A front-line worker in the province’s health care system is sharing her concerns about proposed changes to Alberta Health Services (AHS).
Elizabeth isn’t her real name, but Global News has agreed to hide her identity out of fear she could lose her job for speaking out. She believes the dismantling of AHS and creation of four provincial health agencies, primary care, acute care, continuing care and Recovery Alberta, will negatively impact patient care.
“Once you silo it (health care), it creates more red tape,” says Elizabeth. “And it’s more difficult to actually have continuity of care.”
Last year the Alberta’s United Conservative government announced it would be restructuring health care in the province with the goal to improve access and reduce wait times for surgeries and emergency rooms.
But Elizabeth worries it will be difficult for both patients and health care providers to navigate the system when patients need care delivered from multiple agencies, pointing to pre and post care of a hospital stay.
“How does it work if we have to discharge you and you want home care or home physio?” says Elizabeth. “How is that going to work so you’re not falling through the cracks because I feel like if they’re siloing you more, that’s just more cracks to fall through.”
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She says part of her concern is that decisions about the system are being made by people who are too far removed from the day-to-day operations and don’t understand the challenges faced by front line workers. But the province says it is committed to open communication with Albertans and health care professionals.
The province has hosted a number of in person and telephone townhalls and in a statement from the office of the Minister of Health says, “Alberta Health is already acting on the feedback by implementing key initiatives, such as the Seamless Patient Experience Review and Analyzing Connect care’s role within the health care system.”
It goes on to say, “the ministry is reviewing health zones and data to better understand gaps in the system and is establishing new advisory councils with a direct line to the minister to empower local decision-making.”
But Elizabeth says the real issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of staff and facilities to support people when they are sick. She says wait times are high because hospitals are being used by people who need medical care but don’t have a family doctor or an urgent care facility in their community.
“So acute care is no longer acute care, it’s just if I’m sick I’m going to the hospital,” says Elizabeth, adding the money being spent on the restructuring could be put to better use. “More needs to be funneled into the frontline staff and less rebranding, less siloing because it just adds more doors to patient care.”
The switch to Acute Care Alberta has been postponed until the spring of 2025 to allow the government more time to finalize details of the agency.