The UCP government says it will increase investments in Alberta's primary care to help stabilize the system..According to the province, primary health care leaders and national and global experts are being brought together to identify immediate and long-term improvements to strengthen Alberta’s primary health care system.. Improving primary health care – September 23, 2022Health Minister Jason Copping outlined details about modernizing primary health care in Alberta. .Three advisory panels are being established as part of the UCP's plan "Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System.".According to the UCP, the plan will identify primary health care improvements in the short term and over the next five to 10 years..“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. Prioritizing health care in the community will lead to a more robust and resilient health system overall," Premier Jason Kenney said..According to Minister of Health Jason Copping, the plan 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. Modernizing primary health care will also help to ease pressures on our hospitals," Copping said..According to Copping, a strategic advisory panel 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..According to the UCP government, a panel of indigenous health experts will ensure indigenous voices and wisdom is integrated into the initiative..The provincial government said the plan will have a particular focus on addressing challenges indigenous and rural Albertans face when trying to find a family doctor or other primary health care providers. It will also aim to ensure First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people have access to high-quality, culturally safe care that is "free of racism and respects their unique health-care needs."."Working closely with the Alberta Medical Association, primary care networks (PCNs), and other primary health care leaders across the province, the panels will address major issues, identify key areas for improvement and recommend both new opportunities and ways to ramp up existing strengths in the system," the UCP government stated..According to the provincial government, an innovation 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.."This really, quite frankly, it's about partnerships. We as a government don't necessarily have all the answers. And even if we had the solution we think is the best thing since sliced bread, but no one agrees with it, you never can implement it," Copping said..Copping said the plan will take advice from people who are in the "trenches" in health care.."You know, doing the work day to day, what can we focus on at the highest priority to get the results that we need? It's going to take time, these problems weren't created over months or weeks quite frankly, many of these issues, particularly in rural areas, they've been around for a long time, even pre-COVID But COVID highlighted them. It's exacerbated the problem," Copping said.."We're taking action right now to address these these issues in terms of increased investments in primary care. And we know we need to stabilize the system.".Copping said the work the panel will be do is looking at what are the solutions the government can "emulate quickly."."I'm asking them which is a challenging feat, quite frankly, and I thank them very much for doing that. To come up with solutions like OK, what quick hits can we get this fall," Copping said.."But also a vision for the long term that we can work together and transform our systems and get quite frankly get some of the results that many other countries are getting with a focus on primary care and actually better health care outcomes at a lower cost.".A final report with a recommended strategy to modernize Alberta’s primary health care system will be finalized in spring 2023..Alberta's NDP responded to the UCP's plan to modernize primary health care in the province..“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," NDP Health Critic David Shepherd said..According to Shepherd, 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 in emergency room and ambulance wait times. Dozens of rural hospitals are partially closed," Shepherd said.
The UCP government says it will increase investments in Alberta's primary care to help stabilize the system..According to the province, primary health care leaders and national and global experts are being brought together to identify immediate and long-term improvements to strengthen Alberta’s primary health care system.. Improving primary health care – September 23, 2022Health Minister Jason Copping outlined details about modernizing primary health care in Alberta. .Three advisory panels are being established as part of the UCP's plan "Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System.".According to the UCP, the plan will identify primary health care improvements in the short term and over the next five to 10 years..“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. Prioritizing health care in the community will lead to a more robust and resilient health system overall," Premier Jason Kenney said..According to Minister of Health Jason Copping, the plan 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. Modernizing primary health care will also help to ease pressures on our hospitals," Copping said..According to Copping, a strategic advisory panel 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..According to the UCP government, a panel of indigenous health experts will ensure indigenous voices and wisdom is integrated into the initiative..The provincial government said the plan will have a particular focus on addressing challenges indigenous and rural Albertans face when trying to find a family doctor or other primary health care providers. It will also aim to ensure First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people have access to high-quality, culturally safe care that is "free of racism and respects their unique health-care needs."."Working closely with the Alberta Medical Association, primary care networks (PCNs), and other primary health care leaders across the province, the panels will address major issues, identify key areas for improvement and recommend both new opportunities and ways to ramp up existing strengths in the system," the UCP government stated..According to the provincial government, an innovation 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.."This really, quite frankly, it's about partnerships. We as a government don't necessarily have all the answers. And even if we had the solution we think is the best thing since sliced bread, but no one agrees with it, you never can implement it," Copping said..Copping said the plan will take advice from people who are in the "trenches" in health care.."You know, doing the work day to day, what can we focus on at the highest priority to get the results that we need? It's going to take time, these problems weren't created over months or weeks quite frankly, many of these issues, particularly in rural areas, they've been around for a long time, even pre-COVID But COVID highlighted them. It's exacerbated the problem," Copping said.."We're taking action right now to address these these issues in terms of increased investments in primary care. And we know we need to stabilize the system.".Copping said the work the panel will be do is looking at what are the solutions the government can "emulate quickly."."I'm asking them which is a challenging feat, quite frankly, and I thank them very much for doing that. To come up with solutions like OK, what quick hits can we get this fall," Copping said.."But also a vision for the long term that we can work together and transform our systems and get quite frankly get some of the results that many other countries are getting with a focus on primary care and actually better health care outcomes at a lower cost.".A final report with a recommended strategy to modernize Alberta’s primary health care system will be finalized in spring 2023..Alberta's NDP responded to the UCP's plan to modernize primary health care in the province..“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," NDP Health Critic David Shepherd said..According to Shepherd, 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 in emergency room and ambulance wait times. Dozens of rural hospitals are partially closed," Shepherd said.
