Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health, speaks in Calgary. The minister is now in total charge of the provincial health system following a controversial restructuring in 2024.--CP FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
The past year saw dramatic changes to the structure of the provincial health-care system, beginning the process which would separate the former umbrella organization of Alberta Health Services into several separate entities.
Legislation was initially proposed May 14 after announcements late in 2023. The proposed changes would divide what was at the time under a larger umbrella into Primary Care, Acute Care, Continuing Care and Mental Health and Addiction. The province, at the time, explained that the goal of this transition would be to better “ensure patients are receiving the care they need, when and where they need it.”
In addition to the different sectors created, the new restructure appointed Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange to the role of oversight minister, responsible for setting the strategic direction of the overall health system.
This announcement was initially received negatively by organizations such as the Alberta NDP and AUPE, which criticized the increased power given to the Ministry of Health with the higher levels of government oversight and potential chaos that the restructuring would cause.
Both parties expressed concerns that this move was a “launchpad” for further privatization of health care in the province, and how it would affect both the quality of care received by people reliant on public care and the frontline workers who are still dealing with the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, short staffing and uncertainty regarding their positions.
“Frontline workers are capable of adapting to change,” said AUPE vice-president Sandra Azocar in a press release on May 17. “But when you throw workers – who are already short-staffed, overworked and burnt out – into a major systemic overhaul, you create chaos and likely do more harm than good.”
The first of the four planned agencies, Recovery Alberta was legally established on July 1, and the transition of affected AHS employees came into effect on Sept 1. The transition was planned to be minimally disruptive, said Recovery Alberta CEO Kerry Bales.
Primary Care Alberta became a legal entity in mid-November, with CEO Kim Simmonds appointed and plans for staff to begin transitioning in the new year. It is expected for work to continue for the final two new agencies, Acute Care and Continuing Care, in 2025.
“Standing up Primary Care Alberta is an important milestone in refocusing the health care system to put patients first and give our front-line experts the support they need to ensure Albertans are receiving the care they deserve,” said LaGrange in a press release regarding the creation of Primary Care Alberta.
The last major change for 2024 came in the form of a new compensation model agreement for primary care practitioners in late December, with hopes of increasing access to family doctors and other primary care by incentivizing large panel sizes and after-hours care.
The province says it hopes this new model of compensation will attract and retain more family medicine practitioners, who will “provide comprehensive care.”
