Sturgeon County residents seek more emergency care

Sturgeon County residents are more likely to end up hospitalized or in emergency departments compared to their more-urban counterparts.

According to data collected by the St. Albert and Sturgeon Primary Care Network (PCN), residents of Sturgeon County also had a higher rate of teen pregnancy and death related to stroke.

"One could say access to care [and] access to treatment could be improved and that could help with outcomes," said Brian Jackson, executive director of the St. Albert and Sturgeon PCN. "Earlier recognition, earlier diagnostic and testing, all those things can add to a reduction in the average."

According to the most recent data from Alberta Health Services, Sturgeon County residents found themselves in the emergency department 478.5 times per 1,000 people in 2009 with St. Albert residents visiting 358.6 times per 1,000 residents.

Jackson said this number, which ranks above the greater Edmonton area's visit rate of 400 per 1,000 people, could be the result of limited access to physicians in rural communities.

Although Sturgeon County still has a higher rate of stroke death compared to St. Albert, it has improved significantly in other areas.

"Our role is to educate … and our other goal is to keep people healthy," Jackson said. "We've done a fabulous job in terms of helping people or educating people to stay healthy."

According to the Business Plan created in 2009, Sturgeon County was much healthier in terms of cancer, stroke and heart disease death rate.

Current statistics show a significant decrease in each area, with the heart disease death rate now falling well below the zone average.

"A healthy lifestyle over the lifespan really can help reduce the indication for stroke, for heart attack, cardiovascular issues," Jackson said. "Much of the treatment that we do and the work that we do with the physicians in terms of educating our population really does help us drive these numbers down."

Teen pregnancy is still an issue in Sturgeon County, with 13.5 per cent of girls 15 to 19 giving birth. This is almost double the number in St. Albert at 6.9 per cent.

"You can make a lot of judgment calls to say it's maybe education with regards to pregnancy and with regards to lifestyle. It could be a more-risky lifestyle, it could be alcohol use, there's so many different varieties of reasons," he said.

The PCN created a Morinville office to ensure rural patients can access care.

"We do a lot more work in Morinville than we used to in Sturgeon County, however, we want to do more," he said.

A new business plan identifying areas of future focus has been drafted by the PCN and is awaiting approval by Alberta Health and Wellness and Alberta Health Services. There is no timeline when this will be approved.

Future focus

Jackson said there are many programs the PCN wants to create to meet the needs of patients in the area.

He said the PCN is looking at expanding senior programs and maternity programs, while creating pediatric programs and after-hours care.

Meeting the needs of patients relies heavily on government funding, he said.

"There is so much that we'd like to do. We are restricted very much by our funding and by our longevity," he said.

The announcement of Family Care Clinics during the most recent provincial election created uncertainty as to the future of PCNs, Jackson said.

"Funding for the Family Care Clinics seems to be more important than funding for the Primary Care Networks as it is and we're already here trying to do the work," he said.