.

An MRI is one of the best ways to clarify the

problem and determine what treatments, includ-

ing pain injections, are best for each injury.”

Mayfair Diagnostics radiologist and co-director Dr. Sarah Koles, right.

Patients with joint, muscle or tendon injuries can sometimes face long waits for diagnostic MRI scans. Mayfair Diagnostics offers a welcome alternative for anyone suffering from a soft-tissue injury. They can see most patients within 48 hours, and their radiologists promptly interpret the MRI images.


A pICTuRe, they say, is worth a thou-sand words. Mayfair Diagnostics couldn’t agree more.

Mayfair’s dedicated team of diagnostic imaging professionals at Calgary’s first and only physician-owned and operated pri-vate MRI and CT facility genuinely cares about the health and wellbeing of every-one who lives in Calgary — a community it has been serving for more than a decade.

The images taken at Mayfair’s clinic hold the potential to save lives, and there is nothing the team there takes more seri-ously. They believe early detection of dis-ease is the key to living a longer, healthier life. To ensure the information patients get is as accurate as it is fast, Mayfair strives for the best images possible across the entire range of its diagnostic services.

This is the time of year when thoughts turn to spending quality time with loved ones. Thoughts may also turn toward heart health as February — Heart Month — shines the spotlight on your most vital organ.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for Canadian men and women. The most common form of heart

disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), where the small arteries of the heart nar-row and sometimes become blocked by plaque that impedes oxygen-rich blood from reaching your heart. As this plaque builds up or if it breaks free, it can poten-tially block the vessel and cause a heart attack.

The traditional procedure for determin-ing if someone has CAD is coronary angi-ography, where a physician uses a catheter to inject dye into the coronary arteries. The dye makes the arteries visible in X-rays.

There are potential health risks that come with this type of exam, and any amount of risk may be too much when it comes to the heart and overall wellbeing.

As such, Mayfair Diagnostics is proud to be the first private facility in Alberta to offer the 64-slice Coronary CT Angiogra-phy. Beyond its high precision, this scan doesn’t require the fasting, hospital visit, sedation or insertion of a catheter that a conventional angiogram can. The scan also uses less radiation.

To maximize the scan’s effectiveness, a nurse administers medication that slows the heart rate just enough to allow images

to be taken between heartbeats. After the scan is completed, a Mayfair radiologist reviews the images and sits down with the patient to discuss any concerns.

According to Mayfair Diagnostics radiologist and co-director Dr. Stephen Valentine, this simple test can save lives.

“We’ve seen patients with no symptoms come here to get a Coronary CT Angi-ography as a mere precaution, and it’s a lucky thing they did because this scan showed potentially life-threatening block-ages of these tiny vessels.”

Coronary artery disease is a silent killer. Individuals concerned about this disease should talk to their doctors about this simple non-invasive scan of the most vital organ. Is there any better investment than one’s own life?

Heart disease is among the leading causes ofdeath in Canada. Mayfair Diagnostics can effectively detect coronary artery disease using a Coronary CT Angiography. This scan is far less invasive than a traditional coronary angiography, which can require fasting, a hospital visit and sedation. Mayfair Diagnostics is the first private facility in Alberta to offer the scan. These images of a healthy heart, at right, were obtained usingCoronary CT Angiography.

Mayfair Diagnostics: Images that save lives

“We’ve seen patients with no symptoms

come here to get a Coronary CT Angiography as

a mere precaution, and it’s a lucky thing

they did because this scan showed

potentially life- threating blockages

of these tiny vessels.”Mayfair Diagnostics radiologist and

co-director Dr. Stephen Valentine, left.

12 13


By JACQUELINE LOUIE

Bill Hutton has seen the light when it comes to the benefits of healthy living.

Since signing on as a client with Preventous Collaborative Health in Calgary, Hutton has taken off 40 pounds, and he smokes much less than he did before.

“They taught me I should be focused more on living a healthy life and being proactive. That’s why I stay with them — because it works,” says Hutton, 63, who has been a Preventous client for several years.

“They take very much more of a holistic and preventative approach to things, and as I worked with Preventous I really saw the ben-efit. That was a real eye opener for me. I used to think the solution to my weight problem was working out more, and it obviously is not the whole solution.”

Hutton and his wife Debra be-came connected with Preventous through Dr. Sarb Grewal, a physi-cian at Preventous. Hutton had been looking for a family physi-cian after retiring in 2005 (he is now back in the workforce), and was finding it difficult to find one in Calgary.

“That created the initial impetus to go to Preventous.”

Grewal set Hutton up with both a nutritionist and a kinesiologist, who “put me on a proper workout program that was far better than what I was doing previously.”

And the nutritionist, Fabijana Jakulj, “was the one that really got me to ‘see the light’ when it came to nutrition, which was the biggest contributor to my corre-sponding weigh loss. I give these guys all the credit,” Hutton says.

“It was their persistence that finally got me to realize I had to take a more holistic view of this, and really have a more bal-

anced lifestyle.”Hutton had previously had

physicals through his workplace, which provide thorough annual physicals to senior executives. Before that, he only went to see a doctor when he was sick.

Now, with Preventous, Hutton goes in every year for a physical, and he checks in regularly with his trainer or kinesiologist, who

will assess him and make adjust-ments to his workout routine.

Preventous has changed his interaction with the medical community from what it used to be — a fix-the-problem type of transaction — to a strong focus on preventive health and living well.

“It’s more these guys are like my consultants,” says Hutton, who is president of ConAgra Foods Consumer Foods International, a major North American food company.

“It has been wonderful. It has forced me to look at my whole lifestyle and improve my health, as opposed to fixing symptoms.”

Now that he’s come out of retirement and is back in the workforce, Hutton is still with Preventous because of the benefits he sees.

He also appreciates having access to the health care profes-sionals at Preventous whenever he needs it, and having the option of choosing private health care.

At the same time, however, Hut-ton thinks the Canadian public health care system is very good.

“I think it’s a challenge right now,” he adds.

“The problem I observe with the system is that it’s underfunded and overburdened, and as a result doctors don’t have enough time with patients — they’ve got to churn patients through.

“I wish the Canadian govern-ment would adequately fund the health-care system and properly manage it. I’m an optimist, and am hoping things will go in that direction.

“But I’ve got to be pragmatic about it; I’ve got to take care of my own health-care issues.

“Preventous for me has been much more than I expected. It has actually changed the way I look at my life.”

‘It has forced me to look at my whole lifestyle’

They taught me I should be focused more on living a healthy life and being proactive. That’s why I stay with them — because it works.

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to see inside the body, just as ships use sonar to see beneath the waves.ULTRASOUND, from

Ultrasound uses high-frequency (20,000 or more vibrations per second) sound waves to see inside the body, just as ships use sonar to see beneath the waves. Frequencies vary, with lower frequencies providing lesser resolution but greater penetration into the body. Sound waves bounce off anatomical structures and return to a scanner to be processed into an image. Images are real-time, moving pictures that can also be captured as snapshots. The absence of radiation makes ultrasound ideal for fetal monitoring.

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine is a dual-walled cylinder with a series of powerful electro-magnets between the walls. The patient is placed inside the cylinder and the main magnet produces a magnetic field that causes hydrogen atoms of the body to become magnetically aligned. Short radio-wave pulses cause some of these atoms to briefly reverse alignment and then return to their former positions. This movement causes energy emissions that are captured by computer and turned into cross-sectional images. The use of multiple magnets produces 3-D images. Best of all, scientists have discovered that various organ tissues return to magnetic equilibrium at different rates, enabling the computer to dif-ferentiate very clearly between tissue types. This makes MRI ideal for soft-tissue examination, spotting tumours, infections of the brain, spine or joints, torn ligaments, torn rotor cuffs in shoulders and cysts or bulging or herniated discs in the spine.

No single imaging technology serves all needs. But the combined array gives doctors increasing ability to diagnose and fight diseases and injuries of all kinds.

LANDMARK COLLABORATIVe HeALTH opened in September 2012, becoming Calgary’s fourth private health-care clinic with the aim to provide a new level of personalized health care.

Operating under the slogan, ‘Your Health, Your Choice,’ Landmark offers health care packages to meet the personal needs and preferences of each client, says company president Jesse Stein.

“We build each client a custom pack-age that’s completely tailored to their needs,” Stein says.

Landmark offers a number of packages designed for adults, students and children. Three adult packages differ in the number of services included. Custom packages are also designed for corporate groups and clients with unique situations. Couples re-ceive a 10 per cent discount when both are registered and services to children are free when at least one parent is a client. each package provides a variety of services and appointments with Landmark’s team of family doctors, chiropractors, psychologists, life coaches, naturopathic doctors, dietitians, massage therapists, physiotherapists, holistic nutritionists, and kinesiologists.

each package includes the services of a family doctor, a comprehensive health assessment and appointments with their choice of clinicians.

The comprehensive health assessment is an in-depth exam that includes assess-ments with a family doctor, registered nurse, psychologist, kinesiologist, dietitian or holistic nutritionist, and massage thera-pist. Then, based on personal goals and needs identified by the health assessment, each client chooses the add-on services of other clinicians they want included in their package. The bronze package includes a total of 48 non-family doctor visits, while the gold package offers 108 non-family doctor visits. The bronze, sil-ver and gold packages, range from $3,800 to $6,800 in the first year and from $3,200 to $6,200 in subsequent years.

The majority of Landmark’s clinicians are available on an “a la carte option” basis as well. Here, clients can book individual appointments with clinicians on a one-time or recurring basis. The 70-point complete health assessment is also a popular choice for people just looking for an in-depth assessment of their health and where they may need to make improvements.

“No one is pigeon-holed into services they don’t need,” Stein says. “We ask clients what they want to achieve and we develop a personalized plan to help them reach their goals. Our system is really driven toward the services clients want.” Best of all, she says, the cost of

Landmark services can be partially or fully recovered from employer health plans that typically provide coverage for the add-ons Landmark offers. If a couple are both employed and both have health insurance through work, the cost of the bronze package can typically be fully recovered from insurance, she says. With one insurance plan, half the cost is normally covered.

“Many people are able to obtain our ser-vices at no charge by effectively using their employee plans,” she says. “That is a big at-traction, when people realize they can have this level of care at no cost to themselves.

“At Landmark, we book longer ap-pointment times with our family doctors and clinicians to allow clients adequate time to review medical history, progress, and discuss any and all new concerns.

“You actually have a chance to have a conversation,” she says. “It is a more proac-tive and preventive approach that aims for better overall health, rather than interven-tion after people become ill or injured.”

In most cases, Stein says, same-day appointments can be arranged. Land-mark also works with corporate human resources departments to provide preven-tive health care for employee groups.

At Landmark, it’s ‘your health, your choice’

At Landmark, it’s ‘your health, your choice’


We take the time to know each of our

clients personally. We work with each

client to create a custom plan that fits

their health-care needs and ensures they meet their health-care goals.

Jesse Stein, President Landmark Collaborative Health

Name: Landmark Collaborative Health

Location: Cambrian Wellness CentreSuite 310, 2000 Veteran’s Place N.W.

Calgary, T3B 4N2

Contact info:Phone: 587-779-2690E-mail: [email protected]: www.landmarkhealth.ca

Services: Landmark’s extensive team of family doctors and health-care clinicians provide a variety of services including complete health assessments, family medicine, massage therapy, psychotherapy, naturopathic medicine, chi-ropractic treatment, kinesiologist assessment and tailored exercise programs, physiotherapy, registered dietician plans to aid in the preven-tion and management of disease, food allergies, sports nutrition, vegetarian and vegan diets, and holistic nutrition coaching and counselling.

Pictured L to R: Dr. Bobby Sreenivasan; Dr.Lisa Keen; Sarah Willis, RN; Lindsay Bumanis, sales; Jesse Stein, president; Danica Heidebrecht, psychologist; Dr. Ingemaud Gerber; and Dan McCaw, kinesiologist.

PROFILE

— Thinkstock photo

14 1586

By COLLEEN BIONDI

Laurie Watson, 50ish and president and creative director of Merlin Edge Inc., went to her doctor as a result of

a “nagging irritation” near her breastbone in November 2011. Nothing could’ve prepared her for what would happen next.

A full-body ultrasound found a lesion on the liver and a mass on the pancreas. Wat-son and her husband, George Koch, paid for a private computed tomography (CT) scan which resulted in a speedy and fright-ening diagnosis — she had an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. A biopsy was taken so that treatment at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre could begin, but when the biopsy came back inconclusive, treatment could not proceed.

That was not good enough for Watson and Koch who took matters into their own hands. They went online and found Timely Medical Alternatives, out of Vancouver, who put them in touch with the Kalispell Regional Healthcare System in Montana. “It was pure luck that they matched us with the

doctors there,” says Watson.They saw a surgical oncologist at the facil-

ity a week before Christmas. After reviewing the CT scan he said, “I’ve operated on a lot of pancreatic cancer. You don’t have it.” An endoscopic biopsy was booked for the next day and three pathologists examined the results. On his day off the surgeon delivered the news. It wasn’t, in fact, pancreatic cancer, but a recurrence of ovarian cancer Watson had had in 1993.

A “tumor board” met to discuss treatment and surgery plans for Watson. “We were astounded as to how quickly everything was moving and how much time they spent with us,” she says. “You literally go from believing you have six months to live to walking into someone’s office and hearing that is not the case. It is like getting your life back.”

In January 2012, Watson began chemo-therapy in Kalispell and concluded it in Calgary. During therapy, a positron emission tomography (PET) scan was done and the tumors were radically reduced. Her surgeon in Kalispell warned her not to be overly

optimistic; chemotherapy drugs can affect imaging results. Instead, he recommended she have another PET scan two months after completing chemotherapy.

In August, this second PET scan found a blood clot on her lung, requiring an immedi-ate trip to the hospital — as well as “active areas” of cancer. Calgary specialists said this was a new cancer, which meant additional assessments and more waiting time. The Kalispell surgeon disagreed, saying it was the same cancer as what was found in November 2011 and recommended surgery proceed at Kalispell Regional.

The surgery took place in October 2012. Watson was in hospital for 10 days — get-ting off the pain killers, learning to walk again, getting her appetite and energy back.

“From the surgeons to the nurses to the nursing assistants, we were amazed at how incredibly professional it is there.”

At a follow-up appointment in November, she enjoy burgers and fries at restaurant.

“I felt awesome. At that point, I knew I was going to make it through.”

The cost for medical services and all incidentals in Montana was $62,000 (US). ”It is a lot of money,” concedes Watson, but when you are encountering a life-threatening illness you need options.

Watson and Koch appreciated the support and help they received here in Calgary, but feels the system is unwieldy.

“We have good doctors up here but they are overwhelmed and the system is over-stressed. You can’t work well in a pressure cooker,” says Watson.

“Kalispell truly meant the difference between life and death for me. You need people on your team that you trust and whom you have confidence in. We had that in Kalispell.”

‘It is like getting your life back’Laurie Watson and George Koch fought Laurie’s cancer with help from surgeons in Kalispell, Mont.


Kalispell truly meant the difference of life and death to me.


CANADA DIAGNOSTIC CeNTReS (CDC) is a leader in both public and pri-vate medical diagnostic imaging services in Alberta. CDC has now expanded from six to 15 clinics in Alberta with the acquisition of CML HealthCare diagnostic imaging clinics in Alberta.

CDC is a multi-modality service provider, and is committed to delivering exceptional Patient Care to the public through 2-D, 3-D and 4-D real time ultrasound, mammography, pain management, bone densitometry, fluo-roscopy, and X-ray services and also to private patients with MRI and CT services. Private MRI and CT scans offered include a wide ar-ray of preventative health scans including full body, joint, lung and heart scans and virtual colonoscopies.

In addition to these services, CDC offers three specialized services: women’s focused imaging, pediatric imaging and pain manage-ment. Calgary Women’s Imaging Centre pro-vides seven services targeted toward women: bone mineral densitometry, core biopsies, cyst aspirations, galactography, mammography, needle localization and ultrasound.

CDC also offers additional dedicated pe-diatric and adolescent X-ray and ultrasound exams. Lastly, CDC offers pain management

therapy using fluoroscopy, a form of X-ray technology to guide the delivery of medica-tion into a joint that is causing pain. This therapy is helpful for treating chronic tendon-itis, osteoarthritis and post-traumatic injuries such as chronic pain in healed fracture joints.

CDC clinics are designed with patients’ experience in mind. Its clinics are conveniently located close to most major medical centres and family clinics. Once in a CDC clinic, patients are taken care of by highly trained health care professionals, dedicated to ensuring that patients are comfortable from the time of check in to the completion of their exam

CDC’s team of radiologists is headed by the Medical Director Dr. Benjamin Wong, (BSc, MD, FRCPC), one of Canada’s leading MRI specialists with fellowship accreditation in musculoskeletal, cardiac and general MRI including neurological and body MRI.

As former head of MRI at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, assistant professor of radiol-ogy and head of adult cardiac and body MRI at the University of Alberta Hospital, Dr. Wong brings his years of experience across all modalities to CDC and to its patients.

“CDC looks forward to building on the history, strengths and best practices of both CML and CDC going forward as one

organization, completely committed to giving patients the best experience in its clinics.” says Wong.

Formerly known as Western Canada MRI Centres, CDC opened its doors in Calgary as the first non-hospital private MRI in Western Canada. In the following 15 years, Western Canada MRI Centres expanded into affiliated locations in Mississauga, Toronto, Hull, Vancouver and the company adopted the new name Canada Diagnostic Centres.

Since 2004, CDC has expanded to 15 loca-tions, 20 dedicated radiologists and more than 100 highly trained technologists in Alberta.

From the beginning as a private–only MRI centre to today’s multi-modality service provider, CDC continues to uphold its ex-ceptional Patient Care standards and leading edge diagnostic imaging reputation while working towards a healthier future.

By building on Canada Diagnostic Centres’ core strengths, and its relationships with Alberta’s medical professional community, together CDC will be the premier diagnos-tic imaging solution in Alberta, providing exceptional Patient Care to a larger physician and patient base in the communities and sur-rounding areas of edmonton and Calgary.

Canada Diagnostic Centres: expanding ‘exceptional Patient Care’ in Alberta


Name: Canada Diagnostic Centres

Locations: Nine in Calgary and Okotoks, six in Edmonton

CDC Chinook1-6020 1A St. S.W.Calgary, AB T2H 0G3Phone: 403-212-58551-877-420-4CDC (4232)

Email: [email protected]

Web: CanadaDiagnostics.ca

Services:Diagnostic medical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), women’s imaging, pediat-ric imaging, computed tomog-raphy scan (CT Scan), preventa-tive health scans, heart scan, lung scan, virtual colonoscopy, 2-D ultrasound, 4-D ultrasound, bone mineral densitometry (bone density), gastrointestinal studies (GI studies), mam-mography, pain management injections, pain management therapy, fluoroscopy, X-ray.

CDC looks forward to building on the history,

strengths and best prac-tices of both CML and CDC going forward as

one organization, completely committed

to giving patients the best experience

in its clinics. CDC Medical Director Dr. Benjamin Wong Technician Shannon Price with Dr. Jay Zelazo, director of CT for Canada Diagnostic Centres.

PROFILE

16 1710

By COLLEEN BIONDI

In the fall of 2011, Michael Tanouye, now 52, had a good life going.

He was employed in Calgary’s oil and gas industry as a geologist, was happily married to his wife, Helen, and had two grown daughters of whom he was very proud.

Sure, he was overweight, there were pressures at work and his mother had recently become very ill. But everyone deals with these kinds of issues, right?

What happened next doesn’t happen to ev-eryone. A day after his mom became sick, he was walking to work from the LRT platform when he had chest pains. They went away but the next day they came back at the same location — and with a vengeance, almost bringing him to his knees.

When he got to work he called his doctor at Copeman Healthcare Centre, a multi-disci-plinary health services clinic, where he’d been receiving services — costing $3,200 per year (he pays this out of pocket through budgeting and small sacrifices) — since 2008.

His doctor brought him right in for an onsite electrocardiogram (ECG).The results were normal and similar to a baseline test of almost a year prior. Tanouye was pre-scribed anti-anxiety medication for what was thought to be an anxiety attack. He resumed his life and the chest pains never came back.

In April 2012, he was having his regular, annual check-up and the ECG came back abnormal as did an externally-conducted echocardiogram.

“That is when the red flag went up for me,” says Tanouye.

His doctor was equally concerned. “We need to figure this out and soon,” said

Dr. Tom Szabo, who is also the clinic’s medi-cal director. Within weeks, Tanouye was having an angiogram at Foothills Hospital, where they found a main artery which was 90 per cent blocked.

It was in a complicated location, so the recommendation was bypass surgery. Tanouye almost went into shock when hearing the news.

“I was completely floored. I’d had no fur-ther chest pains or symptoms.”

Medical personnel kept Tanouye in hos-pital (said I was “a heart attack waiting to happen”) and on the day the surgery was booked, he got great news. A team of cardiac specialists had taken a second look at his file and recommended a less-intrusive angio-plasty with stent procedure instead.

Immediately after that procedure, Tanouye was breathing easier on every front. The artery was now 55 per cent unblocked. Since then he has committed to a complete lifestyle change.

“This experience scared me close to death,” he explains.

He continues to work with Copeman pro-fessionals in the following areas:

n Better eating habits. He is consult-ing a dietician to integrate more fruits and vegetables and portion control into his diet. “We’re really dialed into healthier eating.” He has lost 30 pounds to date.

n Exercising more. He spends time with a kinesiologist on a program plan involving brisk walking and using resistance bands for strength development.

On an unrelated matter, he also works with

the clinic’s neuropsychologist because of a concussion history from sporting injuries.

Tanouye left work in the spring of 2012 to spend time with his mother, who had by then moved into a hospice environment (she died that May). He figures his stress levels, which at extremely high rates can be liabili-ties to heart health, have shrunk from 90 per cent to about 10 per cent.

Tanouye joined Copeman Healthcare Cen-tre initially because of its collaborative ap-proach to health and because he was begin-ning to feel rushed at his family doctor visits. He had no idea the facility would ultimately impact him the way it has. Copeman works faster, is more comprehensive and detailed in their clients’ health-care assessments, he says. “It literally saved my life.”

‘It literally saved my life’Immediate response to Michael Tanouye’s cardiac issues lead to a complete lifestyle change.


I was a heart attack waiting to happen.


PROFILE

19

We believe our commitmentto excellent care extends toour community, which is whyEFW Radiology is a proudpartner of:

(403) 541-1200efwrad.com


By BRIAN BURTON

The number of Canadians travelling to Kalispell, Mont. for medical treatment has doubled in the past 12 months,

says Mary Strauss.In 2012, more than 150 Canadians were

treated at Kalispell Regional Medical Centre (KRMC), where Strauss is the concierge for out-of-state patients. She attributes the growth in Canadian business to increasing awareness of the Kalispell option — as well as to new technologies.

“Word-of-mouth is huge for us up in Calgary,” she says.

Some 85 to 90 per cent of KRMC out-of-state patients are from Alberta, she says. But Canadian patients come from as far away as Ontario to bypass queues for diagnostic imaging, hip and knee replacements and various other procedures.

Increasingly, Strauss says, they come

for minimally invasive spinal surgeries, robotic hysterectomies or prostatectomies and for endoscopic ultrasound procedures; technologies that may involve wait times in Canada.

While some 1,600 robotic surgery systems have been installed in American hospitals, Canada has just 11 such units, four of which are in Alberta. Viewed another way, the United States has one da Vinci robotic surgery system for every 194,000 people, while Alberta has a robotic unit for every 924,000 people and the rest of Canada, excluding Alberta, has one for every 4.3 million people.

In robotic surgeries, the surgeon controls up to three remotely operated, computer-assisted arms equipped with surgical instruments, as well as one arm with a light-and-camera assembly. The robotic arms are inserted into the patient’s abdomen through tiny incisions of less than two

centimetres (half an inch) and the surgeon conducts precise operations with the aid of a magnified on-screen view.

Robotic surgery is usually slower than traditional open surgery or conventional laparoscopic procedures, but advantages are considerable.

Claims for robotic surgery, in use worldwide since 1999, are that it eliminates the larger, open incisions of conventional surgery, involving no large scars, few if any transfusions, lower risk of infection, less pain and faster recovery. Compared with conventional laparoscopy, doctors report that robotic controls are far more natural and easier to use.

KRMC acquired one da Vinci unit in 2011 and recently bought another — at more than $1.2 million each — in order to meet the rising demand for lower-impact hysterectomies, prostatectomies and other procedures. Strauss said hysterectomies are >>

By BRIAN BURTON

Canada has only a dozen robotic surgery systems from coast to coast — but one of them is a one-of-a-kind, made-in-Canada marvel, specifically designed to perform brain surgery.

NeuroArm is the world’s first surgical robot designed for neurosurgery and to work inside the magnetic field of a three-dimensional MRI machine, using real-time MRI images to guide brain surgery. It uses non-magnetic surgical instruments to prevent mutual interference between the MRI and the surgical unit.

The machine provides neurosurgeons with a realistic sense of touch for their delicate work. Precision controls are accurate to within five one-hundredths of a millimeter and tremor suppression technology eliminates the tiniest quiver of even the steadiest human hand.

Originally funded by Calgary oil and ranching millionaires Daryl, B.J. and Don Seaman

in 2007, developers at the University of Calgary were led by Dr. Garnette Sutherland and worked with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), the creators of the Canadarm used in the U.S. space shuttle program. Additional funding came from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Alberta Advanced Education and Technology and Western Canada Economic Diversification.

The first surgery was performed May 12, 2008, successfully removing an egg-shaped tumour from the brain of then 21-year-old Paige Nickason. Since then, dozens of procedures have been performed using the one-armed neuroArm prototype, which is capable of manipulating and dissecting tissue, suturing, aspirating, irrigating, electro-cauterizing and performing biopsies.

The neuroArm technology has since been acquired by IMRIS Inc. of Winnipeg and developers are working on a dual-armed version of neuroArm for commercialization.

>> typically performed to eliminate excessive menstrual bleeding or painful endometriosis (scaring of the uterus). Prostatectomies are done to remove cancerous tumours or to relieve constriction of the urethra.

Total cost for a robotic hysterectomy is in the area of $15,000 to $19,000, she says.

KRMC also offers minimally invasive procedures as an alternative to traditional spinal surgery.

Traditional open-lumbar surgery requires a five- or six-inch incision through back muscles, muscle retraction and associated scaring, loss of blood, transfusions and blood vessel cauterization.

Accordingly, it involves five or more days in hospital following surgery and narcotics for post-operative pain management.

Minimally invasive spinal surgeries (MISS) use conventional (non-robotic) laparoscopic techniques, mechanical arms inserted into the back through tiny incisions (1.5 centimeters or half an inch), and microscopic magnification for precise work around the nerves of the spinal column.

No muscle is cut, there’s less post-operative pain, reduced need for narcotics and recovery is much faster. In many cases, patients are released the same day.

MISS can be used to treat degenerative or herniated discs, deformities such as scoliosis, infections, spinal stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal, spinal instability and compression fractures, all of which can be debilitating and intensely painful.

Depending on the type of procedure, Strauss says, costs run from $8,000 to $40,000.

She says the third technology attracting increased demand from Canadian patients is endoscopic ultrasound. This procedure inserts an ultrasound probe through the mouth into the esophagus to gain enhanced views of the esophagus, stomach and nearby organs, including the lungs, liver, gall bladder and pancreas.

A probe can also be inserted through the rectum for colon cancer screening. As with all ultrasound technologies, high-frequency sound waves are interpreted by computer to provide detailed pictures of the anatomy.

Endoscopic ultrasonography provides better definition of tumours or lesions in targeted organs than can typically be achieved with X-ray or CT scan and it can often be performed without medication. Whenever any discomfort is anticipated, sedation is provided.

In Calgary, wait lists for colonoscopy screening extend to three years at the Forzani and MacPhail Colon Cancer Screening Centre and have come under scrutiny by the provincial VIP queue jumping inquiry.

New medical technologies attract Albertans to U.S.

Claims for robotic surgery are that it eliminates the larger open incisions of conventional surgery, involving no large scars, few if any transfusions, lower risk of infection, less pain and faster recovery.

Kalispell Regional Medical Centre’s Dr. Richard Taylor, left, and Dr. Robert Rogers with the da Vinci robotic surgery system — courtesy Kalispell Regional Medical Centre

2008 photo of Paige Nickason, who at age 21 had a tumour removed from her brain with the assistance of neuroArm, a surgical robotic system developed by a team led by Dr. Garnette Sutherland, a Calgary Health Region neurosurgeon and professor of neurosurgery in the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine.

— Calgary Herald Archive

neuroArm robot a Canadian marvel

MEDICALTECHNOLOGIES

Women’s Imaging Centre20 Richard Way SWPhone: 403.685.3123Fax: 403.685.3235

Sunridge3-2675 36 Street NEPhone: 403.291.3315Fax: 403.291.9308

Marlborough411 Marlborough Way NEPhone: 403.273.9002Fax: 403.569.8097

Glenmore LandingD270-1600 90 Ave SWPhone: 403.252.5882Fax: 403.640.2948

Okotoks141-31 Southridge DrPhone: 403.995.2727Fax: 403.995.2737

Westhills200A Stewart Green SWPhone: 403.685.6175Fax: 403.685.6199

Pacific Place959-999 36 St NEPhone: 403.215.2900Fax: 403.215.2920

Brentwood830-3630 Brentwood Rd NWPhone: 403.338.4000Fax: 403.210.0075

Chinook6020 1A Street SWPhone: 403.253.4666Fax: 403.301.2073

9 CALGARY & AREA LOCATIONS

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MRI & OPEN MRIWalk in X-rayUltrasoundMammographyBone DensityPain Management TherapyG.I. StudiesPediatric ImagingWomen’s Focused Imaging* services vary by location

2 – corporate profile – by the numbers contents

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