Technology and transportation will be key to a revitalized health-care system for rural Alberta, said Alberta health minister Ron Liepert.
Growing difficulties attracting health specialists to Edmonton and Calgary make it almost impossible to find specialists who want to locate in rural Alberta.
“It’s more likely the patient is brought to the specialist,” said Liepert during a news conference announcing that the government plans to overhaul the health-care system.
By June 15, the government will unveil changes to the way Alberta’s nine regional health authorities and other agencies operate.
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Details of planned changes to improve the efficiency of health care were sketchy, but promises were made to reduce waiting times and slow ballooning costs. Health-care spending has increased to $13 billion from $6 billion in six years. Health care accounts for 40 percent of the province’s budget.
“Substantial changes need to be made to health care in Alberta,” the minister said.
“It’s time to move from a system that is too often focused on administrative processes to a system that is serving the patient.
“We want to ensure all Albertans receive equitable service,” he said, but didn’t expand on how it would be achieved.
Changing Albertans’ attitudes of what to expect will be key to the changes. Health care is more than lining up to see a family doctor or visiting a hospital every time a person is sick, Liepert said.
The government plans to promote healthy eating and active living with a special focus on encouraging healthy weights in children and youth.
“Encouraging people to take greater responsibility for their health is our best hope for the long-term sustainability of our health-care system,” he said.
The review will include the province’s nine regional health authorities, Alberta Cancer Board, Alberta Mental Health Board and the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission.
Liepert said one of the most important changes would be trying to find more health-care staff by increasing training spaces in schools to alleviate the critical shortage of workers. The government has also identified the need to provide more support for medical students in rural Alberta.
Jim Saunders, co-official administrator with East Central Health, one of the province’s nine regional health boards, said its future would be decided with the June announcement.
The provincial government disbanded the board last year after problems were discovered with sterilization standards at a hospital in its region.
Saunders believes Liepert is correct to start with a vision for the future of health care and create a governance structure for that vision especially with large rural health districts. East Central Health services 100,000 residents in 59 municipalities across the east-central part of Alberta.
“It’s not possible to have high quality health care delivered in every small centre,” said Saunders, who was appointed to lead the region temporarily.
“It’s not economically viable and not good health care.”
Saunders said rural Albertans need a health system that gives them reasonable access to local services, but also a good transportation system for specialty care when it’s required.
“I think we need to adjust what is reasonable and what you can expect in a small community.”
