governance

  • People’s Bus takes health care and senior’s care concerns to minister’s riding

    A bus carrying dozens of Albertans concerned about the government’s actions regarding health care and senior’s care made a stop near Red Deer on Wednesday.

    The People’s Bus, chartered by Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta, was travelling from Edmonton to Calgary and made a stop at a business along Gasoline Alley with the end goal of canvassing the constituency of the Minister of Health, Tyler Shandro.

    The groups say they are concerned about deep cuts and privatization the provincial government is imposing on Alberta’s health care and seniors’ care systems.

    Written by
    February 13, 2020

  • FOM's response to the AHS review

    With the release of the much-awaited performance review of Alberta Health Services (AHS), Albertans will have to wait until May 2020 to fully understand the real life consequences that the recommendations will have on Albertans.

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    February 03, 2020

  • Government setting the stage for the closure and possible relocation of existing supervised consumption Services

    As reported in the media today, Premier Jason Kenney is already setting the stage for what could be the closure or relocation of Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) in Alberta. While the Supervised Consumption Services Review Committee was tasked with reporting to the government by the end of 2019, their report has yet to be publicly released.
     
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    January 21, 2020

  • Black Friday announcements signal dark days ahead for public health care

    Black Friday announcements signal dark days ahead for public health care
     
    Announcements made on Black Friday of the loss of well over 5,100 front-line health care jobs highlights the deep disdain for public services that our current government holds.
     
    “These announcements were a clear move away from the collectivism that drives our social programs, a move away from the caring and compassion that is necessary to advance our society. It was a reiteration of a commitment to an endless quest to privatize our needed public services,” states Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    December 02, 2019

  • Cuts to front-line staff is not the solution to balancing the budget and it is not what Albertans voted for

    Cuts to front-line staff is not the solution to balancing the budget and it is not what Albertans voted for
     
    On Friday morning, Albertans learned that 500 front-line Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses will lose their jobs over the next three years. The United Nurses of Alberta estimate this loss of staff will equate to more than a million fewer hours of care for patients.
     
    “In an already overstretched system, this attempt to save money by eliminating front-line staff can only be seen as nonsensical,” stated Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    November 29, 2019

  • The future of Laboratory Services in Northern Alberta still uncertain under Budget 2019

    The future of Laboratory Services in Northern Alberta still uncertain under Budget 2019
    Budget 2019 released yesterday referred only briefly to the issue of laboratory services, indicating that we will see the removal of the Edmonton Clinical Laboratory Hub project, which was set to cost $579 Million. “Budget 2019 makes no mention or addresses any moneys being allocated to a future facility or to renew much needed equipment,” indicates Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
     
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    October 28, 2019

  • Alberta Budget 2019

    Restrained spending in budget 2019 is the wrong prescription for Alberta

    Although budget 2019 sees a slight increase in spending in health care (1%), it does not meet inflation and population growth (3.5%). "When a government is not able to provide health care to meet the needs of a growing population, it is a cut," says Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare. "As one goes down line by line through the budget, what we're seeing is a decrease in most areas of the health care budget."

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    October 24, 2019

  • Government-appointed “Blue Ribbon Panel” sets the stage for 4 years of unwarranted austerity budgets

    Although health care took a back seat to “jobs, pipelines, economy” during the recent election, it was expected and reasonable to assume that health care should now become a much spoken about subject area.
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    September 03, 2019

  • FOM welcomes Lethbridge City Council’s common-sense vote on continued provincial funding for SCS

    FOM welcomes Lethbridge City Council’s common-sense vote on continued provincial funding for SCS

     
    On Monday, August 19, Lethbridge city council voted on a motion to request the provincial government halt funding to the city’s supervised consumption site, subject to the findings of the government’s forthcoming “socioeconomic” review. The motion, introduced by Councillor Blaine Hyggen, was defeated Monday evening by a vote of 6-3.  

    “Supervised consumption services are an integral part of a harm reduction strategy — they connect vulnerable Albertans to essential services that will ultimately give them a path to healthier lives,” said Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “We’re glad to see that Lethbridge city council had the common sense to vote down a motion that would have shown a callous disregard for the lives of vulnerable Albertans.”

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    August 19, 2019

  • Friends of Medicare Welcomes New Health Minister Tyler Shandro

    MEDIA RELEASE
    APRIL 30, 2019
    EDMONTON

    Friends of Medicare Welcomes New Health Minister, Honorable Tyler Shandro

     
    Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, issued the following statement today regarding the appointment of Alberta's new Health Minister:
     
    Friends of Medicare would like to congratulate our new Minister of Health, Tyler Shandro. We are looking forward to engaging with Minister Shandro as we move forward in ensuring that our public health care is protected and expanded for all Albertans.
     
    Minister Shandro, a lawyer by profession, is well known in conservative circles, but brand new to health care. The Ministry of Health is the largest and most complex portfolio in the Alberta government, and Minister Shandro has a big learning curve ahead of him in understanding the intricacies of its governance and structure.
     
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    April 30, 2019