The Alberta Government is establishing three new panels to identify improvements needed in the province’s health care system both in the short term and over the next five to 10 years.
The panels, part of Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Care System, will be made up of local primary health care leaders, patients and experts will recommend an overall strategy to improve primary health care. A panel of national and international experts will inform the work of the strategic advisory panel and panel of Indigenous health experts will ensure Indigenous voices and wisdom is integrated into the initiative.
“This work will not only help stabilize and strengthen today’s primary health care system, but will identify innovations that can be implemented to meet Albertans’ health needs in the years ahead,” said Premier Jason Kenney.
“Prioritizing health care in the community will lead to a more robust and resilient health system overall.”
Minister of Health Jason Copping said the panels will “focus on addressing challenges Indigenous and rural Albertans face when trying to find a family doctor or other primary health care provider”.
“(MAPS) is about building on the strong primary health care foundation that exists in Alberta to create a system where everyone has access to a family physician or primary health care provider, no matter where they live in the province,” Copping said.
“Modernizing primary health care will also help to ease pressures on our hospitals.”
The NDP responded to the Alberta Government’s announcement, casting doubt on the proposal.
“Jason Copping is not taking real action in his last weeks on the job. Today’s announcement is a vague plan to make a vague plan. Albertans without a doctor want action,” said David Shepherd, NDP Health Critic.
“Minister Copping did not acknowledge the deep harm he and Tyler Shandro caused to Alberta families who can’t find a doctor. He also did not admit the failure of his rural doctor recruitment scheme.
“The UCP’s war on health care workers has led to unacceptable increases to emergency room and ambulance wait times. Dozens of rural hospitals are partially closed today.”
Friends of Medicare also criticized the announcement, saying a panel just further delays the immediate need for action.
“We don’t need another task force. We already know the solutions: We need to listen to health care workers, we need a workforce plan, we need tangible investments to rebuild and strengthen the foundation already present in our public health care system,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
“What we don’t need now is more half-announcements filled with political spin designed to justify expanding the role of profit in our health care.”
A forum will be held this winter to gather panel members, stakeholders and those involved in primary health care to discuss solutions to current barriers and highlight international and national innovations. Panel members include Dr. Brad Bahler and Dr. Janet Reynolds on the strategic advisory panel, Dr. Jennifer Njenga and Dr. Richard Lewanczuk on the international expert advisory panel and Trish Merrithew-Mercredi, on the Indigenous advisory panel.
A final report with a recommended strategy to modernize Alberta’s primary health care system will be finalized in spring 2023.