New health corridors being launched

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on November 19, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange on Monday announced the province is moving from five Alberta health zones to seven corridors and Primary Care Alberta has officially became a legal entity.

Primary Care Alberta is one four individual health agencies the government previously announced last November would be introduced dedicated to delivery primary, acute and continuing care as well as mental health and addictions services.

Under the new system, four fully integrated agencies will oversee priority sectors of health care.

The system is taking shape, said LaGrange in a media news conference. Recovery Alberta has already been launched and is now followed by Primary Care Alberta.

They will be joined by the agency responsible for acute care which Lagrange called a significant part of the health care system “with complexities that require us to be thoughtful and intentional. So Albertans see tangible improvements to their health care delivery,” said LaGrange.

Acute Care Alberta’s domain will include hospitals, emergency services and surgery care.

“Albertans deserve quicker access to care, reduced wait times for important surgeries that will benefit their health and quality of life, and to know that if and when they need emergency health services it is them no matter where they live,” added the minister, saying the province wants to get the work done right.

And that’s why the province is shifting its timeline for Acute Care Alberta to make sure the system is set up for success. It will become a legal entity early next year and begin its operations in early spring, the minister told media.

“While this is an adjustment to our initial timelines, providing Albertans with a health care system that is sustainable and effective remains our top priority,” added LaGrange, saying a phased approach will be used with Alberta Health Services continuing to play a key role in delivering acute care systems “with a renewed focus on shorter wait times and higher quality care for patients.”

Along with other agencies such as Covenant Health, AHS will be accountable to the acute care provincial health agency, she said.

The new health corridors will reflect “a more integrated approach to the health system planning to inform provincial and local decision making and better respond to the needs of Albertans,” LaGrange said.

Those corridors will help the province make better informed decisions about “services, workforce and infrastructure. Because the new corridors reflect where Albertans are accessing care, we will be better able to determine existing gaps in the health care system and where investments – including operational dollars and funding for capital projects – should be allocated,” said the minister.

The new corridors will include South-West, South-East, Calgary, Central, Edmonton, North-East and North-West.

LaGrange said a record-breaking 304,500 surgeries were performed in the province last year with expansions to operating rooms in 19 communities to boost surgical capacity. This year the province is on track to surpass that amount with nearly 310,000 surgeries.

As of Nov. 1, AHS has already completed nearly nine per cent more cancer surgeries compared to the same time last year and for the second consecutive year, a record number of registrants renewed their permits with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta to continue practising here – more than 44,798 are now practising and there was an 11 per cent renewal for RNs and 15 per cent for nurse practitioners.

At the end of September, there were 12,126 physicians registered in Alberta, an increase of 518 compared to the same time last year. There has also been a five per cent increase in the number of family physicians over the same period, said LaGrange.

“These record numbers reflect that there are more doctors registered today than at any other time in the province’s history,” added the Minister who said she is encouraged by what she is seeing.

In a media release Monday afternoon, the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta said there have been 370 new sponsored family medicine positions in the province since its sponsorship model was expanded in March.