Province announces new primary health care agency

By Lethbridge Herald on October 15, 2024.

Provincial Health Minister Adriana LaGrange makes a health-care announcement last year in Calgary. LaGrange announced Tuesday a new provincial health agency overseeing and coordinating the delivery of primary health care services. THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO/Todd Korol

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – apulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange announced Tuesday a new provincial health agency overseeing and coordinating the delivery of primary health care services and also issued a statement about the latest physician numbers from the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta.

LaGrange said during a press conference Tuesday morning that the provincial government believes the best way to get Albertans the health care they need and deserve is by creating four fully integrated provincial health agencies that will oversee the priority sectors of primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction. 

“We have seen the stand up of Recovery Alberta, which is the mental health and addiction agency already. And today, I’m pleased to announce another milestone, the stand up of Primary Care Alberta,” said LaGrange. 

She explained that Primary Care Alberta will be the provincial health agency responsible for the oversight, coordination and delivery of some primary health care services. 

“What this means for Albertans is that they will finally have an agency that is dedicated to making sure their primary health care needs are met,” said LaGrange. 

She said as it is now, we have the foundations for an excellent primary health care system, mostly because we have excellent primary care providers in Alberta, but it can and must be better. 

“Currently only four out of 10 Albertans report being able to get a same or next day appointment with their primary health care provider. We are also seeing that Albertans are often unable to access interdisciplinary care, such as linking up dieticians or physiotherapists through their primary care provider because most providers do not work in inter-professional teams,” said LaGrange. 

She said in Alberta, no one organization or authority represents the needs of the primary health care sector. That means no one organization is currently accountable for Primary Health care. 

“This must be addressed, which is why we’re setting up Primary Care Alberta. Today, I’m also pleased to announce Dr. Kim Simmons as the new Chief Executive Officer of Primary Care Alberta,” said LaGrange. 

She said Simmons is currently the Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Planning and Performance at Alberta Health and she brings a wealth of public and private sector experience to the role and has extensive experience working with stakeholders across the health care system. 

“She has experience working with clinicians and understands the need for data and evidence-based decision making when it comes to delivering primary care services to Albertans no matter where they live,” said LaGrange. 

She said Dr. Simmons first task as CEO of Primary Care Alberta is to make sure every Albertan has improved access to key primary care services, which means more Albertans will be attached to a primary care provider. 

“Which may be a family doctor or a nurse practitioner, but no one should be forced to seek primary health care in an emergency department or acute care setting,” said LaGrange. 

She said this work will include introducing new models of primary care, which means supporting the formation of teams of primary care professionals to work together and provide comprehensive health care to each Albertan. 

“Primary Care Alberta will also work to increase access to after-hours care, including options for virtual and digital health where appropriate, because health issues don’t just happen during business hours, and I think we all know that,” said LaGrange.

She said this will improve access to provincial chronic disease programs to prevent people from falling through the cracks and ensure Albertans have the support they need throughout their health care journey. 

LaGrange added that Primary Care Alberta was created based on extensive engagement with primary care providers as part of MAPS, the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System work that went on and is still underway. 

“Setting up an agency devoted to primary care is a made in Alberta solution. We will actually be the first province in the country to do so. It’s a bold move that is needed to ensure Albertans are fully supported in their day-to-day health needs through every stage of life, and I have no doubt that Primary Care Alberta will deliver,” said LaGrange. 

Minister LaGrange also issued a statement about the latest physician numbers where she says the latest quarterly statistics from the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta show promising progress. 

“At the end of September, there were 12,126 physicians registered in Alberta, an increase of 518 physicians, or 4.5 per cent, compared with the same time last year, with the greatest increase occurring in the Calgary area. We’ve also seen a net increase of 370 physicians since the end of the second quarter.”

But according to NDP leader Naheed Nenshi this data does not reflect the reality of what is going on across the province and he told reporters during a press conference here in Lethbridge Tuesday morning that if that was true, he would be happy the government was at least taking first steps. 

“That is registered physicians. It doesn’t mean people actually accepting patients. And when people retire, they usually stay on the registry. When people move, it takes a long time to get off the registry. So, the proof is actually in the pudding,” said Nenshi.

He added that they can talk about stats all they want, but the reality is the number of family physicians practicing in Alberta is only going down.