EDMONTON — Yesterday, an important new report was released by the Parkland Institute entitled, “Undervalued and Overstretched: Inequity, Discrimination, and the Crisis Facing Alberta’s Allied Health-Care Workforce.” It outlines the conditions driving widespread burnout and retention issues among Alberta’s health care workers.

EDMONTON — This afternoon, Premier Danielle Smith announced that her government would be ‘decentralizing health care decision-making.’ The new structure will require individual hospitals to hold responsibility for decisions around staff, resources and services, rather than Alberta Health Services. 

EDMONTON — This past Friday, the Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration released a statement informing Albertans that the interim report of Judge Wyant’s third-party investigation into Alberta’s health care procurement and contracting processes has been delayed until September 24, and that we will not see the final report until October. The interim report was previously due on May 30, with the final report to be delivered on June 30.

EDMONTON — Last Thursday, the government tabled Bill 55: Health Statutes Amendment Act in the Legislature. This sweeping 332 page Bill includes significant changes to Alberta’s health care system, impacting 54 pieces of legislation under 19 ministries of the government.

Initial Budget Response from Chris Gallaway, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare:

EDMONTON — “Albertans are worried about accessing the health care they need when they need it. Heading into Budget 2025, we were watching for key investments in public health care including prioritizing action on health care capacity and workforce planning for a growing province. Unfortunately for Albertans, that’s not what we saw in today’s budget.

EDMONTON — The 2025 provincial budget will be tabled in the legislature next Thursday, February 27th. Heading into the budget, the provincial government continues to roll out their expensive and chaotic restructuring of public health care in Alberta, while doubling-down on their failing privatization strategies.

EDMONTON — Ahead of the provincial budget, Friends of Medicare and activists within the disability community are once again calling on the Alberta government to improve and properly fund home care. Without immediate investment, our home care system will continue to fail the 127,000 Albertans who rely upon it.

EDMONTON — This morning, new reporting from the Globe and Mail uncovered additional evidence surrounding the allegations of political interference into Alberta’s procurement process with for-profit surgical facilities. 

An article posted by the Globe and Mail last night alleges that Athana Mentzelopoulos, the former CEO of Alberta Health Services, was "dismissed two days before she was scheduled to meet with the province’s Auditor-General to discuss her investigation into procurement contracts and deals for private surgical facilities, according to a letter obtained by The Globe and Mail”.

The article goes on to allege that the former CEO believes that "she was fired because she launched 'an internal investigation and forensic audit' into AHS’s contracts and procurement processes."

The full board of AHS was dismissed by the government shortly after.

EDMONTON — Earlier today, the government announced that effective immediately, the entire Alberta Health Services (AHS) board has been dismissed, and that Andre Tremblay, recently-appointed interim president and CEO of AHS, has taken on the role of official administrator in place of the board of directors. This is the second time Premier Smith has dismissed the AHS board since taking office in 2022.