Calgary-Based Medical Clinic Makes a Positive Impact Through Its Patient's Medical Home Practice

On April 16th, the Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP) staff team headed down to Calgary to celebrate and present Riverbend Medical Clinic with the 2024 ACFP Patient's Medical Home (PMH) - Outstanding Family Practice Award.

A family practice where compassionate care meets comprehensive health services, Riverbend Medical Clinic has demonstrated the PMH vision-a model of care that supports the trusted relationships between patients and family physicians and other health care providers.

From the frontline staff and medical office assistants, to the family physicians and health care professionals, all of Riverbend Medical Clinic's 16-member team gathered in their friendly and festive waiting room for the recognition.

"It's a pretty high volume of challenging and often complex patient population that we serve... Sometimes we don't always feel appreciated, but I think it is making a huge difference in the community that we're serving. And I think this is a testament to that," said Dr. Adam Neufeld, Medical Director of Riverbend Medical Clinic, upon receiving the award.

Riverbend Medical Clinic has embodied the core elements of a PMH including patient-centredness; comprehensive care; continuity; and timely access. It utilizes a team-based approach to offer walk-ins to virtual care components six days a week to best serve its diverse community.

At the presentation, ACFP Executive Director Terri Potter praised the clinic for "making patients feel welcome, comfortable, and valued." She also noted that "the incredible dedication of its team of doctors and health care professionals to provide personalized treatment for all ages have built and nurtured long-term relationships."

In a congratulatory letter to the clinic, Minister Tanya Fir, the MLA for Calgary-Peigan, said: "Such an honoured distinction reaffirms the trust patients place in the clinic and highlights the positive impact your important work has on Alberta's health care landscape. It is inspiring and admirable to see Riverbend Medical Clinic passionately dedicated to improving the lives and health of Calgarians."

According to Dr. Neufeld, Riverbend Medical Clinic's focus not just on the patient but also on their team, how they work together, and how they can be better, which has enabled them to meet the needs of the community.

"We are really proud of the work that we are doing...the systems that we are developing. We are teaching and doing research patient care. Like if we're trying to fire on all cylinders and it's not perfect, but I don't think we are aiming for perfect. We are aiming for synergy. And, and I think it's a work in progress and that it's a unique thing that we have going here," added Dr. Neufeld.

For more than ten years, the ACFP has been presenting the ACFP Awards including the Patient's Medical Home (PMH) Outstanding Family Practice. The ACFP Awards recognize family physicians, family medicine residents, medical students, and clinical teams who have made excellent contributions to family medicine.

Alberta College of Family Physicians
10403 172 Street NW, Suite 370 (Centre 170), Edmonton, AB T5S 1K9
Lindsay Rankin, Manager, Communications & Stakeholder Relations
(780) 265-5467 or Lindsay.Rankin@acfp.ca

The Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP) is a provincial chapter of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and is a member-based, not-for-profit organization that represents more than 6,000 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students in Alberta. For 70 years, members have entrusted the ACFP with their continuing professional development needs, advocacy efforts, and vision of family medicine as the foundation for a healthy society.

This release was published on openPR.