UPDATED: Alberta government unveils acute care organization, incorporates primary care organization

The Alberta government said the provincial health agency dedicated to acute care will be known as Acute Care Alberta (ACA). Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said acute care is a significant part of the healthcare system, with complexities requiring it to be thoughtful to create tangible changes. “Albertans deserve quicker access to care, reduced wait times for important surgeries that will benefit their health and quality of life and to know if and when they need emergency health services, it is there for them no matter where they live,” said LaGrange at a Monday press conference. “We want to get this work done right.” Since the acute care system is complex, she said setting it up for success now and in the future is critical. That is why it is shifting the timelines for when ACA will become operational. She confirmed ACA will become a legal entity early next year and begin operations in the spring. While this was an adjustment to the Alberta government’s timelines, she said providing Albertans with a sustainable, effective healthcare system remains its top priority. She said establishing it will follow the phased approach that was used for Recovery Alberta and Primary Care Alberta (PCA). In this process, she said Alberta Health Services (AHS) will continue to play a key role in delivering acute care services with a renewed focus on shorter wait times and higher quality care for patients. LaGrange said AHS and other healthcare providers such as Covenant Health will be accountable to ACA. To support its implementation and ensure essential services and patient experiences are not interrupted during the process, she said Alberta Health has established a transition team. The transition team will consist of Alberta Health executives and external senior advisor Dr. Chris Eagle. Eagle has supported healthcare initiatives across Alberta, including in his time as AHS president and CEO from 2010 to 2013. She thanked AHS President and CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos and its board for their ongoing work towards this new vision. With AHS' continued leadership and dedication, she said it “is critical to ensuring a successful standup of the acute care organization next year and to the continued success as a valued healthcare provider.”.Effective Monday, she said PCA has become a legal entity. She pointed out the immediate work will be to implement corporate policies and processes; develop operational plans; set its vision, mission, and performance targets; and work with stakeholders to meet its goal of ensuring every Albertan has access to high-quality primary care services. As Alberta’s new healthcare system takes shape, she said it is important Albertans understand and connect with the agencies creating change. That is why it unveiled the new logos for ACA and PCA. Each provincial health agency will have new, distinct brands. She said cohesive colours among the logos reflect its commitment to foster integration within a unified, refocused healthcare system, but the distinctions between each one highlight the unique qualities of them and reaffirm its promise for a new direction for healthcare..She noted PCA is the first step to a healthier future. By delivering accessible services and co-ordinating resources, she said it will prevent illness, promote well-being, and enhance quality of life for all Albertans. She said the Alberta government will keep Albertans updated as the work to execute the ACA continues. In the meantime, she said there will be no disruptions to services. In addition to these updates, she said it was taking a more integrated approach to the healthcare system to inform provincial and local decision-making and better respond to people’s needs. This will be done by transitioning from five regional health zones to seven integrated health corridors. Because the corridors reflect where Albertans access care, she said it will be better able to determine existing gaps in the healthcare system and where spending should go. She emphasized engaging with healthcare professionals has been vital to its work to refocus the healthcare system. She encouraged all Albertans to participate in incoming telephone town halls, where it will be facilitating discussions about this ongoing work. The next telephone town hall will be Tuesday morning, and two more are scheduled for November 27 and 28. She said people can register at alberta.ca/leadtheway. Additionally, she said people can provide feedback through an online form and sign up for a e-newsletter that will keep them updated about the refocusing work. LaGrange concluded by saying she was encouraged by what she was seeing and that was why the Alberta government has committed to continuing its refocusing work and reaching the finish line to creating a healthcare system for all Albertans and healthcare workers. She said it wants to create an effective one for now and future generations. LaGrange followed up by saying there is plenty of work that has to be done. “As we always said, Acute Care Alberta will be the agency overseeing acute care, which will have Alberta Health Services as a service provider as well as Covenant Health and Chartered Surgical Facilities just to name a few of the areas,” she said. “We want to make sure we get it right.” In response, she said it would take the time to ensure ACA is executed in the proper manner. She added it will have a legal first date in spring 2025 and should be functional by April 1. Alberta NDP MLA Sarah Hoffman (Edmonton-Glenora) responded by saying the government wants to fix healthcare. “But they are making things worse,” said Hoffman.“Reannouncing that they are creating more org charts so they can blame more managers for the government's failure to put paitents and healthcare workers first isn't the solution.”.Some ideas she proposed were spending more on frontline providers, signing collective agreements with nurses and doctors, and building more hospitals and long-term care facilities.The Alberta government said on October 15 PCA will oversee, co-ordinate, and deliver some primary care services and become operational later that fall. .Alberta government to launch primary care organization later this fall .Because of this move, LaGrange said Albertans will have an agency dedicated to ensuring their primary care needs are met. “As it is now, we have the foundations for an excellent primary healthcare system — mostly because we have excellent primary healthcare providers in Alberta,” she said.

UPDATED: Alberta government unveils acute care organization, incorporates primary care organization

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