Getting a family doctor in Calgary just got a little easier: primary care network

Calgary has seen a dramatic improvement in the number of physicians and nurse practitioners accepting patients.

Alberta is experiencing an uptick in the number of primary care providers, with Calgary leading the way, according to the Alberta Find a Doctor website.

After a number of years of decline, 2024-25 data showed a “marked increase” in all five provincial health zones, with Calgary showing the biggest growth.

The city increased from 47 physicians and nurse practitioners taking patients in March 2024 to 251 in March 2025, an increase of 400 per cent, according to a media release issued by Calgary and area Primary Care Networks.

As of Thursday - May 8 - the number has grown to 283.

The south zone says there are 17 listed as accepting patients, 42 in the central zone, 97 in Edmonton and 65 in the north zone.

"We are I would say really excited here in the Calgary Zone to see the improvement in the numbers of physicians and nurse practitioners accepting patients," said Calgary Zone medical director Dr. Christine Luelo.

“It’s the best it’s been since 2021.”

Alberta Find a Doctor, a free online service that’s a partnernship between Primary Care Networks and Alberta Health , was launched in 2019 to make it easier for Albertans to find a family doctor, nurse practitioner or clinic.

According to the release, at the end of March the number of primary care providers on the website reached a four-year high of 462 at the end of March, after three straight years of decreases.

They say that there were a total of 418 family doctors and 44 nurse practitioners accepting patients province-wide at the end of March.

It said the number of providers in the Edmonton zone jumped by 180 per cent between April 2024 and March 2025.

Luelo said she thought it was possible that the new provincial funding formula has helped.

“The new funding model -- in terms of nurse practitioners and for primary care providers providing longitudinal care -- has probably made some of the difference,” she said.

“Obviously the world is a difficult place right now, so we know Alberta’s a wonderful place to live and Calgary in particular, so I suspect it’s a number of factors but … having a family physician or nurse practitioner to answer those calls to address your current health concerns is a big deal.

“Sitting for four hours in urgent care for something that could have been seen in a 15 minute appointment with your primary care provider is not ideal for the system for an individual or for a family,” Luelo added, “so the first step is getting attachment, so that’s saying this person is my primary care provider.

“The next step,” she said, “is getting better access to those primary care providers -- and that’s the work for the future as well.”

For more information, go here.

With files from CTV’s Alesia Fieldberg