Langdon is now home to a new women’s health centre, located within the year-old clinic on Main Street.
The clinic, the first of its kind in Rocky View, covers a gamut of women’s concerns, from mental health, cancer screening and comprehensive yearly physicals to pregnancy and prenatal care.
“We had a big beautiful space and wanted to utilize it for the community,” said Estelle Pedersen, the clinic’s registered nurse. “We were starting to be approached here by a lot of young women.”
The clinic’s female physician, Baljinder Mann has more than a decade of experience in women’s health.
She possesses a master’s degree in social work and past experience has given her a zeal for mental health and social support services.
“It is her passion,” said Pedersen. “She brings a lot of experience and education to the clinic.”
In addition to the medical services, the women’s clinic will function as a centre for community support.
Mental health practitioners and crisis counselors will visit the clinic on a weekly basis and staff will help patients get in touch with other services.
“A trend we noticed was women coming to us in crisis,” said Pedersen. “There is a lot of serious issues, but no social support (in the area). It is a way of collaborating here as a group and getting them connected.”
The Langdon Medical Clinic also offers a family medical centre, which features short-notice appointments.
Since opening, staff has fielded calls from as far away as High Level and has encountered a wide variety of medical issues, including anxiety and depression.
A flexible booking system allows staff to accommodate patients in crisis.
“We are all very passionate about community service work, so we always keep spots available every day,” said Pedersen.
Physician’s assistant Melanie Hurst said staff has been busy since the clinic opened the last week of January.
“There’s lots of demand for this,” said Hurst. “People are calling left, right and centre.”
The clinic is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. To book an appointment, call 403-936-5990.