Leaving no one Behind

Leaving no one behind


Rachel Hendricks
Booster contributor
Rural medical care is getting a facelift in this province, and Dave Eggen, executive director for Friends of Medicare, wants Jasperites going in with their "eyes wide open."
Friends of Medicare, a volunteer organization that advocates for public health care, held a meeting on Saturday, Jan. 31 in the Emergency Services Building to give locals the opportunity to discuss what Eggen called "big changes" to provincial health care.
In 2008, Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Ron Leipert announced that the delivery of health care in small town hospitals required review. The research firm McKinsey and Co. was commissioned to do the study and has since made its recommendations.
"They definitely want to target rural health delivery," said Eggen.
Eggen explained that while medical services in Jasper have already been significantly reduced in the last few years, Jasperites should expect even more changes. One of these changes, Eggen said, could be the consolidation of Jasper and Hinton services.
This would be in accordance with one of the main suggestions coming from the McKinsey report—that some small hospitals be converted into ambulatory care centres. The reason, the report says, is that many rural hospitals have lower occupancy rates than in cities, leaving hospital beds empty and inefficiencies in the system.
As the province is moving closer towards a more population-based approach to health care delivery, Eggen said that Jasper should remind the province of its unique situation.
"They’re making these decisions now," said Eggen. "You have to make sure you advocate for extenuating circumstances."

Ken Kuzminski, Yellowhead’s NDP candidate in the last federal election, was in attendance at the meeting and he said that a concern of his, in light of the expected changes, is Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Jasper. Kuzminski pointed to the fact that Jasper sees a high volume of visitors and seasonal employees in the summer months, and that the local EMS also provides services throughout Jasper National Park.
Eggen said it is important that community members get their input on this issue in soon, so that the government does not just use the "standard formula" for Jasper.
In an interview following the meeting, Kuzminski said his concern over the future of EMS in Jasper was one of the reasons he attended the meeting.
"We have a top notch first-responding system in Jasper," said Kuzminski. "I hope that it is maintained with the changeover."
Kusminski added that he hopes it is not a population-based decision for Jasper. He also said he plans to talk to West Yellowhead MLA Robin Campbell to make sure he’s advocating this on Jasper’s behalf.
Also discussed at the meeting was something that affects all Albertans—the issue of privatization.
"We don’t want to see it happen here in Canada," said Eggen, speaking on behalf of Medicare.
Eggen assured meeting attendees that Medicare is keeping a close eye on health care in Alberta. He said the organization is about making sure that "no one gets left behind. That’s the essence of Medicare."
For more information about Friends of Medicare, visit www.friendsofmedicare.ab.ca