Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Jason Copping have fired the entire Alberta Health Services (AHS) Board of Directors..On Thursday afternoon, Smith announced immediate actions to reform AHS which she claims will lead to faster EMS times, decreased emergency room wait times, and reduced surgical wait times for Albertans.."We need a health care system that meets our growing demand and to take action to improve access. And today we are taking steps to do just that," Smith said..As a first step in the AHS Reform Plan, Dr. John Cowell was appointed full-time official administrator and will replace the existing part-time board of directors..Cowell will report directly to the premier and minister of health..The board was responsible for the governance of AHS, working in partnership with Alberta Health. The board governs AHS, overseeing the management of its business and affairs. .Smith said Cowell will work directly with interim AHS CEO Mauro Chies to address four goals:.Improve EMS response timesDecrease ER wait timesReduce wait times for surgeriesDevelop long-term reforms through consultations with front-line workers.And Smith said Cowell will work to accomplish four main things:.Fast track ambulance transfers at the ER so paramedics are available for more calls.Use more appropriate modes of transportation for non-emergency inter-facility transfers.Empower EMS dispatch to step-down calls from 911 to Health Link based on patient need.Empower paramedics to triage whether or not a patient needs to be transferred to ER by ambulance..In order to track the progress made with EMS response times and measure the initiatives’ success, Alberta Health will look at four metrics:.Time from a call to 911 to when the ambulance arrivesPatient offload times at an ERNumber of less urgent calls handled by an ambulanceNumber of calls ‘stepped-down’ from 911 to Health Link.Alberta's government charged Cowell with improving access to medical treatment through two primary ways:.Bringing in additional health professionals to improve on-site patient care and management.Transferring an increased number of patients from hospital beds into more appropriate care settings such as home care, long-term and continuing care facilities.."Patients are waiting too long across our health system, despite the excellent work of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other front-line staff. We need more-urgent action to improve access. Albertans want accountability within AHS and they want to know that a world-class health system and level of care is available when they need it," Smith said..READ MORE: Outspoken health care watchdog Cowell now top doc at AHS.In order to measure the success of these initiatives, government will track the time it takes from the moment a patient enters an ER to when they receive the appropriate level of care they require..The following people formed the AHS board which Smith replaced:.Board Chair Gregory Turnbull, KCVice-chair Dr. Sayeh ZielkeBrian VaasjoHartley R. HarrisHeidi OverguardDr. Jack M. Mintz, CMNatalia ReimanSherri Fountain, KCTara LockyerTony Dagnone, CMVicki Yellow Old Woman.During the UCP leadership campaign Smith released her plan to make changes to AHS so patients won't have to be "treated on hospital floors" as staff and ICU shortages continue..On September 13, Smith said in a news release, “AHS executive management failed Albertans during the COVID response.".During the campaign, Smith vowed she would ensure the following:.1. "Hire a new, competent, and capable AHS CEO.".2. Replace the AHS Board with an interim health commissioner for at least the next year, who reports directly to the premier and the minister of health..3. Within 30 days, have an independent and respected body, such as the Alberta Health Quality Council, work with the interim commissioner to perform a health facility audit and provide a set of recommendations that will immediately increase the number of staffed ICUs and non-ICU care beds for the fall/winter respiratory and virus season, and to resolve the unacceptable EMS response times..4. Within 90 days, the same audit team will provide a further report and recommendations on how to best cut AHS bureaucracy and reinvest those dollars on the front lines, decentralize control of healthcare delivery to local decision-makers and health professionals, permanently reduce ER wait times, and increase general health care capacity to safe and acceptable levels..As of Thursday, according to Alberta's government, approximately 68,400 residents are currently awaiting surgery to help improve their health and their quality of life. That number is down from the 81,000 Albertans who were waiting at the height of the pandemic, but is still higher than the pre-pandemic level of 68,000.."Albertans want to know that world class health care is available to them when they need it. We promised Albertans a stronger publicly funded system with better access to care. That's been my priority as health minister from day one," Copping said..In order to ensure each one of them receives the procedure they need in a more timely fashion, Cowell was charged to work with AHS to significantly increase surgeries at underutilized hospitals, mainly in rural areas, and at chartered surgical facilities..In order to measure the success of this initiative, Alberta Health will consider the following metrics:.Utilization rate of operating rooms at AHS hospitalsProportion of surgeries occurring within clinically acceptable wait timesSurgery wait timesDevelop long-term reforms through consultations with front-line workers.“I am ready to get to work on behalf of Albertans, building a better system to support patients needing care. I look forward to working with the AHS team and taking tangible actions to drive much-needed change," Cowell said..Cowell will work on the following initiatives:.Restore decision-making to the local level and local health professionals.Incentivize regional innovation to provide more medical services.Attract substantially more health care professionals to Alberta..Cowell will report back to Albertans in 90 days on the progress made and has come out of retirement to take the position.."It's a big decision for my wife and I because this is a total commitment," Cowell said.."I have been granted the authority to be the governor and the one the AHS CEO reports to, and I'm going to be held accountable for his performance and everyone below.".Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley said she believes, “Today’s announcement does nothing to get Albertans a family doctor, nothing to address the specific calls from frontline paramedics to reduce wait times, and nothing to get children’s medication in the hands of Alberta parents.".“This new round of chaos Danielle Smith is inflicting on health care will make the situation worse. Health care workers deserve leadership that will listen to them and support them," Notley said.."Danielle Smith has absolutely no mandate to create the chaos, cost, and conflict that today’s announcement will generate. The dismissal of the AHS board today is nothing more than bad political theatre or as Danielle Smith herself said when the Redford government did the exact same thing: it’s window dressing.An Alberta NDP government will go straight to the heart of the problem."
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Jason Copping have fired the entire Alberta Health Services (AHS) Board of Directors..On Thursday afternoon, Smith announced immediate actions to reform AHS which she claims will lead to faster EMS times, decreased emergency room wait times, and reduced surgical wait times for Albertans.."We need a health care system that meets our growing demand and to take action to improve access. And today we are taking steps to do just that," Smith said..As a first step in the AHS Reform Plan, Dr. John Cowell was appointed full-time official administrator and will replace the existing part-time board of directors..Cowell will report directly to the premier and minister of health..The board was responsible for the governance of AHS, working in partnership with Alberta Health. The board governs AHS, overseeing the management of its business and affairs. .Smith said Cowell will work directly with interim AHS CEO Mauro Chies to address four goals:.Improve EMS response timesDecrease ER wait timesReduce wait times for surgeriesDevelop long-term reforms through consultations with front-line workers.And Smith said Cowell will work to accomplish four main things:.Fast track ambulance transfers at the ER so paramedics are available for more calls.Use more appropriate modes of transportation for non-emergency inter-facility transfers.Empower EMS dispatch to step-down calls from 911 to Health Link based on patient need.Empower paramedics to triage whether or not a patient needs to be transferred to ER by ambulance..In order to track the progress made with EMS response times and measure the initiatives’ success, Alberta Health will look at four metrics:.Time from a call to 911 to when the ambulance arrivesPatient offload times at an ERNumber of less urgent calls handled by an ambulanceNumber of calls ‘stepped-down’ from 911 to Health Link.Alberta's government charged Cowell with improving access to medical treatment through two primary ways:.Bringing in additional health professionals to improve on-site patient care and management.Transferring an increased number of patients from hospital beds into more appropriate care settings such as home care, long-term and continuing care facilities.."Patients are waiting too long across our health system, despite the excellent work of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other front-line staff. We need more-urgent action to improve access. Albertans want accountability within AHS and they want to know that a world-class health system and level of care is available when they need it," Smith said..READ MORE: Outspoken health care watchdog Cowell now top doc at AHS.In order to measure the success of these initiatives, government will track the time it takes from the moment a patient enters an ER to when they receive the appropriate level of care they require..The following people formed the AHS board which Smith replaced:.Board Chair Gregory Turnbull, KCVice-chair Dr. Sayeh ZielkeBrian VaasjoHartley R. HarrisHeidi OverguardDr. Jack M. Mintz, CMNatalia ReimanSherri Fountain, KCTara LockyerTony Dagnone, CMVicki Yellow Old Woman.During the UCP leadership campaign Smith released her plan to make changes to AHS so patients won't have to be "treated on hospital floors" as staff and ICU shortages continue..On September 13, Smith said in a news release, “AHS executive management failed Albertans during the COVID response.".During the campaign, Smith vowed she would ensure the following:.1. "Hire a new, competent, and capable AHS CEO.".2. Replace the AHS Board with an interim health commissioner for at least the next year, who reports directly to the premier and the minister of health..3. Within 30 days, have an independent and respected body, such as the Alberta Health Quality Council, work with the interim commissioner to perform a health facility audit and provide a set of recommendations that will immediately increase the number of staffed ICUs and non-ICU care beds for the fall/winter respiratory and virus season, and to resolve the unacceptable EMS response times..4. Within 90 days, the same audit team will provide a further report and recommendations on how to best cut AHS bureaucracy and reinvest those dollars on the front lines, decentralize control of healthcare delivery to local decision-makers and health professionals, permanently reduce ER wait times, and increase general health care capacity to safe and acceptable levels..As of Thursday, according to Alberta's government, approximately 68,400 residents are currently awaiting surgery to help improve their health and their quality of life. That number is down from the 81,000 Albertans who were waiting at the height of the pandemic, but is still higher than the pre-pandemic level of 68,000.."Albertans want to know that world class health care is available to them when they need it. We promised Albertans a stronger publicly funded system with better access to care. That's been my priority as health minister from day one," Copping said..In order to ensure each one of them receives the procedure they need in a more timely fashion, Cowell was charged to work with AHS to significantly increase surgeries at underutilized hospitals, mainly in rural areas, and at chartered surgical facilities..In order to measure the success of this initiative, Alberta Health will consider the following metrics:.Utilization rate of operating rooms at AHS hospitalsProportion of surgeries occurring within clinically acceptable wait timesSurgery wait timesDevelop long-term reforms through consultations with front-line workers.“I am ready to get to work on behalf of Albertans, building a better system to support patients needing care. I look forward to working with the AHS team and taking tangible actions to drive much-needed change," Cowell said..Cowell will work on the following initiatives:.Restore decision-making to the local level and local health professionals.Incentivize regional innovation to provide more medical services.Attract substantially more health care professionals to Alberta..Cowell will report back to Albertans in 90 days on the progress made and has come out of retirement to take the position.."It's a big decision for my wife and I because this is a total commitment," Cowell said.."I have been granted the authority to be the governor and the one the AHS CEO reports to, and I'm going to be held accountable for his performance and everyone below.".Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley said she believes, “Today’s announcement does nothing to get Albertans a family doctor, nothing to address the specific calls from frontline paramedics to reduce wait times, and nothing to get children’s medication in the hands of Alberta parents.".“This new round of chaos Danielle Smith is inflicting on health care will make the situation worse. Health care workers deserve leadership that will listen to them and support them," Notley said.."Danielle Smith has absolutely no mandate to create the chaos, cost, and conflict that today’s announcement will generate. The dismissal of the AHS board today is nothing more than bad political theatre or as Danielle Smith herself said when the Redford government did the exact same thing: it’s window dressing.An Alberta NDP government will go straight to the heart of the problem."
