Alison Pepper has overcome many roadblocks in her life. When she was born, illness affected the part of her brain that assists with the functions to speak, read and write. As an adult, she worked hard to improve these skills with a speech language therapist and sought out a tutor through the Project Adult Literacy…
Having a mild heart attack four years ago has made Georg Gutzmann monitor his health more closely, including changing the way he eats and moves. Georg is borderline diabetic and must watch his sugar intake. He’s been meeting with an Edmonton Southside Primary Care Network (PCN) dietitian to monitor his food on a monthly basis….
Mary Jo Hague is no longer sitting still. Instead, she is making it her mission to take thousands of steps a day to better health. She became inspired to increase her walking after being connected to Moving for Health, a two-month supervised exercise program at Edmonton Southside Primary Care Network. Mary Jo found out about…
Some people would give up on exercise if they were faced with limited mobility or a disability. Agnes Leonhardt has been finding ways to keep fit while waiting for a hip replacement. At first, Agnes did give up on exercising because she can’t walk. Once she was connected to Sandra Pelchat, an exercise specialist with…
How to search for a family doctor when you move to a new city can stump anyone. Where do you start? What tools and resources do you use? Sabra Saleh Kassongo faced this dilemma when she moved to Edmonton to join her husband in March 2012. Familiar with the health systems of Dubai, Tanzania and…
Jim McLaws pulls out his laptop and inserts a USB stick. This is not an ordinary USB stick. It allows him to input his blood glucose measurements directly into the computer, resulting in a much better quality of life for a diabetic who is constantly on the road for his job. The results are sent…
Sometimes a passing comment to a family physician can change a patient’s life. For Tara (name changed to protect her identity), this chance remark lead her down a path that she had been afraid to take for 15 years. She was visiting her family physician, Dr. Sheela Duia, at the Meadowbrook Medical Clinic for high…
Bev Kluczny is trapped at home because of an extreme panic disorder. She is too afraid to leave her house in case she experiences a panic attack. Bev, 69, suffers from agoraphobia, which makes seeking medical treatment for her diabetes and emphysema challenging. Without the help from two Edmonton Southside Primary Care Network nurses and…
Through Edmonton Southside Primary Care Network, Carla Shaner is receiving tools for achieving a healthier life. In September 2010, Carla says she was feeling helpless about her weight and overall physical and mental health. She approached Dr. Shelley Smith, her family physician at the Justik Medical Clinic in Old Strathcona, for a solution. Dr. Smith…
Joyce Hastings turned to Edmonton Southside Primary Care Network for solutions and support while caring for her ailing husband, Irving. He was diagnosed with a mild cognitive impairment in 2004 and thought he could handle it, says Joyce. “Irving didn’t want anyone else interfering. He had a plan to cure himself. He was exercising his…