It was an interesting strategy for Premier Danielle Smith’s government to trot out former premier Ed Stelmach, the man most associated with the creation of Alberta Health Services back in 2009, to act as a validator at the announcement yesterday of her plan to smash the province-wide health care agency to smithereens.
It’s impossible to say if Mr. Stelmach was always part of the roll-out plan or if he was a last-minute addition to try to counter the fact the NDP Opposition got its hands on a leaked copy of the United Conservative Party cabinet’s briefing notes on the plan to deconstruct AHS and boldly pulled the rug out from under the government by announcing it first.
This was both a scoop and a coup for the NDP, allowing the Opposition to set the narrative in a way that will be very hard for the government to overcome – even with Mr. Stelmach, known by some as Steady Eddie in his political heyday, temporarily back on the ever-more-unsteady Conservative team.
It was also a dramatic reversal from the inexplicably passive willingness of the Opposition party during last spring’s election campaign to repeatedly allow the UCP to set the agenda on issues that should have been liabilities to the government. One can’t help but wonder if some of those new NDP MLAs are pushing a more aggressive and effective communications strategy.
Thanks to the NDP successfully foiling the government’s plan to announce the deconstruction of AHS just before the Legislature shut down for a week, it’s going to be pretty hard to get the public to forget the Opposition’s assertion that spending billions to break up AHS after spending a similar amount and a decade and a half of turmoil to create it is only going to make the crisis in the province’s health care system worse.
Likewise, it’ll be difficult for the government to persuade anyone now that the whole scheme isn’t intended to sow chaos in a health system on the brink of collapse as a precursor to massive privatization.
Given the NDP’s revelations, it sure doesn’t feel reassuring to learn that the new chair of the new AHS board, Lyle Oberg (another mummified former Conservative cabinet minister who long ago pledged allegiance to Premier Smith), has post-political experience setting up private hospitals, or that the new board will have “one or two members with experience on mergers and acquisitions,” as the leaked briefing slide deck says.
Anyway, Mr. Stelmach’s endorsement didn’t sound all that stirring.
“A lot has happened since I think it was May of 2008 when we made the announcement” Alberta would consolidate all hearth care services into AHS, he said in part, citing the homelessness and addiction crisis. “But I’m fully supportive of the plan that was introduced today,” he responded to a question by Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell. “We’re very optimistic that we will see positive results.”
Regular readers of this blog will know that I hold Mr. Stelmach in high regard. I found his answer unpersuasive, though, and I am sure he felt constrained in what he could say by his role as chair of the Board of Covenant Health, the operator of Catholic hospitals that depends on the government both for funding and independence.
Mr. Stelmach’s full answer can be heard starting at about 40:30 on the government’s video of the news conference.
Of course, the principal reason Mr. Stelmach’s contribution will have little impact on the government’s unexpected public relations problem is that Albertans have short political memories, and I doubt that many members of the audience Premier Smith is trying to reach remember him very well, if at all. The same goes for Dr. Oberg.
The early release of the briefing notes by the NDP seems to have forced the government to move up its press conference by a day to try to recover lost ground.
Leastways, until yesterday morning the government’s “Refocusing health care in Alberta” page showed yesterday’s newser scheduled for today – which would have ended the Legislature’s working week with the government’s talking points fresh in the minds of the public, and with no sittings of the Legislature next week at which the Opposition could ask embarrassing questions.
By the time MLAs got back to work, the announcement would have been old news, and the UCP would have given us new things to get agitated about, no doubt.
Early versions of the backgrounder published yesterday by the government also showed signs of a hasty cut-and-paste job from the briefing slides, cleaned up later in the day.
The NDP also held another news conference yesterday, to hammer home its message, in the words of Opposition Health Critic David Shepherd, that “what Danielle Smith described this morning will make health care slower and harder to find and more fragmented.”
During the NDP newser, Registered Nurse Anahi Johnson said, “no health care worker I know would recommend millions of dollars be spent on additional layers of bureaucracy and to eliminate public delivery of services, compromising the care of all Albertans.”
“We need better staffing, which requires respect for health care workers, and initiatives to retain, recruit, and return health care professionals to the public health care system,” she said.
Hell DJC,
Very disappointed to hear that Ed Stelmach endorsing this project, even if half-heartedly. Like you, I have a lot of respect of Ed Stelmach.
This reorganization affects Covenant as well. He has to play the game, or at least appear to.
The parade of old-school “Progressive Conservatives” jumping aboard the UCP’s bandwagon — Jim Dinning, for example, as well as Mr Stelmach — clearly illustrates an important rule about political partisanship in this province: “our team, right or wrong”, as long as it’s not the “socialist horde”. They’re like lifelong fans of a football team that stick with them even though they’re the most penalized team in the league, setting all-time records for 15-yard major fouls, like face masking and unnecessary roughness.
Given this culture, you have to particularly commend the courage of those few that see the Emperor’s true colours, like Thomas Lukaszuk.
What an utter circus and gong show from these phony Conservatives and Reformers. When you make a mess of the public healthcare system in Alberta, getting others who helped make a mess of it doesn’t help make things better. When they rob us of the oil and tax wealth we were getting under Peter Lougheed, and do so many very pricey shenanigans, that also cost us billions of dollars, this is what we get. Are we going to see more Ralph Klein style cuts to the public healthcare system in Alberta? We already had so many nurses laid off from him, and hospitals were so badly looked after, that this has had a lasting adverse impact. Danielle Smith admires Ralph Klein, so this wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
To quote a popular song, “If there’s something weird and it don’t look good, who you gonna call?” Perhaps Oberg is now meant to be a political Ghostbuster or something, the old time political fixer to go to when there is trouble and things are messed up.
It does seem ironic Smith is now turning to those who thought a single health authority would fix things, in her quixotic quest to supposedly do the same by now dismantling it. Well it didn’t really solve the problems before and I suspect further structural meddling will also not be helpful either.
I suppose in addition to Mr. Stelmach’s constrained and polite remarks there might be a bit of sympathy from someone who got a bit burned himself in trying to restructure health care. No doubt he is also probably relieved not to be in the hot seat now.
In any event, hopefully the embarrassment of the premature revelation will put a dent into the smooth PR machine the UCP is trying so hard to create and lead to more scrutiny of their poorly thought out plans.
Not sure mummified is the first adjective that comes to mind for Lyle Oberg. Recycled, re-used public service union buster? Zombie privatiser? And 1993 begins again. These people may have a point. Their private medical care does seem to resurrect them.
TBA voters have demonstrated the attention span of a gnat. In fact, long term in Alberta means 3 months for the alleged conservatives who have run this province into the ground over the last 50 years.
I think we were dangerously close to Chug-a-Lug Williams cracking open a cool one to honor veterans in his usual way yesterday. It was a real risk, this close to Remembrance Day. Check the water bottles!
https://albertapolitics.ca/2023/03/mla-dan-williams-beer-guzzling-in-the-legislature-is-just-another-episode-in-the-ucps-sophomoric-obsession-with-alcohol/
If there’s one thing we can be grateful for from cryptkeeper Danielle that’s it, and that’s all.
Yesterday’s performance was a pathetic whitewashing of the real plan to privatize health in Alberta. Thank you to the NDP for exposing this fetid truth to the light of day. This is the beginning of the end for public health care in Alberta. No ordinary person can afford this. Danielle Smith and the UCP have sold us out to American-style monetization of health, and soon to American private health corporations.
Cronyism is alive in the UCP. Quel surprise: old snouts in the mergers and acquisitions trough, betraying Albertans for shekels in their musty, moth-eaten pockets. No respect. Sellouts are sellouts. Anything for a dime.
Hello DJC and fellow commenters,
I was just listening to Adriana Lagrange on cbc. A very frustrating experience. She talked but her words had no meaning. She provided No actual information. Lots of meaningless terms, though. She said “laser focus” at least 3 times.
I presume that this government’s actual “laser focus” is on ensuring that profits for corporations be paid directly by patients or paid using public money on behalf of patients. We are Not customers of the health care system.
Lagrange referred to patients as “customers” at least twice. And the second time was after the host referred to “patients”.
Lagrange somehow managed to imply that the problems of the health care system were the fault of the people working in health care. She did not express any understanding or appreciation whatsoever of health care workers who have been giving phenomenal efforts in very difficult circumstances.
Of course, many of these circumstances were deliberately created by various conservative and UCP governments. Laying off thousands of nurses since the time of Ralph Klein which has resulted in stress, overwork, and mental exhaustion, deliberately insulting doctors by unilaterally terminating the agreement with the Alberta Medical Association and by offering stingy fees, especially for family doctors.
The NDP’s efforts to improve the situation , for example starting work on a public provincial lab, was cancelled by the UCP who then perpetrated the Dynalife fiasco.
Lagrange categorically denied twice that there is any privatization of health care, in answer to the host’s questions.
Listening to this ?interview? which sounded more like a sales pitch and an opportunity to place blame on the very people who are providing our health care is enough to make listeners grit their teeth in frustration.
“Lagrange referred to patients as “customers” at least twice.”
They are professional grifters and as ‘insiders’ are likely to profit from the long con as the blog author notes, “it’ll be difficult for the government to persuade anyone now that the whole scheme isn’t intended to sow chaos in a health system on the brink of collapse as a precursor to massive privatization.” with the advantage “that Albertans have short political memories” along with very little intellectual depth, nuance, and/or discernment. So, it is very easy for certain actors to get away with all sorts of underhanded and dishonest nonsense. Fool me once because I am gullible, fool me twice and keep on fooling me because I either like it, or I am intellectually challenged, or I am simply a sucker for punishment (a masochist). In any case,
https://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2015/03/21/patients-are-not-customers/
“Patient-Centered Care, Yes; Patients As Consumers, No”
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05019
“My Patients Are Not Customers”
https://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1646831,00.html
“Blow it up and sell it off.”
Frontline experts and patient advocates have a few things to say about what Danielle Smith is doing to health care in Alberta and none of it is good for Albertans:
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/blow-it-up-and-sell-pieces-off-stakeholders-react-to-ucp-plan-to-revamp-alberta-health-care-system-1.6636641
Wow, some scary comments in that CTV article from well-known people in health care. Not just the confusion and chaos of four brand-new corporations (Crown or private, it matters not at the start). As Prof. Lorain Hardcastle and Heather Smith of UNA said, who’s gonna move here to work in health care when nobody knows which end is up?
How I wish we could force Danielle Smith, Queen of Qberduh, to hire ONE hospital administrator to run AHS, and put those millions of dollars into hiring more staff!
This tactic is not just for the Cons.
In the late ’90s when the Glen Clark NDP government in BC was in its final decline, they were trying to finesse a pet real estate project near Kamloops (“Six Mile Ranch”) which involved an incursion into the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).
The ALR was one of the proudest accomplishments of the 1972-75 Barrett government, so to pacify a restive party convention in 1998, the PTB wheeled out Barrett to make excuses. This carried the day.
Who is the high-schooler standing second to Stelmach’s right in the lead photo?
Lars: It is Dan Williams, the anti-abortion crusader promoted to Cabinet by Premier Smith, who is supposedly pro-choice. Mr. Williams, a former Ottawa aide to Jason Kenney, was parachuted into the Peace River riding and is now the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction. To his left is Illya Kuryakin, one of the Men from U.N.C.L.E. Pardon me, that’s Martin Long, the UCP MLA for West Yellowhead. Same difference, I’m sure. DJC
I was wondering who the schmuck was beside Williams, so thanks for that info.
There was a comical photo of those two looking shell-shocked, as Dani rushed off the stage while attending the “refocusing HC presser. (Bathroom emerg? Parker called her? Invermectin kicked in?) Clearly neither bozo would know what to do without her in the background prompting them.
RIP, David McCallum.
Ha! But Illya was sexy.
Valerie: Not something anyone would say about Martin Long. DJC
Yeah, West Yellowhead is another one of those ridings that chose a UCP sheeple over a quality NDP candidate. Much like Lac Ste Anne Parkland choosing Shane (Cheezie) Getsen over ONeil Carlier. Or Danielle Larivee in Less Slave Lake. We rural progressives really have nobody to speak for us.
The blows just keep coming… pensions, healthcare, education, homelessness, cost of living. And the government has to spend a gazillion dollars on propaganda. Grrr!
Bravo!
Thank you, David.
Do all Albertans get to have a say in what is happening to health care?
Are our taxes going to be reduced cos as Canadians, we do pay for health care through our very high tax rates?
Politicians should not govern healthcare ever; they are not qualified. Complete privatization has been the UCP goal all along and this is how they are going to achieve it. Sadly, many current residents will most likely have to leave Alberta as private health care in Canada is not affordable! – last one to leave, hit the lights!
How on earth did this incompetent premier / party get voted in?
A referendum is needed, to allow all Albertans (not just party supporters) a chance to have their voices heard!
Sorry, Angry Albertan. The only ones who get a say are the Free Alberta Fantasists. Oh, and the rich guys who expect to soon own for-profit hospitals and such.
As for a referendum, I wouldn’t trust the results unless it was administered and reported by an independent third party, NOT the UCP guv’mint. And even then, Danielle Smith and the UCP could claim it was wrong and ignore it.
Anyone can give feedback by going to
Alberta.ca, then
refocusing healthcare in Alberta,
engagement,
shape the future,
share your feedback
By clicking on share your feedback, a survey starts.
The open ended comment sections seem to have no maximum, so you can elaborate. The questions do not seem to be guiding a specific outcome, unlike the pension survey.
Perhaps no one will read them, but there is ample opportunity to speak at length about your views on our health care system, your experiences, and what might improve things or not.
Imagine if this was flooded with thoughtful responses. I know some folks are concerned about the town halls for staff and the requirement to give identifying phone numbers, but this survey is for anyone. They do ask if healthcare worker or not, age and postal code.
Danielle Smith’s literally smashing healthcare policy wasn’t unexpected. She’s achingly consistent —but now that her longtime hobbyhorse has become something more Trojan, it’s galling nonetheless. It’s been observed for some time that she doesn’t really do politics—the ‘art of the possible’ for the public good—, but that, too, is to be expected from someone who doesn’t believe in government and aims to do something about it. Any prefix to what is politic will do: a-anti-im-non- and unpolitic. She’s got it all.
The NDP looked sharp by stealing a march on the UCP’s healthcare announcement but, given how heavy the very probable outcome will be, it can hardly forgive the Dippers’ timidity on this file during last May’s election. The hope might be that they learned their lesson and will do better from now until the next one. Ideological pacifism, however, has been the bane of my party for a long time. Apparently pulling punches is what these idealists do when their opponents are inept boxers in the political ring—throwing a haymaker for the sake of Albertans’ health would be unsportsmanlike. Ngh!
True, one could rebut that the pudding that gave the Dippers’ their recent bum’s rush is proof otherwise, but note well that it’s in the partisan, not political ring that the UCP affects TKOs.
Can the NDP do better? Well, I would recommend first considering what happens when the ‘workers’ party’ is matched with aggressive opponents. Former BC premier Dave Barrett was a notable firebrand, but on the brink of winning the federal leadership, party peaceniks dirked him in the back, ushering in 14 years of temperate Venusians at the helm, Audrey McLaughlin in ‘89 and, bumping notable firebrand Svend Robinson in ‘95, Alexa McDonough: the ideal of civil politics was capably achieved by these two very nice ladies, but eventually the party reached its near-historic low of 13 seats. Thomas Mulcair inherited the federal leadership from Jack Layton (who might have qualified as successfully passive-aggressive but, to be honest, only won the NDP’s zenith, 103 seats and Loyal Opposition, by default when the Liberal vote collapsed in 2011); Mulcair proved an aggressive but deft critic of the Harper government and, in incumbency, won the second-largest number of seats for the NDP: party ideologues rewarded him with a thankless sacking—for them he was too fiscally aggressive (for campaigning on a balanced budget which the far-lefty faction imagined too far-right—but also too aggressive). I voted for Charlie Angus, the energetic political terrier, to replace Mulcair, but the veteran parliamentarian was passed over for federal newcomer Jagmeet Singh. Too aggressive again? I dunno, but prob’ly. John Horgan lost his bid to replace BC NDP Loyal Opposition leader Carole James (who stepped down after fomenting a caucus revolt precisely for being too passive when premier Gordon Campbell squirmed in the mire of scandal); Horgan was alleged too intemperate, too Irish (an astoundingly bigoted rationale)—all in all too aggressive; he was eventually acclaimed leader—but only after James’ successor Adrian Dix blew a 20-point lead by running a foolish “positive politics,” no-negative-criticism campaign against gleeful BC Liberal toad-stabber Christy Clark who won an upset victory. Horgan went on to defeat Clark in a confidence vote and become the most popular premier in BC and all of Canada. It’s as if the NDP would rather cut off its nose than have it a target for its rival’s punches.
I could go on, but the point is made: Dippers—or at least the ideologues who run the party between election campaigns—are allergic to political —and, especially, psephological—aggressiveness. Rachel Notley’s Alberta NDP was criticized for holding back and coming close—but losing to Danielle Smith—last May. She was even warned by respected observers …
I’m not sure how to crack this nut—not for lack of trying, I can assure.
Steady Eddie! What’s goin’ on, dude? You didn’t flinch from getting into healthcare up to your elbows when you were premier. How can you take looking like you’re getting your nose rubbed in it now by the undoer of your doings?
I feel sad for one of my favourite provinces—a great province. Everyone could see this disaster coming but it’s still saddening to see it from the outside. It must be horrible from the intimate vantage.
The only consolation I can offer today is that, unlike mountain tops when they’re removed forever, a healthcare system can be rebuilt. How much effort that will take depends on how long the UCP is in power. Smith is way too impolitic —or politically senseless—to take the will of the people into account. Thus it also depends on how soon, if ever, the Loyal Opposition can grow a pair of gloves before getting into the ring next time. It’s virtually guaranteed that it’ll be the people’s will, workers and all.
Nora Loreto provided the description of NDP timidity: “milquetoast suckage”. (https://twitter.com/NoLore/status/1514281363175882765)
Psephologicaly speaking, Alberta appears to be fubarred.
/Thanks!
Scotty on Deman, thank you for the post.
Agreed the NDP sometimes is just not putting on the gloves and going for it.
Be careful who you vote for because you will have to live with your decision or in some cases die because of it.
A lousy health care system will not only impact those who voted, but those who didn’t, namely children. A lousy health care system has a life long negative impact on children and in many cases have poor outcomes when they become adults. We have seen how addiction and a lack of mental health care has impacted our country. How did it happen? Well right about the 1980s things started to go sideways. Playing catch up now, is to little, too late.
Of course there are always the bible belters who believe you can pray for recovery.
You can’t tell me that dragging out a superannuated Ed Stelmach doesn’t have a little bit of the Compiegne Wagon to it! Let’s hope old Ed doesn’t suffer the same fate as the Wagon. Honestly, I do not know why she bothers with these theatrics. The opposition is ineffectual on its best day and there will always be plenty of dupes and stooges in this province to vote for her.
Those of us who were smart enough to understand what would happen if Smith got elected got called all sort of names but these mindless seniors who believe everyone of their lies. While retired doctor friends credited Ed Stelmach with saving our healthcare system after the Ralph Klein disaster, by spending millions to buy up foreign doctors and nurses they now state that they doubt Alberta will be able to do that again and you can bet that’s where we are headed. Doctors and nurses need to make it clear that if she doesn’t back off they are gone. I was furious with them last time when they didn’t stand up to Klein like they should have. However oilmen blamed Stelmach for creating a much worse financial mess by cutting royalties a lot more when he refused to stand up to the oil industry, like Danny Williams , and Peter Lougheed had done. All they had to do was threaten to leave if he increased royalties after his study proved he should and he caved in to their demands and made the situation worse for Albertans by cutting them further. If Smith privatized these long term health care facilities how many of these mindless seniors could afford $10,600. per month if they need a bed in a private facility like our family was forced to do?
Alan K. Spiller: You have it right. I remember Stan Woloshyn, an Alberta PC cabinet minister, under Ralph Klein, who made things worse with senior’s homes, and long term care facilities in Alberta. Danielle Smith is emulating her hero, Ralph Klein. I do remember reading about someone who wasn’t happy with how Ralph Klein was running things. They weren’t interested in getting into politics, but knew something needed to be done. The Wildrose thought that this person should be an MLA in their party. When this person heard Danielle Smith praising Ralph Klein, they declined. They knew Ralph Klein and his family since the beginning of the 1960s, and weren’t impressed with him then, because he had a drinking problem. This person said that Ralph Klein’s mother, Florence, was skeptical about him getting into politics. They also mentioned that Ralph Klein’s father, Phil, was not impressed with Ralph Klein’s healthcare policies, that were creating problems. Don Getty told this person that they regretted allowing Ralph Klein to join his government. I also recall in 2015, where Angie Klein, Ralph Klein’s daughter, voted for the NDP. At these public events where the UCP are present, there are a lot of senior citizens present. When you mentioned about senior citizens being easy to fool, the evidence supports this.
https://edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/distressing-edmonton-police-senior-protection-unit-raises-alarm-over-growing-exploitation
Alan, a minor hysterical–I mean historical–note. Stelmach was threatened both by the oil-baron class in Calgary, and their corporate sycophants within the Progressive Conservative caucus. The oily guys combined a big stack of petro-dollars with an obscure so-con movement in Southern Alberta, which inflicted Danielle Smith on us. At the same time, the oil guys’ apologists (I was gonna say “suck-ups” but I changed my mind) threatened to split the PC party by leaving the caucus. The combined external and internal threats defeated Stelmach, and not long after, he quit (in disgust, I shouldn’t wonder).
With all these fossilized CONs coming out of the woodwork to kiss the UCP alter, and also likely to pick up a fat cheque, just shows how utterly messed up their lives must be. Surely, they prepared for a comfortable life after public office, right? Thus far, the only CON from the olden days who seems to have an independent streak is Rick Orman. But he’s fantastically rich, so he doesn’t need a payday c/o of Danielle Smith, and can keep his dignity.
As for the AHS, which was Stelmac’s creation, his about to rip it down and invent something that he hates. Anything for a cheque, I guess.
Hello Alkyl,
Thank you for the links. The sites have good perspectives . I wasn’t aware of these sites and will start reading them in the future.
All the people who migrated to Alberta over the last quarter century know exactly what it takes to do that all over again. It’s not like there’s the Great Wall of Alberta to the west and the Lloydminster Wall to the east to stop people from leaving, not to mention the northern and southern borders. What’s to stop people from leaving a province that hasn’t seen minimum wage move a micrometer since they took office, soon-to-be unaffordable Americanized healthcare, and a crappy unreliable pension that will cost more, just to hopefully hurt members of your family in other parts of the country. Their track record of a substantial rise in annual deaths, a decade’s drop in life expectancy, the largest poisoning of children in Canadian history, and the leading killer of the Albertans they are fighting for is unknown, to mention just a small sampling. As you so often say, you can’t make this stuff up!
Leaving aside the inevitable disruption of front-line work (“Where do we send requests for supplies this week? Anybody know?”), the other result will be a DECREASE in funding available for patient care. (“Sorry, they said there’s no money. Again.”)
First, there’ll be the consultants. Never doubt that Smith and LaGrange will hire some American firm or other to advise ex-AHS employees how to run their new and improved business. While that’s going on, there will be a frantic scramble to find four new sets of administrators, along with their staffs.
Picture it. Four CEOs, with four sets of executive vice presidents. Four new boards, with four new chairmen. (Maybe there’ll be a token woman or two.) Four complete corporate structures, including operations, finance, human resources and public relations. (Investor relations will come later.) Oh—I almost forgot legal. That will be critically important as this plan descends into chaos and ruin.
Add in the inevitable Con reaction to public spending on social services, and the new health corporations will be fighting tooth and nail over a smaller pot of money to pay their bloated bureaucracies first. Patient care will come second, if we’re lucky.
My advice, friends, is to be careful. Eat well, exercise regularly, keep your vaccinations up to date—and start wearing Covid masks again. It’s your choice, but do you really want to risk winding up in Danielle Smith’s New & Improved hospitals?
(And don’t get me started on elder care. Ask anyone who’s got a loved one in a for-profit long-term care home.)
From the comments in this so called news article, ya all are lighting your hair on fire cause you know your gravy train is about to come off the rails. The changes are only the tip of the iceberg to remove the rot and corruption in the Alberta Healthcare System.
Dennis: This is a not a news site. My gravy train is still chuggin’ along. I don’t have enough hair to start a fire. You’re not paying attention. DJC
Being a dim one myself, I find dim people exhausting. Why doesn’t anyone know where my cell phone is? There’ll be hell to pay!! Who should I dump on?
Dennis – it seems that you’re not paying attention if you can’t see that the concern of most commenting on this page are concerned with the development of an even richer gravy train being developed by Danielle Smith and her cronies. And they are populating it with former and failed Conservative/UCP’ers
Northern Loon….
That gravy train just added the two tier carriers….is this what Dani meant about the rapid trains between Edmonton and Calgary— MLAs need to be able to go to the games, events in both cities ?? ( not counting all the other implications .
“Alberta to let cabinet choose limits, rules about gifts for politicians”.
Dean Bennett/ Canadian Press
Nov.10th
.
DennisD …??
David Parker on X- 2023-10-13
Dear Leadership of Alberta Health Services
We are coming for you ,and we will not rest until your evil communist ideology is eradicated from the face of this province.
Sincerely
-Take Back Alberta
_______________________________
David Parker on X…
Nov. 8-2023
“Alberta Health Services has been removed from power.
sure thing Dennis the D….
For all my friends on the distasteful side? Why not a song? Why not then! https://youtu.be/hOxzIszzDqc
The Premier of Alberta, along with the Alberta Health Minister, have consistently emphasized the critical importance of innovation and optimization within the healthcare system. They have been resolute in their rejection of healthcare privatization. However, legitimate concerns have arisen regarding the composition of the Alberta Health/Hospital (AHS) Board. Dr. Lyle Oberg, the Chairman, has a background linked to hospital privatization, and a number of other board members possess expertise in acquisitions and mergers, raising questions about the alignment of the board with the government’s stated objectives.
Additionally, the presence of 12 advisory councils reporting to the Integration Committee has prompted concerns regarding potential bureaucratic complexities within the healthcare structure. This complexity appears to be at odds with the Government of Alberta’s concurrent commitment to reducing bureaucratic hurdles and management layers within AHS. The cumulative impact of these issues can foster perceptions of a lack of transparency and fuel suspicions of hidden political agendas operating behind the scenes.
In a business context, such disparities between stated objectives and the composition of key decision-making bodies can erode trust and lead to uncertainty within the healthcare sector. These concerns have the potential to impact the overall effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare service delivery in Alberta.
The government’s proposal outlines several key points intended to obtain public support:
Comprehensive Services: The new organizational structure promises a more comprehensive and integrated approach to healthcare. By categorizing services into primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction organizations, it aims to allow for specialized focus in each area, potentially leading to improved patient outcomes.
Accountability: The presence of 13 advisory councils reporting to the Integration Council is presented as a system of checks and balances. It is designed to ensure that decisions are made collectively, with diverse input, ultimately increasing transparency and accountability.
Efficient Resource Allocation: The government control and funding model is positioned as a way to efficiently allocate resources across the healthcare system. By centralizing decisions, it aims to prevent duplication and optimize the allocation of funds to where they are most needed.
Equity in Access: The government-funded healthcare model is said to strive for equal access to healthcare services for all Alberta residents, regardless of their socio-economic status. This approach is expected to reduce health disparities and enhance overall population health. The mental health and addiction organization is tasked with prioritizing research and innovation in these fields, potentially leading to new and more effective treatments and interventions. This dedicated organization is seen as a way to facilitate better coordination of care for individuals with mental health and addiction challenges, leading to more seamless transitions between services and a holistic approach to treatment.
However, there are concerns and considerations from an alternative perspective:
Bureaucracy and Red Tape: The presence of multiple organizations and 13 advisory councils could lead to a bureaucratic and time-consuming decision-making process. This might slow down healthcare delivery and hinder quick responses to emerging healthcare challenges.
Lack of Local Autonomy: A centralized government control model may limit the autonomy of local healthcare providers and communities. Local healthcare providers often have a deeper understanding of their community’s unique needs, and centralization may lead to a one-size-fits-all approach that may not be as effective.
Potential for Political Interference: Government control might mean that healthcare decisions could be influenced by political considerations, potentially leading to healthcare decisions being made for political reasons rather than solely based on medical and patient care needs.
Funding Challenges: Government-funded healthcare models can face budget constraints and financial challenges, which may result in resource shortages and limitations on the services offered, ultimately impacting the quality and accessibility of healthcare.
Illusions of Efficiency: Government-funded healthcare models can sometimes create the illusion of efficiency without delivering the expected results. Bureaucracy and red tape can impede quick decision-making, causing delays and hindering the responsiveness of healthcare services, potentially frustrating patients and healthcare providers.
Lack of Flexibility: The rigid structure of the healthcare system, with its 13 advisory councils reporting to the Integration Council and its four distinct organizations, might hinder adaptability to changing healthcare needs. Healthcare demands are dynamic, and a system with limited flexibility may struggle to respond to emerging health crises or shifting demographics.
Inadequate Performance Measurement: The healthcare system requires robust and adaptable performance measures to assess the quality of care, patient outcomes, and resource utilization. A rigid bureaucratic structure may struggle to adapt to evolving standards, making it difficult to gauge the system’s effectiveness.
Political Attractiveness: Government control over healthcare can sometimes be driven by political considerations rather than purely medical and patient care needs. Healthcare decisions may be made with the aim of scoring political points or appealing to voters, potentially compromising the quality of care.
Resource Allocation Challenges: In a government-controlled system, political influence can affect resource allocation decisions, leading to an unequal distribution of resources that may favor areas or services that are politically popular rather than those with the greatest need.
Reduced Innovation: The centralized nature of government-funded healthcare may limit innovation and competition. Innovations from the private sector that could lead to more efficient and cost-effective healthcare solutions may be stifled, potentially preventing the healthcare system from benefiting from cutting-edge technologies and practices.
Disincentive for Healthcare Professionals: The bureaucratic and standardized nature of government-controlled healthcare can sometimes disincentivize healthcare professionals. Physicians and other healthcare providers may feel constrained by regulations and red tape, leading to burnout and reduced job satisfaction.
Burden of Administrative Costs: A significant portion of healthcare spending in government-controlled systems can go toward administrative costs. The complexity of the system, with its multiple organizations and advisory councils, may lead to increased administrative overhead, diverting resources from patient care.
Innovation and technology play a vital role in transforming various aspects of the healthcare system, including primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction services. Considerations should include:
Primary Care:
Telehealth and Telemedicine: The use of telehealth platforms for remote consultations can reduce the need for physical visits, thereby improving access to care.
Electronic Health Records (EHRs): EHR systems can facilitate the seamless sharing of patient information among primary care providers and specialists, enabling more coordinated care.
Remote Monitoring: The implementation of wearable devices and IoT technology allows for continuous monitoring of patients with chronic conditions, enhancing preventive care.
Acute Care:
Robotic Surgery: Advanced surgical robots can enhance precision and minimize invasive procedures, resulting in reduced recovery time.
AI Diagnosis: The application of artificial intelligence can aid in the rapid diagnosis of acute conditions, leading to quicker interventions and better patient outcomes.
Health Information Exchange (HIE): HIE systems enable real-time sharing of critical patient data between different healthcare facilities, improving decision-making in emergency situations.
Continuing Care:
Home Healthcare Technology: The use of remote monitoring, wearable devices, and smart sensors helps patients receive care at home while staying connected to healthcare providers.
Care Coordination Platforms: Digital platforms assist in coordinating care for patients with chronic conditions, ensuring they receive appropriate and timely interventions.
Medication Management Apps: Mobile apps help patients and caregivers manage complex medication regimens more effectively.
Mental Health and Addiction:
Teletherapy and E-Counseling: Teletherapy services make mental health support more accessible, allowing patients to connect with therapists remotely.
Mental Health Apps: Mobile apps provide tools for self-help, mood tracking, and coping strategies, empowering individuals to proactively manage their mental health.
Big Data and Predictive Analytics: Data analysis identifies at-risk populations and patterns of addiction or mental health issues, enabling early intervention and prevention.
In conclusion, the government-funded healthcare model in Alberta, with its new organizational structure, presents both positive and negative aspects. While it aims to provide comprehensive and equitable healthcare services, it also comes with concerns of bureaucracy, potential political influence, and limitations on local autonomy. Balancing these factors is crucial to ensure the effectiveness of the healthcare system and the well-being of the population.
Let’s admit that Lyle Oberg and his fellow travellers are who they are. Then let’s admit we have the lowest administrative overhead anywhere. Then let’s admit the system needs more frontline docs and nurses. Then let’s admit that Verna Yui was the best person for the job of leading a properly funded organization of the size of Alberta’s healthcare system. Then let’s dissolve Alberta Health and let Alberta Health Services run their show with proper funding and her at the helm, reporting to a legitimate board. I just saved you a few hundred words! Pixel optimization!
Hello Mike,
I think that you are right in your prediction of how this will all unforld. Unfortunately, money that should be spent on providing health care will, in the shorter term, be eaten up by consultants and the cost of reorganizing and in the longer term by the cost of paying for many layers of bureaucracy that will provide no useful services.