Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, issued the following statement today regarding the appointment of Dr. Carl Amrhein as Official Administrator of Alberta Health Services:

Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, issued the following statement regarding the CBC's release today of new information on expenses of former Capital Health executives:

Today AHS announced the creation of new Rapid Transfer Units at the Royal Alexandra and University Hospital in the next six weeks. Each unit will include 8 to 15 beds. The two pilot sites will also add dedicated EMS stretcher capacity as well as additional clinical staff within six weeks as a way to improve access to emergency rooms. In response, Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, issued the following statement:

Today the Alberta Government made its announcement on relieving the pressures on hospitals. The announcement included the discovery of 464 previously-closed beds, which are now scheduled to be re-opened over the next year.

On Oct 3rd, 2014 Friends of Medicare will be standing in support of the 157 Shepherd's Care Support workers who were laid off by Shepherd's Care Foundation after this faith-based organization announced that these positions will be handed over to ARAMARK, a $14 billion/yr. multinational for-profit company. These jobs include housekeeping, maintenance, and food services all of which are essential components of quality care for the seniors and vulnerable Albertans who reside in these five facilities.  The residents in the centres that will be impacted reside in Millwoods, Greenfield, Kensington, Vanguard, and Southside Manor.

"It is difficult not to be skeptical when we have seen over and over again how plans introduced by this PC government are not acted upon while medical needs take a backseat," stated Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare.

Friends of Medicare would like to welcome our newly appointed, albeit unelected Minister of Health, Stephen Mandel.   In keeping with his statement of renewal, Premier Prentice most definitely kept his resolve by appointing Mr. Mandel to one of the most important cabinet posts.

A new survey conducted by Nanos Research and released today by the Canadian Health Coalition (CHC), of which Friends of Medicare is the Alberta affiliate, suggests that there is a fundamental disconnect between Canadians and a number of health policies of the Harper Government.

Friends of Medicare has forwarded two sets of questions to the three PC leadership candidates. We received a form response from Jim Prentice's team which was basically a repeat of his 'health care policy' which left us with more questions than answers. We received no responses from Ric McIver or Thomas Lukaszuk. Both of these candidates have yet to share their formal policy on health care. Here is the first set of questions we sent to the candidates: