Health Minister Stephen Mandel and Alberta Health Services (AHS) CEO Vickie Kaminski held a press conference today to announce measures that aim to improve access to health care. However, the announcement raised more questions than answers. Mandel announced that they will be 'reallocating' $50 million from existing health care funds to the Peter Lougheed Hospital, South Health Campus, Misericordia Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital, and Grey Nuns Hospital to renovate and expand ER facilities.

Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, issued the following statement today regarding the sale of Revera Home Health to Extendicare's ParaMed Home Health Care:

Friends of Medicare will be supporting the front-line workers rallying today to bring attention to Covenant Health's significant staff realignment taking place in the long-term care section at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre and all care areas at St. Joseph's Auxiliary Hospital and Youville Home. In the majority of cases, staff were given the opportunity to apply for another position but with a significant reduction to their hours of work. The realignment will impact over 650 front-line staff.

Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, issued the following statement today regarding the Alberta Government's Speech from the Throne:

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.

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:

Background

Multi-national American corporation Health Care Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)announced yesterday the $950 million purchase of Ontario-based multi-nationalHealthLease. The deal will add more than 5,000 beds or units in Alberta and the United States to their health care portfolio. Those beds include a 200-bed facility in High River built in part with public funding to a private company called Continuum Health, which was purchased in April by HealthLease. A report issued last year by the University of Alberta-based Parkland Institute showed that private, for-profit assisted living facilities received high return on investment for shareholders but provided a lower quality of care for those living in them than public facilities did. It showed that the private facilities are understaffed by an average of 90 minutes of care per resident each day.

Even before he becomes the leader of the PC party and Premier of Alberta, Jim Prentice is setting the stage for yet another rerun of how AHS governs our health care system. Prentice has pledged to reinstate the "high-profile board" if elected Premier and yesterday Health Minister Fred Horne announced he will fulfill the promise early by returning AHS to what he called "normal governance."