The Alberta government said new provincial health agency Primary Care Alberta (PCA) will oversee, co-ordinate, and deliver some primary care services and become operational later this fall. Because of this move, Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said Albertans will have an agency dedicated to ensuring their primary care needs are met. “As it is now, we have the foundations for an excellent primary healthcare system — mostly because we have excellent primary healthcare providers in Alberta,” said LaGrange at a Tuesday press conference. “But it can and must be better.” At the moment, LaGrange said two-fifths of Albertans report being able to get same or next day appointments with their primary care providers. She added they are often unable to access interdisciplinary care such as dietitians or physiotherapists because most primary care providers do not work in interprofessional teams. In Alberta, no one organization is accountable for primary care. She said this must be addressed, which motivated the Alberta government to set up PCA. She confirmed Alberta Health assistant deputy minister of strategic planning and performance Kim Simmonds will become PCA CEO. She said Simmonds brings extensive public and private sector experience to the role and has worked with stakeholders across the healthcare system. With Simmonds, LaGrange said 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. Her first task as PCA CEO is to ensure all Albertans have improved access to primary care services to allow more of them to be connected to providers. The health minister went on to say this work includes introducing new models of primary care, which means supporting the formation of teams of professionals to work together and provide healthcare to all Albertans. Additionally, she pointed out PCA will work to increase access to after-hours care, including options for virtual and digital healthcare where appropriate. She said setting up a primary care agency is a made-in-Alberta solution. Alberta is the first province to do so. By setting up PCA, LaGrange said Alberta is making a bold move in supporting Albertans for their daily health needs through each stage of life. She said she looks forward to the work Simmonds will be doing to deliver on its potential. Simmonds said she was excited about PCA and the work underway to refocus Alberta’s healthcare system. “As the minister has stated numerous times, primary care is the foundation of a solid healthcare system, and it is the first point of contact Albertans have when they need healthcare,” she said. “And both its strengths and weaknesses reverberate across the system.” To make primary care as strong as it can be, she said her goal is to ensure Albertans have an ongoing, trusted, and connected relationship with providers. This means they belong to a health home where they do not have to tell their stories over and over. LaGrange followed up by saying there are a number of individual clinics to deal with when setting up PCA. “There’s Primary Care Networks that already function across the province,” she said. “We have a lot of integrated services that could be better integrated.” In response, she said there is plenty of work to be done to make sure these pieces come together and function under it. The Alberta government voted 47-20 to pass the Health Statutes Amendment Act (HSAA) in May..Alberta government concludes legislative session by passing municipal affairs, health bills .The vote was split along party lines, with Alberta United Conservative Party MLAs voting for the HSAA and NDP ones against it. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said ensuring Alberta Health Services is focused on acute care will improve performance.
The Alberta government said new provincial health agency Primary Care Alberta (PCA) will oversee, co-ordinate, and deliver some primary care services and become operational later this fall. Because of this move, Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said Albertans will have an agency dedicated to ensuring their primary care needs are met. “As it is now, we have the foundations for an excellent primary healthcare system — mostly because we have excellent primary healthcare providers in Alberta,” said LaGrange at a Tuesday press conference. “But it can and must be better.” At the moment, LaGrange said two-fifths of Albertans report being able to get same or next day appointments with their primary care providers. She added they are often unable to access interdisciplinary care such as dietitians or physiotherapists because most primary care providers do not work in interprofessional teams. In Alberta, no one organization is accountable for primary care. She said this must be addressed, which motivated the Alberta government to set up PCA. She confirmed Alberta Health assistant deputy minister of strategic planning and performance Kim Simmonds will become PCA CEO. She said Simmonds brings extensive public and private sector experience to the role and has worked with stakeholders across the healthcare system. With Simmonds, LaGrange said 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. Her first task as PCA CEO is to ensure all Albertans have improved access to primary care services to allow more of them to be connected to providers. The health minister went on to say this work includes introducing new models of primary care, which means supporting the formation of teams of professionals to work together and provide healthcare to all Albertans. Additionally, she pointed out PCA will work to increase access to after-hours care, including options for virtual and digital healthcare where appropriate. She said setting up a primary care agency is a made-in-Alberta solution. Alberta is the first province to do so. By setting up PCA, LaGrange said Alberta is making a bold move in supporting Albertans for their daily health needs through each stage of life. She said she looks forward to the work Simmonds will be doing to deliver on its potential. Simmonds said she was excited about PCA and the work underway to refocus Alberta’s healthcare system. “As the minister has stated numerous times, primary care is the foundation of a solid healthcare system, and it is the first point of contact Albertans have when they need healthcare,” she said. “And both its strengths and weaknesses reverberate across the system.” To make primary care as strong as it can be, she said her goal is to ensure Albertans have an ongoing, trusted, and connected relationship with providers. This means they belong to a health home where they do not have to tell their stories over and over. LaGrange followed up by saying there are a number of individual clinics to deal with when setting up PCA. “There’s Primary Care Networks that already function across the province,” she said. “We have a lot of integrated services that could be better integrated.” In response, she said there is plenty of work to be done to make sure these pieces come together and function under it. The Alberta government voted 47-20 to pass the Health Statutes Amendment Act (HSAA) in May..Alberta government concludes legislative session by passing municipal affairs, health bills .The vote was split along party lines, with Alberta United Conservative Party MLAs voting for the HSAA and NDP ones against it. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said ensuring Alberta Health Services is focused on acute care will improve performance.
