Alberta’s government is overhauling the province’s health care system by shifting decision-making power away from centralized zones and into individual hospitals in an effort to reduce bureaucracy and improve patient care.Premier Danielle Smith announced Tuesday that Alberta Health Services will eliminate its existing zone-based leadership structure and replace it with site-level leadership teams at acute care hospitals. These on-site teams will have the authority to hire staff, manage resources and respond to issues in real time, giving them greater flexibility to meet the needs of their communities.“What works in Calgary or Edmonton isn’t always what works in Camrose or Peace River,” said Smith. “That’s why we’re cutting through bureaucracy and putting real decision-making power back in the hands of local hospital leaders.”.Health Minister Matt Jones said the new hospital-based leadership structure will make key decisions faster and more efficiently by empowering those who are closest to the delivery of care. Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services, said the move will eliminate delays and improve responsiveness at the facility level.Alberta’s 7 regional health corridors will remain in place, but each acute care site will now report directly to Acute Care Alberta, a new oversight body that will monitor site performance against standardized expectations. While Alberta Health Services will continue managing operations, local leaders will have day-to-day decision-making power.“This change will enable local leadership teams to make site-based decisions in real and tangible ways that are best for their patients, families and staff,” said Dr. Chris Eagle, interim CEO of Acute Care Alberta.Interim AHS president and CEO Andre Tremblay said the move will help address long-standing frustrations around staff shortages and delayed operations by allowing hospitals to respond quickly to emerging needs.The government plans to implement the new model at one hospital by November 2025 before expanding it across the province by summer 2026. Only AHS-operated acute care facilities will be affected during the initial rollout.The province says international examples in countries like the Netherlands, Norway and parts of Australia have already shown the benefits of decentralized hospital governance.
