Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the government is looking at all options to improve the healthcare system. Unfortunately, LaGrange said certain measures cannot be implemented because of the Canada Health Act. “So we are limited by the current Canada Health Act,” said LaGrange on a Wednesday panel at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta Fall Convention and Tradeshow in Edmonton. “So my hope is that will be looked at and modernized because I do agree with you.” At the moment, she said the Alberta government is looking at activity-based funding as a possibility. In response, she said she is putting together a task force on activity-based funding. On changing reimbursements, she confirmed the Alberta government is looking into it. She added it is “very focused on ensuring we improve healthcare right across the whole province, particularly in our rural communities.” The Alberta government has rolled out the Rural Health Action Plan. She has an assistant deputy minister focused on rural healthcare. It made another announcement about team-based care on Tuesday. She said 82 out 177 healthcare facilities in Alberta are considered rural. Many of these facilities were built in the 1950s to 1970s and have aging infrastructure. She said about half of all total emergency department visits are in rural healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, she said about 17% of total in-patient stays are seen in them. She said rural areas account for 9.8% of acute care beds. LaGrange concluded by saying the Alberta government is doing a deep dive into all of its healthcare facilities, what it can do to improve them, and how it can make them innovative. That is key to ensuring it provides excellent healthcare across the province. The Alberta government voted 47-20 to pass the Health Statutes Amendment Act 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 it and NDP ones against it. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said ensuring Alberta Health Services is focused on acute care will improve performance. Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said some complaints made under municipal codes of conduct have been disgusting. “And I think many people in the room would agree with me on that,” said McIver. “Like there’s been examples of that being used properly and then there’s been too many examples of frankly disgusting, aggressive behaviour amongst members of council.” When he vowed to take a look at municipal codes of conduct a few years ago at a conference, municipal politicians booed him. He said they need improvements. While municipal politicians want changes, he said they will be coming. One of the changes he said the Alberta government was looking at was having a central complaints commissioner. When a municipal code of conduct is used as a weapon because councillors disagree or hate each other, he said it is “not a reason to make another person’s life hell.” For those who are using it as they should, he thanked them. For those who think it is a club to beat their colleagues with, he requested they stop. At any rate, he said the Alberta government is going to try to make them stop, as it is too often used as a weapon rather than a tool. The Town of Sylvan Lake said on October 16 it, Mayor Megan Hanson, and Chief Administrative Officer Sean Durkin filed a statement of defence in a lawsuit brought against them by Coun. Kjeryn Dakin..Town of Sylvan Lake, mayor file defence in $317,000 lawsuit from councillor.In response, the Town of Sylvan Lake said it, Hanson, and Durkin deny all of Dakin’s allegations in the defence they submitted in September. “The subject of the lawsuit is the October 2023 sanctioning of Councillor Dakin under the Town’s Code of Conduct Bylaw,” said the Town of Sylvan Lake.
Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the government is looking at all options to improve the healthcare system. Unfortunately, LaGrange said certain measures cannot be implemented because of the Canada Health Act. “So we are limited by the current Canada Health Act,” said LaGrange on a Wednesday panel at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta Fall Convention and Tradeshow in Edmonton. “So my hope is that will be looked at and modernized because I do agree with you.” At the moment, she said the Alberta government is looking at activity-based funding as a possibility. In response, she said she is putting together a task force on activity-based funding. On changing reimbursements, she confirmed the Alberta government is looking into it. She added it is “very focused on ensuring we improve healthcare right across the whole province, particularly in our rural communities.” The Alberta government has rolled out the Rural Health Action Plan. She has an assistant deputy minister focused on rural healthcare. It made another announcement about team-based care on Tuesday. She said 82 out 177 healthcare facilities in Alberta are considered rural. Many of these facilities were built in the 1950s to 1970s and have aging infrastructure. She said about half of all total emergency department visits are in rural healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, she said about 17% of total in-patient stays are seen in them. She said rural areas account for 9.8% of acute care beds. LaGrange concluded by saying the Alberta government is doing a deep dive into all of its healthcare facilities, what it can do to improve them, and how it can make them innovative. That is key to ensuring it provides excellent healthcare across the province. The Alberta government voted 47-20 to pass the Health Statutes Amendment Act 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 it and NDP ones against it. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said ensuring Alberta Health Services is focused on acute care will improve performance. Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said some complaints made under municipal codes of conduct have been disgusting. “And I think many people in the room would agree with me on that,” said McIver. “Like there’s been examples of that being used properly and then there’s been too many examples of frankly disgusting, aggressive behaviour amongst members of council.” When he vowed to take a look at municipal codes of conduct a few years ago at a conference, municipal politicians booed him. He said they need improvements. While municipal politicians want changes, he said they will be coming. One of the changes he said the Alberta government was looking at was having a central complaints commissioner. When a municipal code of conduct is used as a weapon because councillors disagree or hate each other, he said it is “not a reason to make another person’s life hell.” For those who are using it as they should, he thanked them. For those who think it is a club to beat their colleagues with, he requested they stop. At any rate, he said the Alberta government is going to try to make them stop, as it is too often used as a weapon rather than a tool. The Town of Sylvan Lake said on October 16 it, Mayor Megan Hanson, and Chief Administrative Officer Sean Durkin filed a statement of defence in a lawsuit brought against them by Coun. Kjeryn Dakin..Town of Sylvan Lake, mayor file defence in $317,000 lawsuit from councillor.In response, the Town of Sylvan Lake said it, Hanson, and Durkin deny all of Dakin’s allegations in the defence they submitted in September. “The subject of the lawsuit is the October 2023 sanctioning of Councillor Dakin under the Town’s Code of Conduct Bylaw,” said the Town of Sylvan Lake.
