Provincial healthcare engagement sessions upcoming

Posted on January 16, 2025 by admin

By Cal Braid
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

 In November 2023, the provincial government announced plans to refocus the healthcare system to improve health access, services, and outcomes for everyone. To gather public feedback, the Province held in-person public sessions and used online tools from January to June 2024 and released a public report on its findings. It will now engage in a second round of engagement sessions beginning Jan. 21.

 In a new year’s conversation on her YouTube channel with Bruce McAllister, executive director of the premier’s office, Smith said that the focus on healthcare was clear evidence of her government’s forward progress in 2024.

 “We’re very happy that the major refocusing took place,” Smith said, before explaining why a major overhaul was needed. “We basically gave all the money, all the policy making decisions, all of the ability to contract out all of the service delivery to one entity. We tried this experiment for 15 years, and instead of things getting better and better, they got worse and worse.”

 Smith’s government decided to eliminate Alberta Health Services as the single-entity healthcare provider and split it into four agencies: primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction. The move was made to improve the system’s effectiveness both for patients and the tens of thousands of healthcare workers within it.

 In a statement, Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health, said, “From the very start, we have been committed to building a health care system that works for every Albertan. By continuing the conversation, we are ensuring that their experiences, perspectives, and expertise are reflected in our decision-making.”

 The first round of engagements included 65 in-person public sessions with almost 3,000 Albertans, health care workers, patients, and caregivers attending. More than 18,000 people offered feedback through online tools and almost 10,000 people participated in virtual town halls.

 The findings from the first sessions, summarized in a What We Heard report, helped guide the design and implementation of the restructured health care system. The Province identified seven major themes: 1) Access to health care 2) Communication and transparency on an ongoing basis 3) Supporting and sustaining the healthcare workforce 4) Needs of patients and providers in rural, remote and Indigenous communities 5) Local decision-making and empowerment 6) Accountability of the health care system 7) System integration and coordination

 Albertans are now invited again to be a part of the refocusing, and local engagement sessions will be held on the following dates: Lethbridge – Jan. 21 from 5 to 7 p.m.; Bow Island – Jan. 23 from 12 to 2 p.m.; and Medicine Hat – Jan. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m.

 Notable omissions from the schedule are Taber, Cardston, and Milk River. Though Taber and Cardston were included in the first round of sessions, Milk River has not been included in either round. The small town has been consistently underserved in the past five years, with repeated closures at the health centre ER, which is one of the only centres of its kind in a vast rural region. The province has stated its intent to improve health and emergency services for rural Albertans, and Milk River stands out as an obvious case study in faltering service.

 A link to the upcoming sessions is on the Government of Alberta website and can be found by searching for ‘refocused health care.’