Community Health Connect is the Calgary West Central Primary Care Network's newsletter dedicated to providing members of our community with the latest healthcare information.
September 2026
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Hi , in this issue you can get information about:
Learn, reflect, and support reconciliation on Sept. 30
Celebrating our 20th anniversary as a PCN
Our community at a glance: Understanding patient needs for better health
Community partner spotlight: FearIsNotLove
Learn, reflect, and support reconciliation on Sept. 30
Wednesday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. The day honours First Nations, Inuit, and Métis residential school Survivors, their families, and communities. It also remembers the children who never returned home.
Orange Shirt Day started in 2013 after survivor Phyllis Webstad shared her story about her first day at a residential school when her new orange shirt was taken from her at age six. The orange shirt now represents the loss of culture, freedom, and self-worth experienced by many Indigenous children. It also carries the message that every child matters.
Continue learning
Learning is essential to reconciliation. By learning about residential schools and listening to Indigenous voices, we deepen our understanding of our shared past and the enduring impacts of colonial policies.
The Confluence Historic Site is offering free programs on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Activities include cultural centre exhibits, educational walking tours, storytelling, teachings from Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and an Indigenous artisan market.
The Indigenous Support Line helps First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people and their families find culturally appropriate care. Call 811 or 1.844.944.4744. The Alberta Indigenous Virtual Care Clinic also offers free virtual health and mental health services.
Reconciliation is a continuous journey of learning, listening and taking meaningful action throughout the year.
Celebrating our 20th anniversary as a PCN
Since our founding in August 2006, we've worked alongside hundreds of family doctors to develop programs and services that help patients.
Twenty years later, we are celebrating two decades of supporting doctors and patients with our 20th-Anniversary Report — a digital timeline that highlights key milestones in our growth.
The timeline tells our story across five chapters as we developed and kept evolving:
Our early years (2006-10) with the very start of our PCN and our first clinics, health professionals, and services.
Enhancing our work (2017-20) with increased engagement with patients, doctors, and our teams and a new, sustainable model designed for new PCN objectives — plus a special section on the pandemic.
Our latest chapter (2021-26) with our three newest services for patients.
An evolving organization (2026) with our overall support for doctors and patients, efforts toward inclusivity, external recognition, and how we continuously work to improve.
As we look back with gratitude, we're also looking forward to supporting family doctors and strengthening patient care in the years ahead.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our PCN and helped us reach this milestone.
Our community at a glance: Understanding patient needs for better health
Have you wondered about the community we serve, or the most common health needs?
Getting to know our patients and their needs helps us improve our programs and services. By looking at patient data, we gain valuable insights into their health needs, spot areas where care can be improved, and plan how best to support our community.
Our community at a glance:
333,120 total patients
5.1 average visits to a family doctor per person each year
58.9 per cent of patients received preventive cancer screening for breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer
Top four health concerns of our patients:
Hypertension affects 14 per cent
Asthma affects 13 per cent
Diabetes affects eight per cent
Coronary artery disease affects six per cent
Data source: Health Quality Council of Alberta 2026 report
Our patients span a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Understanding these differences helps us plan programs and services that meet the needs of people across our community.
Our goal is to support team-based care in partnership with family doctors. If your doctor is a member of our PCN, they may refer you to programs and services offered through our Primary Care Centre or provided by our regulated health professionals.
Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected in their relationships. This month, we’re highlighting FearIsNotLove, a Calgary organization that supports people impacted by domestic violence and abuse, people who want to change harmful behaviours, and those supporting someone they care about.
FearIsNotLove offersfree programs for people of all ages and genders in Calgary and surrounding areas. Support includes the Connect Domestic Violence and Abuse Helpline, Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter, counselling, child and family therapy, court support, and programs that help people build safer, healthier relationships.
Last year,FearIsNotLove answered 15,072 calls through its Connect Domestic Violence and Abuse Helpline. The organization also provided shelter and support to 202 women and 239 children, counselling to 778 adults through Community Services, and support to 270 adults and 152 partners through its Men’s Counselling Service.
You don’t need a referral to ask for help. The Connect Domestic Violence and Abuse Helpline is available 24 hours a day and offers counselling, safety planning, and referrals. Call 403.234.SAFE (7233) or toll-free at 1.866.606.SAFE (7233).
FearIsNotLove also offers free online learning materials for people looking for information about abuse, safety planning, or supporting someone they care about.
To learn more about programs and resources, visit fearisnotlove.ca. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911.
If you have feedback on any health topics you would like to learn or read more about, please contact us directly at hello@cwcpcn.com.
For more updates, follow us on social media!
Calgary West Central Primary Care Network, 5966 Centre St. S.E., Calgary, Alberta T2H 0C1, Canada, 403.258.2745
