With the Smith government moving ahead with its major overhaul of the province’s health-care system, many Albertans are watching with interest to see what the changes will mean for front-line, in-community medical care.
As part of the overhaul, the province has announced plans to create a dozen new advisory councils made up of appointed members of the general public to replace the advisory councils currently in place.
The councils will, according to Health Minister Adriana LaGrange, directly advise the government on acute care, primary care, continuing care and mental health and addiction issues and concerns.
Applications for the new 16-member councils are now being accepted, with the new advisory groups expected to be in place later this year.
“We need to do a better job of listening to local communities about their health-care needs,” said LaGrange. “As we continue to refocus Alberta’s health-care system, we are taking steps to ensure the diverse perspectives of Albertans are represented and that the unique challenges of each region and community are addressed.
“Improving local decision making and listening to regional advice will help build a stronger, unified health-care system that responds to the needs of the communities it serves.”
Members will be assigned to one of the 12 councils that represent the regions where they live.
Whether the new councils will have a positive impact on the delivery of health care in rural and urban communities will depend on whether the government heeds the suggestions and input provided by the councils themselves.
Of course the Smith government has already been told time and again over the past year that there are serious and ongoing concerns with the health-care system.
Those concerns include, for example, long wait times for many procedures, long lineups at many emergency rooms, and a shortage of family doctors and other health-care workers in many rural communities.
Whether the Smith government has any real intention of “listening to regional advice” provided by these new councils in the days and months ahead remains to be seen.
Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan.
