Alberta is reorganizing its health care system
The province delegates the authority of Alberta Health Services to four special organizations.
Alberta is reorienting its health care system. The current structure limits system-wide oversight, system prioritization and demands accountability for government. And for residents of the province, it results in increased wait times, disruptions to health care services and difficult access to care.
What's going to change?
The government is eliminating the current system, which will redistribute the responsibilities of Alberta Health Services among 4 agencies. Each will be responsible for one area of health services:
- Acute care;
- Primary care;
- Continuing care;
- Mental health and addictions.
"For too many years, Alberta’s health care system has been too complex and uncoordinated, leading to unacceptable wait times and poorer health outcomes for Albertans. It’s time to change that," commented provincial Premier Danielle Smith.
Acute care
The organization will oversee inpatient care, urgent care centers, cancer care, clinical operations, and acute care. The provincial organization will work directly with acute care providers.
Among the unit's primary goals are to improve response rates, increase accessibility to emergency care in rural areas, and reduce emergency room wait times.
Primary care
Includes services to meet everyday health needs: visits to a family doctor or nurse practitioner, primary care network visits, consultations with a specialist, preventive care, and chronic disease management.
This department is expected to accomplish the following objectives: connecting every Alberta resident to a family doctor or nurse practitioner and providing timely access to the listed services at all times (including after hours).
Continuing care
Continuing care provides Alberta residents with the health and care services they need to maintain independence and quality of life. This includes rehabilitative and restorative care.
These services can be provided in a variety of settings, including home care, continuing care centers and special day programs. The organization's main goal is to increase the number and geographic distribution of beds in the province and to improve the efficiency of intersectoral health care.
Mental health and addiction
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Alberta's Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions will begin overseeing the mental health and addictions system, including funding management. To continue to provide public mental health and addictions services, the provincial government is creating a special organization.
This change will improve coordination between the services provided by the public agency and the nonprofit sector.
How will this affect health care workers?
The government says preserving all jobs will be a priority for the reform. Documents leaked to the press say the changes will affect about 250,000 health workers.
Engagement meetings with nursing staff, labor unions and health care associations, and health care partners are scheduled throughout November.
All four sectors of the health system will be charged with increasing local decision-making capacity and working closely with the new regional advisory councils.
