albertans seek record solutions to wait times · a calgary man took matters into his own hands when...

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YOUR GUIDE TO PRIVATE MEDICINE

ptionsO WINTER 2014

Albertans seek solutions to

record wait

times

Options | Winter 2014 32 Options | Winter 2014

Most people know you can pre-vent getting chronic and life-threatening diseases. However, do you really know how big a difference prevention can really make? the folks at preventous Collaborative Health do, and that knowl-edge is what drives them.

“the U.s. Centers for Disease Con-trol estimates that 40 per cent of cancer and 80 per cent of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes are preventable. that’s why we exist and why we’re passionate about what we do,” says preventous medical director Dr. Rohan Bissoondath.

It’s been six years since preventous became Calgary’s first preventive health care clinic and the number of families in its twenty-Four seven Club has grown extensively. Bissoondath says people are realizing they can take control of their health and why it’s so important to do so.

“people want the best for their children and spouses, and for themselves. Growing numbers are beginning to understand that peak health is a foundation for everything else,” says Bissoondath.

the warm, welcoming clinic delivers

all the services required to improve health and prevent disease, from total health as-sessments and medical guidance to fitness and nutrition consultation and psycho-logical counselling. There’s even a fitness facility on site where kinesiologists work with you to create an activity plan and monitor your fitness level.

Bissoondath says he incorporated nutritional and fitness services into the clinic because achieving and maintain-ing peak health is impossible without knowing how to make healthy choices in these areas. Having everything under one roof also allows his medical team to work directly with registered dietitians and kinesiologists.

with its broad range of services and commitment to providing care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, preventous is a busy place. But the experience it provides is a relaxed one and patients get as much time as they need.

everyone is welcome at preventous — men, women, executives and even corporate teams.

Families, however, are its specialty and the preventous family loves working

with their youngest patients.“to see them become more mentally

alert, more energetic, is wonderful. But for us, the joy is in knowing that these kids are going to be set for life. It’s such a gift to them and an honour to help their parents achieve that,” says Bissoondath.

what are preventous’s patients saying? Here’s how one knowledgeable member sums up his experience:

[M]y 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 Preven-tous is ‘as good as it gets.’

– David Tuer, former chair of the Calgary Health Region

Family-centred clinic focuses on disease prevention and improving health

– 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, Barb Schafer, Fabijana Jakulj, Dr. Heather Taylor, Georgie Weeks, Shantelle Meaney and Dr. Rohan Bissoondath.

Name: Preventous Collaborative Health

Location: 1635 17th Ave. S.W.Calgary, AB, 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 teamn Total health assessmentsn Executive medicalsn Fitness assessmentsn Nutrition assessmentsn Travel clinicn Free consultations


Contents

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10

CORPORATE PROFILES

2

5

Preventous Collaborative Health

Provital Health & Wellness

Copeman Healthcare Centre9

11 Mayfair Diagnostics

Getting ‘back’ on trackA Calgary woman gets her active life back after travelling to Kalispell, Mont., for back surgery.

Hurry up and waitWait times in Canada hit a new record in 2013, and the results are being felt in Alberta where a growing population strains the system.

14 No waiting — no stressInvesting in health care saved a Calgary man’s life, and possibly public health dollars, had he landed in emergency with cardiac arrest.

Heart smart at home and in the U.S.Cardiac patients in Alberta have many options to choose from when it comes to gaining and maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular system.

Fall preventionLearn the steps to take to prevent falls as well as build muscle mass and bone density through healthy diet choices.

12 Money well spentJoining Provitol pays off big time in more ways than one for busy entrepreneur.

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18

It’s now or neverA Calgary man took matters into his own hands when he learned that his hernia operation would not be scheduled for over a year after the initial diagnosis.

Health quarterbacksFamily health nurses can be the common denominator of multi-disciplinary teams — ready, willing and able to go that extra mile.

FEATURES

Albertans waited an average 2.4 weeks longer to see a specialist physician in 2013 than they did a year earlier.

Fraser Institute

2.4 WEEKS

In 2013, those requiring orthopedic surgery were forced to endure waits of more than nine months (39.6 weeks) to receive treatment, while others had to wait for slightly more than four months (17.4 weeks) just to receive an appointment with a neurosurgeon.

Fraser Institute

39.6 weeks

By the numbers

is a special publication of the Calgary Herald Publication date: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014

Special Projects Manager: Monica Zurowski, 403-235-7291 [email protected]

Advertising: Lilian Jourieh, 403-235-7144

Project Co-ordinators: Darren Oleksyn, Jamie Zachary

Publication illustration: Charlene Kolesnik

Canadian spending on health care doubled between 2000 and 2011 to reach $200 billion per year, while all governments struggled to improve service delivery. But all the money and effort has had little effect.

Fraser Institute

$200 billion

In Alberta, wait times continue to increase, while the provincial health-care system consumes $17 billion per year, or 45 per cent of the

provincial budget.Fraser Institute

45%

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Canada Diagnostic Centres

EFW Radiology

YOUR GUIDE TO PRIVATE MEDICINE

ptionsO

Now Serving

Waiting times for elective surgery treatment have increased to a total 18.2 weeks between referral from a general practitioner and receipt of elective treatment.

Fraser Institute

18.2 WEEKS

8 Beating diabetesDespite his regular exercise and efforts to eat well by following the Canada Food Guide, a Calgary man was faced with fighting diabetes.

17 Cancer patients fly southMore and more Albertans are seeking cancer treatments at a hospital in Phoenix.


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PROFILE

By BARB LIVINGSTONE

When 57-year-old Joy Feldman would walk the halls of the seniors lodge with her 91-year-old

Aunt Minnie, people thought Feldman was the resident there.

“My aunt could out-walk me,” says the retired lawyer. “My back pain was so severe. I was haggard, looked older than I was, and had to use a walker.”

A Calgary surgeon told her he could do nothing for her and she would have to live with the pain. But after surgery at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell, Mont., the mother of a teenager says she has her life back.

Feldman, who had previous sensitivity in her back, injured it in 2011.

“It was very severe back pain. I couldn’t do anything for very long without lying on the ground to take the pressure off my back. I could be walking the dog and have to lay down in the dog park.”

She would walk hunched over, looking at her feet, and relied on a walker or wheelchair.

Feldman, her daughter and her aunt, along with other relatives, had already joined private health clinic Provital.

“They are amazing — it is 24/7 service. They do house calls, on-site tests, have amazing services (dietitian, massages, kinesiologist) and I wanted that kind of thorough care.”

She says chiropractic work and cortisone shots through Provital helped alleviate the pain for a while, but after time they stopped working.

She was referred to an orthopedic surgeon — the one who told her she had to live with the pain — and it took her a year to get an appointment.

When she finally got in, his office had lost all her documents.

“He didn’t do a thorough assessment at all.”Her Provital physician, Dr. Donovan

Kreutzer, recommended she check out Kalispell Regional Hospital, a six-hour drive from Calgary.

The northwest Montana facility offers medical and surgical procedures ranging from hip, shoulder and knee replacements to spine and cancer surgeries.

Feldman says her appointment with neurosurgeon Dr. Frank Bishop lasted more than an hour and he also consulted other doctors on the Kalispell team.

“He contacted me several times and talked

to my doctor and said while it was not clear-cut, he felt he could help. It was a night-and-day experience compared to the Calgary surgeon.”

Surgery was available within weeks and Feldman said the help of the centre’s international medical services co-ordinator was invaluable.

Last May, she underwent 2½ hours of “minimally invasive surgery” that left her with two small, 2.5-centimetre-long scars on her back.

The operation itself (L4-5 minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion or MISTLIF) involved removing damaged disc material from the front of the spine. A bone graft was then inserted into the disc space, acting as a bridge, or scaffold, on which new bone can grow. Screws and rods were inserted to stabilize the spine as the treated area heals and fuses over about a year.

This type of surgery starts at about $35,000 but, of course, depends on a multitude of variables, including location of the fusion and the amount of materials used.

“I was up and walking that night — with a nurse and a walker — but I was walking.”

She had the surgery on a Tuesday and was

released on Friday. She stayed with her dad and step-mom at a hotel close to the hospital until leaving Kalispell on the following Monday.

Because sitting even six hours in a car to return to Calgary after back surgery seemed too onerous, Feldman took advantage of the hospital’s medical plane for the trip home.

She describes her whole Kalispell experience as amazing — “I will do anything for those guys” — and her U.S. physician as “a caring doctor and a caring man.”

Today, “I feel like I am in my 20s again. I have a whole new life. I can do things with my husband and daughter again,” she says.

Feldman adds that she feels so great that she has been able to exercise about an hour a day — something she hadn’t been able to do before her back injury because of other health issues.

The surgery “was worth every penny” she spent. With documents put together by the hospital, Feldman did get a small reimbursement from Alberta Health.

“It was expensive, and I am fortunate I have the means, because I could have been crippled for life.”

Would she do it again?“In a heartbeat. I got my life back.”

Montana surgery gives Calgarian ‘whole new life’Joy Feldman, 57, could barely walk because of back problems. After a Calgary surgeon told her he could do nothing for her, she went to the Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

— Michelle Hofer photo


The team at Provital Health & Wellness, located in Marda Loop, includes, from left, Dr. Sarit Sengar, Dr. Supriya Goyal and Dr. Donovan Kreutzer.

It’s been four years since doctors Donovan Kreutzer and sarit sengar opened the doors to Provital Health & Wellness.

before Provital, the doctors worked together for several years at a typical hybrid type family walk-in medical practice, where it became apparent that the patient and physician experience was deteriorating.

seeing patients wait hours to spend just five minutes with the doctor was an under-whelming experience for patients and led to management decisions where doctors had to make “snap judgments.”

Due to the increased congestion of the practice, simple administrative functions like filing papers or sending out referrals to specialists were delayed.

Doctors Kreutzer and sengar knew there had to be a better way. they wanted the practice of medicine to be more efficient, with care provided in a more nurturing environment, with a focus not just on the problem at hand, but also on risk manage-ment and prevention.

Kreutzer and sengar believe they’ve found that happy medium with Provital Health & Wellness, which operates in Marda Loop in southwest Calgary.

the clinic has grown along with the com-munity. not only is Provital the community family medicine clinic serving local patients, but its central location provides easy access for patients from all over the city and region.

Provital takes a more holistic approach to health care, drawing on the expertise of a wide-ranging team, including family physi-cians, a naturopathic physician, a chiroprac-tor, psychologists, a dietitian, massage thera-pists, exercise kinesiologists, a pedorthist and a 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,” the doctors say.

at Provital, patients have access to physi-cians 24/7. the initial assessment involves a complex examination and history by all practitioners before a health-care plan is tailored to each patient’s individual needs. It is a fluid and flexible plan that evolves as the patient’s health concerns change.

Provital Health and Wellness is now open saturdays, allowing for greater convenience. additionally, blood work is drawn on site via appointments, resulting in shorter waits.

access to Provital’s team of practitio-ners, including workshops and boot camps, involves an annual fee. Many packages tailored to meet patients’ unique needs are available. Discounted rates are available for snowbirds and students. as well, Provital’s administration staff works diligently with patients and their insurance benefit provid-ers to maximize claims for much of the cost of their fees, if not the entire cost.

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

“all of our practitioners are here because they believe in this philosophy of collabora-tion in order to maximize the administration and execution of preventative medicine,” adds Dr. sengar. “this is ultimately the forum of health care moving forward.”

Provital Health & Wellness offers a new way of practising medicine that encom-passes preventative care in a collaborative setting, with a one-on-one personalized approach that addresses each patient’s unique health-care needs and goals.

Name: Provital Health & 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 delivers personalized health care

so many health concerns are interrelated,

that it makes sense to collaborate and integrate

care with our team of practitioners

Doctors Donovan Kreutzer and sarit sengar



Alberta wait times increase to new record in 2013

With rising provincial health budgets barely making a dent in patient waits, its time for change, says author of national study

COVER STORY

By BRIAN BURTON

Albertans waited an average 2.4 weeks longer to see a specialist physician in 2013 than they did a year earlier, according to the latest study by the Fraser Institute.

Total combined waiting times — from general practitioner to specialist and from specialist to treatment — have increased to 23.1 weeks on average, from 20.7 weeks in 2012, for patients in the

Alberta health-care system. It’s the longest average wait time so far recorded in Alberta and the increase is entirely attributable to longer waits to see specialists, the Fraser report shows.

“The bottom line is, it was already too long,” says Dr. Rohan Bissoondath, a general practitioner with the Preventous Collaborative Health clinic in Calgary. Bissoondath said he wasn’t aware of the added average wait time because a two-week change is difficult for a doctor to spot in the daily flow of patients being referred to various kinds of specialists.

“But it’s important to know because we’re moving in the wrong direction.”

He says he sees three causes for the slowdown. “Rapid (Alberta) population growth means there are just more people in the system; the population is

aging and the number of specialists isn’t increasing. What’s odd is that we have specialists who are graduating, but we don’t have places for them in the system,” he says.

Bissoondath pointed to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert Hollinshead, former chief of surgery at the Peter Lougheed Hospi-tal, who recently announced he will opt out of the Alberta health-care system due to the waiting-list issue.

In December, Hollinshead said he will leave the government-in-sured system July 1. After that, he will be the only doctor in Alberta direct-billing patients for surgeries performed at a private facility. He told the Herald he will charge the same fees as medicare allows — $700 to $1,500 for a shoulder surgery — but patients will see a bill of $8,000 to $10,000, including implants, nursing time and facility fees. And, under the Canada Health Act, that amount won’t be recoverable from medicare.

Hollinshead said his private service isn’t aimed at the rich, but at average Albertans who don’t want to wait up to 18 months to see a shoulder specialist, plus six months to a year for time in an operating room. He said he is aiming to prove that a combination of public- and private-care options will help to reduce waiting lists and make more spaces available in the public system for some 150 orthopedic surgeons he estimates will be unemployed across Canada by July.

Bissoondath applauds Hollinshead for pressuring for change.“We’re just shifting the same deck chairs and making no differ-

ence,” Bissoondath says. “That’s the definition of crazy.”

Nadeem Ismail, an author of the Fraser Institute report, says total Canadian spending on health care doubled between 2000 and 2011 to reach $200 billion a year, while all governments struggled to improve service delivery. But all the money and effort has had little effect. Fraser Institute figures show national average wait times have risen from 9.3 weeks in 1993 to a peak of 19 weeks in 2011, before improving slightly to 18.2 weeks this year.

“It (waiting time) stalled in the 16-to-19-week window and really refused to come out of it,” he says.

After adjusting for inflation, Canadian per-capita spending on health care has increased 46 per cent since 1995. And the $200-billion annual cost doesn’t count an unfunded future liability estimated in 2010 at $540 billion for those over the age of 18.

Ismail says the unfunded liability implies future tax increases, reduced health-care services or cuts to other government priorities.

In Alberta, wait times continue to increase, while the provincial health-care system consumes $17 billion per year, or 45 per cent of the provincial budget.

“The problem is that wait times are a way of rationing health care,” Ismail says. “In Alberta, the money is there for accessibility. It’s a policy issue.”

He believes Ottawa and the provinces have to open a discussion with Canadians that will generate support for amendments to the Canada Health Act.

“The right set of policies can provide a better universal health-care system for everyone,” he says. “There are no waiting lists in Switzer-land and everyone is covered. Health care is delivered when people need it and not when the government gets around to it.”

In Switzerland, he says, government strictly regulates the provi-sion of private health insurance to all citizens, with 40 per cent receiving some level of government subsidy.

Now Serving

“We’re moving in the wrong direction.”

— Dr. Rohan Bissoondath, Preventous Collaborative Health


By BARBARA BALFOUR

In Gord Opel’s neighbourhood of Whitefish, Mont., nearly half the homes are owned by Canadians, who, while away from

their primary residences, are not unlikely to encounter a variety of health conditions. Among these patients, a growing number are seeking assistance with cardiac and vascular-related conditions, from both a preventative and rehabilitative perspective.

“The cardiac patient is one we’re seeing more and more often,” says Opel, who works as the supervisor of health improvement and business development department at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell, Mont.

“Whether they’re seeing the cardiology group for a stent or booking an echocardiogram (procedures that might take longer to schedule north of the American border) the overall volume of patients who are away from home and coming in for procedures is growing. With the opportunity for rehabilitation here, we’re becoming a destination for Canadian patients.”

Some patients who have come in to measure their cardiac function have subsequently been diagnosed with heart disease and continue to consult with the medical team via Skype or telephone after they’ve returned home. Patients with documented heart disease, and those who carry multiple risk factors for it, are good

candidates for the cardiac rehab centre, which is nationally certified through the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

At the 115,000-square-foot medical fitness and wellness facility called the Summit — the largest of its kind in Montana — patients are referred to programs offering clinically supervised exercise with heart monitoring, individualized treatment plans and dietary counselling, healthy lifestyle education classes and ongoing contact with physicians regarding their progress.

But that’s not the only option Canadians have for heart and vascular care in Montana.

At Benefis Health System, located in the city of Great Falls, a new program offered at the Heart and Vascular Institute involves a procedure called electrophysiology that helps to correct electrical disturbances in the heart causing an irregular heartbeat.

“Within the electrical system of the heart, there’s an impulse — like flipping a switch to turn on a light — that causes the heart to contract, which gets the blood from your head to your toes,” explains Roxanne Klose, the chief administrative officer of the Benefis Heart and Vascular Institute.

“Sometimes, just like when you have old wiring in your house or someone’s doing something to upgrade it and the wire is cut or

damaged, you have an intermittent impulse to the bulb, so it might flicker or maybe not turn on at all.

“Our heart’s wiring can also have abnormal pathways causing the heart to beat irregularly or really fast. Electrophysiology does what is called mapping, or looking at those electrical impulses to see if there’s a pathway that needs to be ablated or inhibited.”

Once the tissue that’s throwing out rogue electrical impulses is destroyed with either heat or cold, using catheters inserted into a vein near the groin that goes into the heart, the abnormal heart rhythm goes away and the regular pacemaker of the heart can take over.

The procedure takes between two and eight hours, does not require general anaesthetic, and, if successful, eliminates the need to take any medications to control the heart rhythm.

“It can be considered a cure for rhythmic disturbance,” says Klose, who cautions that an erratic heartbeat can lead to blood pooling in the body, forming clots that can break off, migrate and cause a stroke.

Other procedures offered at Benefis include a cardiac CT scan that can be scheduled within a week. X-ray images are taken of the heart to detect calcium buildup in the walls of coronary arteries, problems in the pulmonary veins and heart valves and any risk of heart attack.

Stress testing can be also done, in

conjunction with ultrasound, echocardiography or nuclear medicine, says Klose.

“If it looks like they have a blockage that is pretty significant, we can take them to the lab and do a heart catheterization where we look at their arteries and identify if their plumbing needs to be fixed with a balloon or a stent.”

Closer to home, for patients looking for ongoing monitoring and prevention/rehab programs that could be six months in duration or more, Copeman Healthcare Centre provides a private alternative in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

“We have programs that are suited for people who have experienced heart attacks or strokes or patients who have never had a cardiac event, but are at risk for heart disease,” says Lisa Kirk, a kinesiologist who has worked within the cardiac rehab program.

“We assess the patient based on their individual needs and determine what program is best for them. Our team-based model includes access to a registered dietitian, exercise specialist, physician, family health nurse, health coach and staff in psychology and neuropsychology.

“Focusing on prevention is what we like to drive home. We typically see patients between the ages of 40 and 80, and both men and women.… It’s not just a man’s disease.”

Private health centres provide high-tech cardiac careThe Copeman Healthcare Centre promotes preventative cardiac care.

— Copeman Healthcare Centre

Heart Care

Many Canadian patients are coming to Montana health centres for cardiac treatments. — Kalispell Regional Medical Center


By BARB LIVINGSTONE

Eight years ago, Alan Chan, a longtime run-ner without weight issues, developed diabetes.

“I had a very good doctor, but I was strug-gling to bring all aspects of the disease together. I had to have quarterly fasting blood tests and would end up waiting two hours at a lab. And because I had run for 25 years, and was not obese by any standards, I didn’t see diet and exercise as issues.”

“I travel quite a lot,” says the manager at a large oil and gas company. “My children are young and sometimes would have to go to a walk-in clinic and wait for hours. We had also just moved and our physician was way across the city.”

Chan says his wife researched and visited private clinics and settled on Preventous Collaborative Health. She and their two children joined Preventous, established six years ago as the city’s first private preventa-tive health clinic. The 54-year-old Chan also signed up four years ago.

He pays for the services out of his own pocket and has no problem doing so.

“We all have discretionary income and we will sacrifice other things for our health. And, the older I get, the more health becomes a priority.”

His experience getting his diabetes under control has been a positive one.

The best thing about Preventous, he says, is the team approach to his illness — the physi-cian, the dietician and the personal trainer all have access to his medical records and can discuss treatment.

That meant two years ago, when the next step for his disease treatment would have been insulin, the Preventous team looked at his diet and exercise regimen.

“I was basically following the Canada Food Guide and exercising (intensely) a minimum of three times a week.”

When the medical team reviewed his re-cords, the dietician moved him to a low-carb/sugar diet and the trainer upped his exercise to 50 minutes six times a week.

“I’m Asian and I eat rice so that was some-what difficult. As for the exercise, I thought, ‘Who can do that much exercise?’ ”

He did follow the new program, however, cutting his carbs to a piece of toast (a low glycemic index brand) in the morning, a carb equivalent for lunch and no carbs for dinner.

“For the first month, I was almost break-ing into tears when I drove by a Tim Hortons because I love doughnuts. But when you lay off the sugar for a few months, you don’t miss it after awhile.”

As for the exercise, the trainer told him his old pattern of intense workouts wasn’t helping him, and instead were producing sugar.

Chan now does light jogs around his neighbourhood for 50 minutes at a time and “it’s really enjoyable. I enjoy the sights.”

The combination of his medication and the changes in exercise and diet succeeded beyond everyone’s imagination, to the point where he started getting hypoglycemic (low blood sugar).

“I was over-achieving. Again, the team discussed it and cut my medication in half.”

Chan describes Preventous’ approach to his illness as a “big success story — there was a lot of discussion; a lot of fine tuning.”

But that wasn’t the only health issue Chan says Preventous has helped address.

His mother died of heart disease and his father had double-bypass surgery, so there were risk factors in his history.

But because Chan worked out, didn’t smoke, didn’t suffer shortness of breath and had a good diet, he was traditionally thought not to be a candidate for heart problems.

But Dr. Rohan Bissoondath, his physician at Preventous, suggested he might want to pay for a scan of his heart arteries. That scan discov-ered a 25 per cent blockage in an artery, show-ing development of cardiac disease, which is now being treated aggressively with medication

to lower his cholesterol.“I was able to access the testing quickly and

saved the government a ton of money by be-ing treated before I appeared in cardiac arrest years down the road.”

Chan is also pleased with the service his family receives, citing the case of his son who suffered from asthma growing up and who, when H1N1 was severe several years ago, was suffering coughing fits.

“We phoned Preventous and within half an hour a physician phoned back and called in a prescription for our son, because he needed to be treated.”

Chan describes himself as a big supporter of the Canadian health-care system, willingly pay-ing his taxes to support it.

“But I believe there should be options. I work hard for my pay and should be able to spend it where I want.”

Diabetes solution found for active CalgarianAlan Chan developed diabetes despite following the Canada Food Guide and getting regular exercise. The staff at Preventous Collaborative Health was able to get his blood-sugar levels in order.

— Adrian Shellard photo

Chan’s experience of getting his diabetes under control was a positive one.

PROFILE


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 West-ern Canadian network of doctors, special-ized professionals and researchers to develop and implement some of the most advanced programs of screening, diagnosis, preven-tion and health management available in the world today.

according to Ceo Chris nedelmann, the company began with a simple premise — to deliver unparalleled access to medi-cal expertise while providing each patient with a highly personalized and “unhurried” 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 physical, psychological and brain health.

Copeman’s brain health program is the first of its kind and is focused on early inter-vention 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 contribu-tions to the field of prevention and health management is its computerized health management System, which is a secure, online personal health record combined with sophisticated risk assessments, health surveil-lance and self-management tools.

Changes in laboratory results and other diagnostic 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 comfort-ing environment as well as an atmosphere of genuine caring that belies the size and

sophistication 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 nedelmann.

“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 commit-ted 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.

The program includes a comprehensive, four-hour annual health assessment and a complete package of professional services to support a client’s individual 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 deduct-ible health expenses.

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

This year, plan for good health


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

ContactCristle JaskenPhone: 403-270-CARE (2273)Email: cjasken@copeman healthcare.comWeb: www.copemanhealth care.com

Services: Advanced personal and family health care; 24/7 physician on call; integrated physical, psychological and brain health; exercise medicine and physiotherapy; compre-hensive health assessments; corporate wellness; registered dietitians; concussion manage-ment services; dementia and Alzheimer’s screening; stroke and brain injury rehabilitation; integrated personal training; integrated yoga training; cardiac health and rehabilitation; health coaching and therapeutic life-style change.

Copeman healthcare has introduced a highly

personalized and service-focused approach

to personal, family and corporate healthcare

that delivers excellence in prevention and health

management.

Dr. Pollie Lumby, family physician, Calgary Centre.


By BARB LIVINGSTONE

Falls are a normal part of aging — fact or fiction?

Total fiction, says Lynda McPhee, the education co-ordinator for the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research.

“Many people say, ‘Well, I’m getting older, so I’m going to fall.’ But there are, in fact, many concrete steps they can take to prevent this, from keeping active to checking their medications,” says McPhee.

As falls remain the leading cause of injury for seniors, taking these steps will be more important than ever, with one in every five Albertans estimated to be a senior by 2030.

Every day in Alberta, 24 hospital admissions and 66 emergency department visits are made due to falls. The average length of a hospital stay after a fall is 20 days and costs the health-care system more than $15,000. Besides being a financial burden to the public system, falls can also lead to a rapid decline in health for seniors, especially for those who suffer hip fractures.

“Mobility is something we take for granted until something happens,” says McPhee. “About 40 per cent of nursing home admissions are the result of a fall, while 20 per cent of seniors die within the

first year following a hip fracture due to complications.

“It’s so important to raise awareness about active, healthy lifestyles now. Everyone wants to remain independent and mobile and now is the time to be taking action.”

At Copeman Healthcare Centre, a team consisting of a sports medicine physician, psychologist and a kinesiologist helps patients detect balance issues early to avoid devastating consequences later in life.

“Typically balance assessments are not taken until individuals reach the age where falling becomes an issue, but you get a much bigger bang for the buck if you start earlier,” says Copeman kinesiologist and exercise physiologist Nadine Sinnen.

“We screen everyone from the age of 18 to 88 and make referrals to physiotherapy and other programs as needed. Our older patients will get exercise training that’s more specific for balance, working on their core strength and joint stability.”

Many factors may lead to loss of balance, including health conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, inner-ear issues and less sensitive nerve endings in the feet due to neuropathy caused by diabetes.

A diet with adequate amounts of protein is vital to maintain healthy joints,

a grounded centre and sufficient muscle mass. Sinnen’s clients are advised to eat about 30 milligrams of protein per major meal.

“An example of a breakfast where you’re getting about 25 to 30 grams of protein might be a large glass of milk with 12 grams, a boiled egg that has seven grams, toast with three grams and peanut butter which has four grams. A skim latte will give you 10 grams of protein, while three-quarters of a cup of Greek yogurt will have 17 grams,” says Sinnen.

“We also encourage adequate vitamin D levels in all our clients. Most patients’ levels are low, so we want to top them up to maintain bone strength and prevent fractures and because it’s harder to get it from diet alone. We also advise 1,200 mg daily supplements of calcium.”

The most important thing to remember is that physical activity at any age makes a difference.

“Some people might say, if they haven’t been active so far, why bother exercising at 80?” says McPhee. “The greatest health risk for older adults is an inactive life. When we’re young, we’re always doing activities such as playing hopscotch to challenge our balance, but we don’t do as much when we get older. It’s never too late to get active and take the necessary steps to prevent a fall.”

Stopping a dangerous fall before it happens — Thinkstock image

FALLPREVENTION

Tips from the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research on preventing falls:

n Keep active. Exercise for strength and balance at least 30 minutes a day.n Watch your step. Look at

your environment, including footwear, lighting and staircase railings. Get rid of clutter.

n Check your vision. Early cataract surgery reduces the likelihood of falling, while multi-focal lenses can cause loss of balance by affecting depth perception.

n Check your meds. Medica-tions are a big risk factor for dizziness. Review them with your doctor or pharmacist to see if you still need them and in what dose. Ask about interac-tions with over-the-counter products and alcohol.

n Speak to your doctor about dizziness. This could be caused by medication, a drop in blood pressure or lying down and then getting up too quickly. Dehydration may also be a cause; make sure to drink six to eight glasses of water daily.

Every day in Alberta, 24 hospital admissions and 66 emergency department visits are made due to falls. The average length of a hospital stay after a fall is 20 days and costs the health-care system more than $15,000.


Mayfair Diagnostics has been using cutting-edge technology to help patients since opening its doors in Calgary in 1999.

The newly expanded clinic offers MRI and CT scans on a private basis, enabling patients to invest in their own health care by providing fee-for-service computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services. After a scan is ordered by a physician, patients who prefer not to wait for an MRI or CT scan within the traditional health-care system can come to Mayfair Diagnostics and have the exami-nation completed within a day or two.

This quick response has made Mayfair Diagnostics popular with patients ranging from members of the Calgary Stampeders and Calgary Flames to clients of the Workers’ Compensation Board and other government agencies.

Mayfair Diagnostics also sees many patients from across Canada.

To accommodate the rising popularity of its services and ensure the best possible care, Mayfair recently expanded its facility and upgraded its medical equipment, including the addition of a second MRI machine.

Using the largest open magnet in the

province, the new MRI was designed to accommodate people with claustrophobia and larger patients.

A state-of-the-art CT scanner that deliv-ers the lowest possible radiation dose was also added to the expanded boutique facility that boasts an open foyer and a spacious, comfortable waiting room.

Another vital service offered is the CT angiogram to test for heart disease, one of the most significant illnesses in Canada, affecting both men and women.

“I think this is the most important exami-nation in medicine, as a substantial number of Canadians die of cardiovascular disease each year,” says Mayfair Diagnostics co-director Dr. Stephen Valentine.

A CT angiogram is a scan that indicates how open or closed a person’s blood vessels are, and identifies whether there is significant plaque buildup within those blood vessels. Plaque buildup can lead to a heart attack.

According to Valentine, doctors in Cana-da don’t traditionally start looking for heart disease until patients complain of symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain.

“A significant number of Canadians die during their first episode of chest pain. We

need to look for this disease earlier on so that we can identify it and put treatments in place that will reduce the risk of a heart attack. You can affect the outcome by iden-tifying the disease early,” says Valentine.

To this end, Valentine thinks the CT coronary angiogram is the best method for evaluating patients suspected of having heart disease, as well as to confirm that people who are at low risk have no signifi-cant disease.

“The new CT scanner is the most advanced CT scanner in the world. It’s probably the best way to identify whether people have significant heart disease,” says Valentine.

“If the disease is there, we can identify it almost 100 per cent of the time, and if there is no disease, we can tell people with almost absolute certainty that, for the next two, four or six years, their chances of hav-ing a heart attack, based on the narrowing of their blood vessels, is essentially zero.

“It’s a great examination, and it’s cur-rently underutilized. I think it’s going to become more and more important and it’s going to play a bigger role in health-care management around the world.”

Cutting-edge health services


Name: Mayfair Diagnostics

Location: 132 Mayfair Place 6707 Elbow Dr. S.W.Calgary, AB

Phone: 403-777-4MRI (4674) or toll-free at 1-877-4CT-4MRI (428-4674)

Website: www.mayfairdiagnostics.com

Services:

• CT Coronary Angiogram

• Coronary Calcium Score

Special: Heart health month pricing is available for a limited time upon request.

We need to look for (heart) disease earlier on

so that we can identify it and put treatments in

place that will reduce the risk of a heart attack.

Dr. Stephen Valentine,Mayfair Diagnostics co-director

Dr. Stephen Valentine of Mayfair Diagnostics says a CT scan that checks on heart health can be very helpful at identifying heart disease early.


By BARB LIVINGSTONE

Jamie Tiessen leads a busy life.The broadcasting consultant

(owner of Tiessen and Associates) sat as an Okotoks councilor for six years starting at age 19; used to own radio sta-tions in Airdrie and Cochrane; now sits on various government boards; and produces radio broadcasts for the chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede.

He puts his heart and passion into his work, spending quite a bit of business time travelling and admits he doesn’t always pay enough attention to his health.

But now, at the age of 31, Tiessen has taken control of his health and wellness.

“I didn’t have great access to my GP (gen-eral practitioner), even though I had been seeing him since I was eight or 10 years old. He is a great guy, but it was tough to get appointments.”

Tiessen says it was crazy “to fight” to get appointments — even for his annual exam relating to a bicuspid aortic valve that will eventually have to be replaced later in life.

The fact that his GP was also heading into retirement caused Tiessen to explore what options were out there to help manage a healthier lifestyle.

“There was no wake up call — no major health issue. I wanted to lose a little weight, but to generally, overall, just get healthy,” he says.

While active in the summer umpiring base-ball at all levels, Tiessen says most of his ac-tivity revolves around travelling the province to various board meetings and hearings.

He joined Provital Health & Wellness last August and says its services just “make life happier.”

Tiessen, who is single, works with a per-sonal trainer at Provital two or three times a week, has a weekly appointment with the nutritionist (and other access whenever he wants it) and knows there is massage and psychologist services if he needs them.

Provital services also help with stress management — “my stress is reduced. I am aware of it and how to handle it.”

And he says the access to Provital doctors is “phenomenal.”

It is not only easy to set up an appoint-ment, but “where else can you send a note to your doctor and get an answer the same day,” Tiessen asks.

He describes Provital as an efficiency model for the way the health system should work.

“It’s incredible — it’s the way a doctor’s office should run.”

Provital, established by doctors Donovan Kreutzer and Sarit Sengar, takes a holistic approach to health care. Its Marda Loop clinic has a team of family physicians, a naturopath physician, chiropractor, dieti-tian, psychologists, massage therapists, an exercise kinesiologist, pedorthist and pharmacist.

Patients pay an annual fee for services.In the six months he has been at Provi-

tal, Tiessen says he has lost weight and his overall wellness levels, including his cholesterol, are coming into line.

“Everything is in one place at Provital. I utilize 75 to 80 per cent of its services. It is a slam dunk for me.”

Some of the expense of joining Provital

is covered by Tiessen’s benefits program, but the rest of the cost he assumes himself.

“If I pay a little extra for my health at the end of the day, why not? It’s worth it.”

Having a clinic that is run efficiently by a staff that has integrity, allows Tiessen to put his time, energy and resources into his business, and his health.

“I am not running off somewhere and sitting in a clinic waiting for blood work to be done (Provital does on-site blood work). Every doctor’s office should look at this model.”

On-the-go businessman takes control of his healthJamie Tiessen says he has lost weight and his health has improved, including his cholesterol level, since making use of the team of professionals at Provital Health & Wellness.


Now at the age of 31,Jamie Tiessen has taken control of his health and wellness.

PROFILE


Whether it’s an injury or a potential disease, waiting for a diagnosis can be difficult. Not knowing what’s wrong can take an emotional toll.

If you want to take your health into your own hands, Canada Diagnostic Centres (CDC) can help, with its convenient and affordable MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) service.

As one CDC patient puts it: “I put more money into maintaining my vehicle — why would I not invest in my own health?”

The first step is always diagnosis, and MRIs can be a valuable tool in this process. At CDC, most appointments for MRIs are made between within one to two business days. An MRI is a state-of-the-art technology that creates diagnostic images, with scans usually taking anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to perform, depending on which body part is being scanned.

“Our highly specialized radiologists read these images and provide a diagnostic report to the patient’s physician, usually within 24 to 48 hours of the scan being performed,” says Stacey Purdy, MRI and CT charge technolo-gist at Canada Diagnostic Centres.

“I want people to know they don’t have to wait. Some things need to be dealt with right

away, and I want everyone to know you have an option. We are lucky in Alberta — not every province provides this choice.”

Purdy gives the example of one patient who had hurt her knee and came in for a scan of what she thought was a minor injury. While scanning the area, the MRI found a malig-nant tumour, which was caught early and removed, leading to a full recovery.

Calgary-based Canada Diagnostics Centres is a leader in public and private medical diagnostic imaging services in Alberta. CDC is one of the largest medical imaging providers in Alberta, with 13 clinics located in Alberta (nine in Calgary and Okotoks, and four in Edmonton and Sherwood Park).

CDC offers patients both convenience and affordability. When patients choose Canada Diagnostics Centres for their MRI or other services, it means they don’t have to travel out of country, or out of province, to have this service performed.

“Our vision is to provide exceptional patient care. That is our No. 1 priority,” Purdy says.

“CDC director of MRI, Dr. Benjamin Wong, always advises us to treat each patient as family. We always strive to provide the best-quality images, the best patient care and the

best service for our patients.” CDC is proud to provide exceptional

patient care while making timely MRI exams more accessible and affordable for patients. The GE Signa Excite HD 1.5 Tesla imaging equipment used is among the most advanced technology available and MRIs are read by a highly trained radiologist.

With CDC’s private MRI services, patients can look forward to flexible appointments at convenient times, usually within one to three business days.

CDC is committed to providing your referring physician with detailed timely reports so that, together, you can best manage your health. All MRI services require a medi-cal referral.

“In addition to MRI, we offer private com-puterized tomography services, along with the following services covered by Alberta Health — ultrasound, X-rays, mammagrophy, pain management and bone-density scans.”

Private MRI and CT scans include pre-ventative health scans such as joint, lung and heart scans and virtual colonoscopies.

CDC also offers pediatric and adolescent X-ray and ultrasound exams.

To book an MRI or CT scan, please call 403-212-5847.

Canada Diagnostic Centres offers peace of mind to patients


Name: Canada Diagnostic Centres

Locations: Nine in Calgary and Okotoks; four in Edmonton and Sherwood Park

Private MRI & CTCDC 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, women’s imaging, pediatric imaging, computed tomography scan, preventative health scans, heart scan, lung scan, virtual colonoscopy, 2D ultrasound, 4D ultrasound, bone mineral densitometry, gastrointestinal studies, mammography, pain management injections, pain management therapy, fluoroscopy, X-ray.

Our vision is to provide exceptional

patient care. That is our

No. 1 priorityStacey Purdy,

MRI and CT charge technologist

Stacey Purdy, MRI and CT charge technologist at Canada Diagnostic Centres, watches as a scan is done at one of CDC’s 13 Alberta locations.


By BARB LIVINGSTONE

Cam White is president and CEO of a Canada-wide distribution company that employs almost 500 people.

So business and customer service are what the 67 year old has known all his 40 years working with the company.

When, as a customer, he felt the public health system was not giving him what he needed, the head of Taiga Building Products saw no problem searching for a private option.

Three years ago, that led him to Copeman Healthcare Centre.

“I felt my health was important — especially getting to my age — and I wanted a one-stop shop. I’m in business and I understand meeting customer needs.”

White says his work life is busy, includ-ing a fair amount of travel, and “time is important to me. I am an impatient person and this suits my lifestyle. I don’t have time to run around to different doctor appointments.”

Instead, at Copeman, he has the

convenience of a team of medical experts, including physicians, dieticians, physio-therapists, exercise medicine specialists and health coaches.

And, he says, knowing Copeman has everything he needs, “takes stress off of yourself. You’re not worrying about your health or going to appointments all over the place.”

Right after joining the private facility, Copeman caught a health issue the father of two didn’t even know he had.

“They did the full gamut of tests and found I had a 90 per cent blockage in an artery. I was admitted to hospital to get a stent (a small mesh tube that’s used to treat narrow or weak arteries) and they have been watching it ever since.”

He said Copeman caught it “right now. They knew something wasn’t right.”

White’s daughter has also joined Copeman and is an enthusiastic advocate.

As a mother of a five-year-old and an entrepreneur who also has a demanding job running her own business, White says she needed to take her son (born

premature) to medical appointments that fit into her schedule.

“Copeman is there 24/7. My daughter says joining it was the best thing she has ever done.”

As for the fee he pays for the private service, Whites describes it as “nickels and dimes for what you get. The value is incredible.”

He has sought the expertise of the nu-tritionist and physiotherapist at Copeman and says he expects to use more of the diverse services as he gets older and heads into eventual retirement.

“I know everything is there if I need it.”Whenever people ask him about going

outside of the public health-care system, White says he has a story for them.

“I had a situation a couple of years ago when a grand dog fell ill. We took it right into the vet, it was immediately operated on and all was well.

“My question is, why would I do that for a dog and not for myself. (Being a custom-er of Copeman) is immediate care for your health — right away.”

At Copeman, Cam White has the convenience of a team of experts that includes not only a team of physicians, but also dieticians, physiotherapists, exercise medicine specialists and health coaches.

Early detection of undiagnosed issue impressesCam White, president and CEO of a distribution company, learned shortly after joining Copeman Healthcare Centre that he had a 90 per cent blockage in an artery.


PROFILE


MRIs ARE BECOMING more acces-sible to people in the Calgary area, thanksto EFW Radiology, a specialist group ofradiologists providing comprehensive di-agnostic imaging services for patients andtheir doctors.EFW Radiology operates 11 clinics in

the Calgary area, including a communityclinic in High River and one in Airdrie.EFW also provides all radiology services atthe Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), is

one of many private medical services EFWoffers. MRIs can detect abnormalities byproducing detailed anatomical images,providing important information to aiddiagnosis and treatment. EFW Radiologybelieves in making MRIs more accessiblein order to help patients and their doctorsfind answers to their medical questions.Recently, EFW Radiology launched

private MRI services that are available un-der a new flat-rate pricing structure, OneVisit, One Price. Patients pay one fee andreceive an answer to a single medical ques-

tion — no matter how many areas of theirbody require imaging. EFW Radiology hasintroduced One Visit, One Price in orderto answer patients’ questions appropriately,working in partnership with a patient’sphysician.“The difference is a flat-rate pricing

structure, so that people get answers to theirquestions. They’re not making decisionsbased solely on economics,” explains EFWRadiology CEO Nairn Nerland. Tradition-ally, he notes, clinics charge by body part,which typically results in increasing cost asmultiple body parts require imaging.“To our knowledge, no one in North

America, and certainly not in Alberta, hasapproached MRIs the way we have, in aprivate community environment. It’s a flat-rate pricing structure, so you are chargedone price of $600 ($850 with contrast). Forthat one visit, we will do as many imagingexams on you as is medically appropriate.”This new approach is based on the mod-

el used at the Foothills Medical Centre andat other tertiary hospitals, Nerland says.

“In a hospital, you don’t make a decisionbased on body parts — you image as many(body parts) as necessary to find an answerto a patient’s medical problem.“This gives people an option. In private

MRI, we are establishing a new way toapproach this, which is in the best interestsof the patient and the referring physician.”he says.“That’s what this is really about — it’s

the right thing to do. It really does ad-dress what people’s needs are. We are veryproud of this — because we are trying tomake things work for people better thanthey ever have before.“The other thing is, we also believe this

helps relieve some of the pressure fromthe public system in terms of the wait listsfor public access to MRIs. By coming tothe private world, it helps alleviate thatpressure point. On a macro level, it’s goodfor the overall population in Calgary whoneed access to an MRI.”For more information, please visit

www.efwrad.com.

Patients pay one price per visitat EFW Radiology


Name:EFW Radiology

Locations: Eleven in the Cal-gary area including a commu-nity clinic in High River and onein Airdrie.

ContactPhone: 403-541-1200Email: [email protected]: www.efwrad.com

ServicesMRI, general X-ray, ultrasound,mammography, bone mineraldensitometry, nuclear medicine,body composition analysis, painmanagement, maternal fetalmedicine: ultrasound, consulta-tions, first trimester screening,fetal echocardiogram, amnio-centesis test, clinical assess-ment, diagostic ultrasound,therapy prolotherapy, plateletrich plasma (PRP), tenotomy,rotator cuff lavage, peripheralnerve injection, nuclear cardiol-ogy, myocardial perfusion imag-ing and prostate biopsy.

To our knowledge, noone in North America,and certainly not in

Alberta, has approachedMRIs the way we have.It’s a flat-rate pricingstructure. For that one

visit, we will do as manyimaging exams as is

medically appropriate.


By BARB LIVINGSTONE

For Andy Farvolden, who just turned 70, the worst thing about his hernia was not being able to ski, golf, hike … or

pick up any of his six grandchildren.The chartered accountant, who still works

part time, first had his hernia tentatively diagnosed by his son, a doctor in Baltimore, and then, in Sept. 2013, by his Calgary family doctor.

The following month, his appointment with a consultant surgeon was confirmed for the beginning of June, eight months down the road.

Farvolden was told his actual surgery to repair the hernia would be another four to six months after meeting with the surgeon — in other words, more than a year, minimum, after his initial diagnosis.

“I was aware of the strain in my body. It was uncomfortable to do things in my normal life like standing up for a long time, walking for a long time, lifting and picking up a grandchild off the monkey bars or even bringing in bags of groceries.

“If I went to walk any distance, I felt something different. It restricted what I did.”

And, of course, there was the knowledge of the consequences of not fixing the hernia (which occurs when an organ or fatty

tissue squeezes through a weak spot in a surrounding muscle or connective tissue) could be anything from extreme pain to obstruction/strangulation of the bowel, which can lead to death.

In the end, he knew the hernia had to be taken care of and he did not want to “put my life on hold for a year.”

And in Canada, with the realization that “I’m not 30 years old, with a job and young kids — and I wouldn’t be at the top of the list for surgery,” the “very active outdoors” Calgarian decided he had to look elsewhere for the service.

“At my age, I can have years left and I did not want to sacrifice them.”

A widower — his wife, a Calgary family physician for 30 years, died a year and a half ago — Farvolden and his family had a place in Whitefish, Mont., and knew the area well.

“We occasionally had the need to make trips to the (North Valley Hospital) with our kids or with visitors. We knew, and were happy with, that hospital.”

North Valley Hospital is a one-hour drive south of the Canadian border crossing at Coutts, and is located at Highways 93 and 40 in Whitefish, Mont.

A full-service hospital, it also has specialty technologies for gynecological and urological procedures, orthopedic surgeries, single-

incision laparoscopic surgeries performed through the navel for a nearly invisible scar and other surgeries including general, colon, ear, nose and throat, reconstructive and cosmetic.

So with the help of Farvolden’s doctor son, inquiries were made as to the kind of surgery North Valley performs, about the quality of its surgeons and about what kind of traffic the hospital saw for hernia surgeries.

“I was very impressed with the detail that came back to me and in mid-November I made an appointment, got in my car and went to chat with the surgeon.”

He was also impressed that once the Whitefish surgeon found out his son was a doctor, he offered to follow up with him, as well, about his findings and any possible procedure.

“He showed me the openings he had for the procedure at that point — and in fact, he had a cancellation and could have done it the next day.”

That was a little too soon for Farvolden, but as he was heading back to Calgary his phone rang and it was his physician son.

“He had already talked to the surgeon and agreed with his approach completely.”

The father of three says his kids were supportive about his travelling to the United States for the surgery — “they said you have

the means (the total cost of his medical services was $6,800), go do it.”

With both father and son confident about the North Valley Hospital operation, Farvolden phoned the hospital when he got home and booked surgery for Dec. 3.

He went in the day before for pre-operation tests and after surgery, stayed in Whitefish for four days.

The hospital called his residence 24 hours and 48 hours after he was discharged to ensure the patient did not require any further medications or assistance regarding his recovery program.

A friend drove him back to Calgary.A month after his surgery, he returned to

North Valley for a checkup and “everything was fine.”

So fine, in fact, he went skiing for the first time since his diagnosis.

As for his experience at North Valley, Farvolden has nothing but positive things to say.

As a finance person, Farvolden says it befuddles him why Alberta, with its fiscal health, does not embrace a position as a medical mecca.

But with no change on the horizon, he is thankful for Montana’s North Valley.

“They are very professional and very caring. They take good care of you.”

Debilitating hernia cleared up shortly after U.S. visitAndy Farvolden wasn’t able to ski, golf, hike or lift his grandchildren because of a hernia. When told the wait for surgery would be a year or more, he had the procedure done in Montana.


PROFILE


By BARB LIVINGSTONE

As more and more Albertans spend time in second homes in Arizona, private medical facilities such as the Mayo

Clinic have seen more Canadian patients.More Albertans also appear to be getting

cancer treatments there, as well.There has been a rise in interest from

Canadians in Arizona in the past four years, says Jaci Brown, growth/director of market development of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in the Phoenix area, though she adds they haven’t really targeted that market.

“They are visiting here, investing here, moving here and working remotely here and we have been moved to look at providing an-swers,” says Brown. “Right now, we are looking at understanding the needs of our markets — the patients, the caregivers, the physicians.”

Started 25 years ago in Chicago, Cancer Treatment Centers of America now has five medical centres (Chicago, Philadelphia, At-lanta, Tulsa and Phoenix).

The facility in Goodyear, in the metropolitan Phoenix area, was opened five years ago and, in 2013 alone, saw 7,829 patients, an increase of 11 per cent from the year prior.

Richard Stephenson started CTCA after the death of his mother, Mary, from cancer. He searched for a facility that offered an all-

encompassing treatment for his mother’s illness and, when he couldn’t find it, decided to create one himself.

Brown describes CTCA’s personal approach to cancer care to mean that along with a focus on advanced technology and having the top experts in the cancer fields, “we also focus on the side-effects of treatment.”

She says cancer treatments can often make a patient ill and that impacts his or her quality of life.

“It means they are often stuck at home, placing more weight on caregivers and it also means if they are ill, their health declines be-cause they can’t eat and their nutrition declines — and then they have to skip further cancer treatments,” says Brown.

CTCA offers a nutritionist and a naturopath who provide supplements to help with treatments. A team is solely focused on body/mind therapies, including dealing with psychosomatic issues.

“It is the full-person treatment; it means a patient doesn’t have to spend all their time driving around to get all the different services. There is one team.”

One of the other important focuses of CTCA is easy and early access.

“What we do is eliminate the stress for patients — the feeling that things are out of their control. One day can feel like a year,” says Brown.

“We give them test results as accurately and as quickly as possible. We get you into the fa-cility quickly and within three to five days tests are conducted and results are given.”

Brown says the CTCA model is that “time is critical. If there is something suspicious, you want to know right away.”

The cancer hospitals offer the Mother Stan-dard of Care, the kind of care Stephenson had been seeking for his own mother.

“Our patients are treated like part of the fam-ily,” says Brown.

Phoenix’s CTCA focuses on five cancers: breast, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate and skin. It only treats patients aged 18 and older (“to treat children is a unique process and we would want to create something separate if we were to be in that field,” Brown says).

Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer in the U.S. and Arizona has the second highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

The cost to patients of accessing care at CTCA is hard to estimate, says Brown, “because it can go from everything to just monitoring to complex procedures. But we have a very strong financial team that works with the patient before they come. We want no surprises — that gets back to the stress. We don’t want the patient to be wondering what it is going to cost.”

Brown expects the demand for the centre’s

resources to continue to grow as boomers age and more people, including Canadians, learn about CTCA’s services

Several physicians from Canada have already toured the Arizona facilities, she says.

“They were interested in how quickly we can treat and what we can offer that can then be followed up in Canada.”

The hospital is looking at providing educa-tional opportunities for physicians in Western Canada on emerging precision medicines and new techniques and procedures, Brown adds.

And they will also be probably looking at recruiting physicians.

“We are very impressed by Canada’s medical system.”

Phoenix’s CTCA focuses on five cancers: breast, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate and skin.

Arizona cancer hospital attracts Canadian patients

CANCER

— Thinkstock image


By BARB LIVINGSTONE

Niki VanStaden and her four fellow family health nurses at the Copeman Healthcare Center in Calgary are “the quarterbacks” of multi-disciplinary teams providing service to private clinic patients.

“Each person on the team has a significant role and the nurse is in the centre, keeping patients connected to all the other team mem-bers,” says VanStaden.

After spending more than eight years in the public health-care system as a nurse, VanStaden joined Copeman a year and a half ago.

Despite talk of reform of the public system, she says highly skilled nurses in doctors’ offices still primarily focus on tasks such as taking a patient’s blood pressure.

“Nurses have a wealth of knowledge and experience and they are normally underuti-lized. Unfortunately, reform never seems to happen.”

In the private medical system, a team approach and patient service model goes hand in hand.

For American hospitals catering to Canadian patients, for example, a nurse “concierge” is often employed to help with continual communication with clients before and after surgery. At Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Montana, a registered nurse acts as the international medical services co-ordinator, aiding in everything from how to access the hospital, surgical details, follow-up checks and the provision of documents to help with any health-care reimbursements.

At Copeman — which operates private clinics in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver — the focus of the family health nurses is on prevention, with each full-time nurse respon-sible for the patients of two doctors.

“It is a more in-depth continuum of care,” says VanStaden. “We keep the radar on the patients, watching closely.”

That includes, she says, one-on-one con-sultations, making sure medication is being taken properly, blood-pressure management, diabetes management and referrals to special-ists at the clinic that include physicians, dietitians, kinesiologists, physiotherapists and neuropsychologists.

As a case manager and the main commu-nicator for the team, VanStaden says nurses ensure patients receive more personal atten-tion so issues can be caught before a crisis happens. The emphasis, she says, is on health coaching; helping patients take ownership of their health.

“It can be everything from making sure medications are taken on a schedule to the major modification of diets or incorporation of an exercise program” with team specialists.

And, as baby boomers age, VanStaden says chronic disease management will become even more important through this multi-disciplinary approach.

The extra focus on patient care, has not only resulted in patients happy with their care, but also in improved medical results, says the Copeman organization.

For example, 74 per cent of its clients meet the target international standard for blood sugar levels, compared to the Canadian aver-age of about 50 per cent.

Perhaps the greatest testimonial on the team approach and its focus on patient care comes from the patients themselves.

Right after Calgary business owner Cam White joined Copeman, the clinic caught a health issue the 67-year-old father of two didn’t even know he had.

“They did the full gamut of tests and found I had a 90 per cent blockage in an artery. I was admitted to hospital to get a stent (a small mesh tube that’s used to treat narrow or weak arteries) and they have been watching it ever since.”

He said Copeman caught it “right now. They knew something wasn’t right.”

A nurse “concierge” is often employed to help with continual communication with clients.

Nurses often underutilized in public health system— Thinkstock image

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