Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) Class

Patients will received a copy of a comprehensive workbook designed to help prepare them (and their partners) to cope well while on androgen deprivation therapy (a.k.a. hormone therapy, Eligard injections) and learn how to prevent or manage side effects. Partners and / or loved ones are welcome to attend the class.

Child Health Clinics Community

This service provides:

• immunization to infants and preschool children
• health education/counselling/support for parents
• health assessment and screening to identify health concerns
• referral to healthcare providers and community resources

Community Perinatal Program

Offers prenatal care, labour and delivery, and postpartum care to pregnant women at risk due to:

• lack of medical access
• socio-economic issues
• isolation
• language and cultural barriers
• poor nutrition
• substance abuse
• family violence

 Services include:

• prenatal visits
• prenatal education, hospital tours
• labour and birth with clinic doctors
• care for the first 6 weeks after delivery
• complete medical checks
• on-site laboratory services
• transportation support
• nutrition counselling
• help with housing, parenting, nutrition, addiction issues, and family violence

Department of Psychosocial and Spiritual Resources

Provides psychological, social, and spiritual support to cancer patients and their families, including:

• Individual Counselling
• Support Groups
• Social Work Services
• Spiritual Care Services

Department of Psychosocial and Spiritual Resources - Individual Counselling

Services include:

• counselling about how to deal with emotion stress
• information about resources to help with discharge planning and personal affairs
• spiritual counselling

Department of Psychosocial and Spiritual Resources - Social Work Services

Cancer Care Social Workers are professionally trained registered social workers who can provide you with support and information on:

• medical coverage
• resource information for transportation to appointments
• locating affordable accommodations for out of town patients and their families
• overview of available financial options during treatment
• referrals to Psychology and Spiritual Care Services
• personal affairs  (wills, personal directives, enduring power of attorney, etc.)
• assessment of need for and referral to appropriate community resources
• planning for discharge from hospital
• problem solving and difficult decision making
• supportive counselling

Department of Psychosocial and Spiritual Resources - Support Groups

All groups are professionally facilitated.  Groups bring together individuals who share a common experience.  In the group members may no longer feel alone or different.  They may realize that their reactions and emotions are a normal response to the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. 

A wide variety of support groups are offered with new sessions beginning in the fall, winter, and spring. 

Please call the Department of Psychosocial and Spiritual Resources for a current list of support group offerings.

Drop In for New Mothers / Families and Infants

Mothers / families can talk with a public health nurse about health issues or concerns about their infant or preschoolers (e.g., growth, nutrition, common health concerns) or parenting issues.

Fluoride Protection for Toddlers

Children only need to have a few teeth to start getting fluoride. Applications are given 4 times, once every 6 months. For eligibility information visit our website.

At the appointment:

• The child sits on their parent's lap while staff apply fluoride on the child's teeth using a brush, which takes less than a minute.
• The child can eat and drink right after the treatment.
• The fluoride sticks to the teeth and protects them. It slowly wears off when the teeth are brushed.

If the child has asthma, bring his or her asthma reliever medicine to the appointment.
This provincial prevention service is available in all AHS (Alberta Health Services) zones.

Healthy Beginnings Postpartum Program

Provides nursing care and support including:

• health assessments of Mom & Baby
• breastfeeding support
• information about parenting and baby care
• referrals to healthcare providers or community resources as needed

You will be contacted after you are discharged from the hospital to arrange an initial assessment.

Immunization - Adult and Seniors Services

This service provides routine immunization for adults and seniors. Suggested immunizations;

• a booster dose of tetanus / diphtheria vaccine every 10 years
• an adult booster dose of pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, often combined with one of the tetanus / diphtheria boosters (dTap)
• annual influenza vaccine - for all Albertans 6 months of age and older
• pneumococcal vaccine - for all adults 65 years of age and older and adults with certain health problems

To find out which vaccines are recommended for you and to book an appointment for immunization, call your nearest community/public health centre. If you are not sure where your nearest community/public health centre is, you can call Health Link at 811.  Bring any immunization records you have to the appointment, especially if you were immunized in another province or country.

For more general information about immunization, go to Immunizations at myhealth.alberta.ca or call Health Link.

Immunization - Infant and Preschool Services

Alberta Health Services provides routine immunization for infants and children across Alberta. Immunizations are free of charge for infants and children who live in Alberta.

Immunizations are recommended for infants starting at 2 months of age. Routinely recommended vaccines include: diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenza type b, rotavirus, meningococcal, pneumococcal, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox), and influenza.

For the routine immunization schedule, go to immunizealberta.ca.

Additional vaccines may be needed depending on your child’s health conditions or other risk factors.

Immunization is effective. Other than providing safe drinking water, no other health intervention works as well as immunization to reduce disease and death rates. Immunization protects whole communities. The more people who are fully immunized in a community, the safer everyone is.

Immunization is safe.  It is much safer to get immunized than to get the diseases that vaccines protect against. 

For more information, and to book an appointment, call your nearest community/public health centre. If you are not sure where your nearest community/public health centre is, call Health Link at 811. Bring your child’s immunization record to the appointment, especially if your child was immunized in another province or country. 

For more general information about immunization, go to Immunizations at myhealth.alberta.ca, or call Health Link at 811.

Immunization - School Services

This program provides routine immunizations to children in Grades 1, 5, and 9 in school. Before immunizations are given, records are reviewed to see what immunizations each child needs. A consent is then sent home. No immunizations will be given without consent from a parent or legal guardian. Immunizations in this program include:

• Grade 1: for children who have not received routine preschool immunizations, which includes diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella
• Grade 5: Offers Hepatitis B, human papilloma virus (HPV) and varicella (chickenpox) immunization to children who aren't immunized or have NOT had Hepatitis B or varicella disease. In August, 2014 HPV vaccine started being offered to grade 5 boys and girls. There is also a catch-up program for the grade 9 boys and girls who did not receive their vaccine in grade 5
• Grade 9: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and meningococcal vaccine is offered

New Moms Network

Available across the Edmonton area, these sessions provide an opportunity for women to connect with other new moms and learn more about the health and development of their child.

Oncology And Sexuality, Intimacy and Survivorship Program

A variety of in-person programs and services for patients (and their partners) in Calgary and Edmonton. Telehealth consultations are available to patients across the province. Patients can now get help in the privacy of their home. Topics covered include:

• female sexuality and cancer
• male sexuality and cancer
• erectile dysfunction
• vaginal health
• lose of sexual desire
• fertility

Psychosocial and Spiritual Resources - Spiritual Care Services

Services are offered to people of all cultures, spiritual beliefs, and life orientations, including people who are:

• in distress and wanting one-to-one or family support
• struggling with meaning in life and death
• wrestling with experiences of loss, self-worth, being in the hospital, or feelings of being isolated
• looking for support with ethical decision making
• in need of prayer or religious rites
• wanting to explore their understanding of the Divine/God
• coming to terms with bad news or with a future which has become more uncertain

Services include:

• one-to-one spiritual counselling
• connecting with community religious and spiritual leaders
• prayers, rites, and sacraments
• help dealing with difficult situations or issues of life and death
• spiritual support for patients and their family members
• support with life and health issues within each patient’s personal belief system
• dealing with ethical concerns or problems

A multi-faith Prayer Centre is located on the first floor of the Cross Cancer Centre by the gift shop and provides a quiet sacred environment for meditation, prayer, and reflection.

Public Health Centres

A service offered by Public Health Nurses including immunization according to the Alberta Health immunization schedule, health education/counselling/support for parents, health assessment and screening to identify health concerns, and referral to appropriate health care providers such as physicians, and community resources.

School Dental Services

 Services include:

• fluoride treatment
• dental Sealants

School Health Nursing Services

Services include:

• immunizations
• promoting healthy school communities
• resources and support services for students, parents, and teachers
• referrals to other services

School Health Services

Services include:

• School Health Nursing
• School Dental Services

For more information visit our website.

School Oral Health Services

Services are offered to eligible schools and may include:

• fluoride varnish, provided to kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2
• dental sealants, provided to Grade 1 and Grade 2

A child diagnosed with asthma must have their short acting asthma reliever medication with them to receive service.

Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic

Services include:

• free and private testing and treatment for STIs
• testing for HIV, bacterial infections (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis), and diseases of the blood (e.g., hepatitis C)
• HPV (genital warts) treatment (service is not offered at the Westmount Centre Mall site)
• pregnancy testing and referral
• emergency contraceptive pill
• referral to community services
• needle exchange service offered at Edmonton General site only

A chart number for results will be given to you at the time of testing. You must provide this chart number before you get your results.

Birth Control is not provided at this clinic. For information on birth control, contact the Birth Control Centre at 780-735-0010.

Tuberculosis Testing

Offers free tuberculosis (TB) skin testing to eligible Albertans. The Mantoux skin test is not recommended to diagnose TB.

Testing is done at public health centres throughout the province:

• North Zone
• Edmonton Zone
• Central Zone
• Calgary Zone
• South Zone

If you are not eligible for free testing but still need to be tested there will be a charge for the test.

For travel or work related TB testing contact the Travel Health Services in your area. With the exception of Edmonton, you would contact the Immunization Business Unit to have school or work-related TB skin testing done.