There are more than 300 family doctors in Calgary and area accepting new patients.

Those are just the doctors who are part of Primary Care Networks.

Dr. Phillip van der Merwe says the perception there's a shortage of doctors is something they've been trying to counteract the last few years.

"We've tried to do away with that urban myth, or rural myth, it's hard to find family doctors which is widely held by the public, but also unfortunately by politicians and bureaucrats as well, and we've known this for awhile now, but keep coming up against this perception that it's hard to find a family doctor," he says. "So we have demonstrated fairly clearly through Primary Care Networks that has changed for a number of years now."

He says it's one thing to say there are 800 doctors in the province taking new patients but how do people find them. That was the reason for the website.

In Calgary there are about 370 physicians taking new patients.

He says Primary Care Networks aren't actual places but are a network of physicians in different areas and disciplines working together who can track a patient's care.

Dr. van der Merwe says Primary Care Networks are able to track a patients progress and visits to other professionals in the network whereas a walk-in clinic isn't able to do that.

Residents in urban Calgary and surrounding communities including Airdrie, Banff, Canmore, Cochrane, High River and Strathmore can find a family doctor by logging on to www.calgaryareadocs.com. Visitors to the website are given one of two options: Search an interactive map listing doctors taking patients or ask a Primary Care Network for help.

The website lists physicians by location, as well as by gender and languages spoken. The service is free to use and can also be accessed by calling Health Link at 811.