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Alberta Health Services (AHS) would shift its primary focus from being the sole health care provider to focussing on acute care and continuing care
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The Alberta government is set to decentralize the province’s health care provider as part of a series of moves that will create multiple new service delivery agencies.
“The current health care system’s structure limits the government’s ability to provide system-wide oversight, set system priorities, and to require accountability for those priorities on behalf of Albertans,” reads a news release outlining the changes.
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Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange are scheduled to hold a news conference later Wednesday morning.
Watch the press conference here
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The changes will be introduced in a staged approach that begins in the coming weeks through fall of next year, according to government documents.
Under those changes, Alberta Health Services (AHS) would shift its primary focus from being the sole health care provider to focussing on acute care and continuing care.
It would share that role with two new organizations: one that oversees oversee the delivery of hospital care, urgent care centres, cancer care, and emergency medical services, and another that will coordinate primary health care services and provide transparent provincial oversight.
Other newly-formed organizations include one for continuing care and one for mental health and addiction.
Covenant Health would continue to offer services in the areas of acute care and continuing care but no longer be contracted and funded through agreements with AHS.
Alberta Health will restructure the 12 regional advisory councils that currently exist and create a new Indigenous advisory council.
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The government claims those organizations will provide input on local priorities, capital and system plans and bring forward proposals for local initiatives and innovative solutions.
Department officials couldn’t specify a final cost for the transition, but said there was $15 million budgeted this fiscal year to begin the process.
LaGrange has also appointed a new seven-member AHS board with the intent of overseeing the organization’s transition.
The new board will be chaired by former cabinet minister Dr. Lyle Oberg and also includes three deputy ministers.
The plan largely echoes what was outlined by Opposition New Democrats a day earlier after they received a leaked set of documents.
NDP leader Rachel Notley is expected to speak later Wednesday but on Tuesday, said the changes would lead to “catastrophic chaos” and concentrate too much power in the premier’s office.
mblack@postmedia.com
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