Province introduces final-stages bill for health care remodel
The Bill, also known as the Health Statutes Amendment Act, addresses outstanding policy items, transfers services from Alberta Health Services to Primary Care Alberta and 'brings clarity to public health's role in the refocused system,' said the province.
Amendments are proposed to the Provincial Health Agencies Act, Hospitals Act, Protection of Persons in Care Act, Health Information Act and the Public Health Act.
Primary Care Alberta will oversee front-line public health services, such as communicable disease control, immunizations, newborn screening and health promotion. Other services, such as policy development, public health inspections and surveillance will be moved to Alberta Health.
Alberta's government assured residents there will be no disruption to health delivery in the province during the transition, and no front-line job losses.
'Promoting and protecting the health of individuals, families and communities is foundational to Primary Care Alberta's commitment to bringing the right care to patients where they are,' said Kim Simmonds, president and CEO, Primary Care Alberta. 'I look forward to welcoming our front-line public health providers to the Primary Care Alberta team and working with these dedicated professionals to build a strong, unified health care system that improves health outcomes for all those who call Alberta home.'
Among the amendments are also language changes, such as consolidating all hospital types into the term 'approved hospital' and other changes intended to better reflect the reality of Alberta's health-care systems.
'The new health shared services entity, which supports all four health services sectors, will provide oversight for health foundations in the refocused system. This is a natural fit for health foundations, as they work across all sectors. Legislation will also establish a clearer connection between health foundations and the communities they serve,' says the province.
The bill would also amend the Health Information Act to give more power to the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services to fulfil its role as the sector ministry for continuing care by enabling it to collect, use and disclose health information as necessary for the work of overseeing all continuing care, including Assisted Living Alberta.
Sections of the Hospitals Act would also be repealed. These sections, says the province, are outdated and do not reflect 'current acute-care system governance or the introduction of new governance structures and ministerial roles.'
'A year and a half in, and we are in the final stages of refocusing Alberta's health-care system. The proposed changes will help us continue to improve the health-care system for all Albertans,' said Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health.
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