Province mismanages health funds, says report
Published October 28, 2010 by Carol Harrington in News
The province does not have a grip on its health spending and finances, says Alberta’s watchdog, who ultimately blames a rocky transition from several regional health boards to one provincial superboard.
"We found material errors in (Alberta Health Service’s) financial reporting system, unachieved processing efficiencies and significant strain on its finance staff," auditor general Merwan Saher says in his 246-page fall report.
The report pointed out the centralized health board didn’t sign a contract before construction started on a $54-million Edmonton geriatric mental health facility, and almost $1 billion in expenses was either misclassified or omitted in financial records — problems that were eventually rectified.
"Without proper contractual arrangements, the AHS capital plan is jeopardized, unfilled expectations may lead to difficult and costly resolution, and there is greater risk of cost escalation that would be borne by taxpayers," says the report.
David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, says the “mismanagement” of public funds is “inexcusable.”
“The scale and impact of this will become apparent in the coming weeks and months,” he says. “Albertans will not forgive this gross mismanagement of their public health system. This is where you draw the line.”
Premier Ed Stelmach defended the health board. “It has nothing to do with whether we have one board or not,” he told reporters. “The system is adapting to the ever-increasing needs.”
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
"Historic" means it belongs in the dustbin
'Historic' health act unveiled
Opposition fears legislation will lead to privatization, fails to address ER waits
By Karen Kleiss And Keith Gerein, Edmonton Journal October 29, 2010
The Conservative government introduced its long-awaited Alberta Health Act on Thursday, hailing it as a "historic" step toward building the best health system in Canada.
But critics say the act could open the door to private health care and does nothing to address the ongoing crisis in the province's emergency rooms.
If passed, Bill 17 will create a health charter that outlines what Albertans can expect from the system and will install an advocate to resolve patient complaints. It passed first reading Thursday and will be debated in the legislature in coming weeks.
"Bill 17 is part of our ongoing efforts to help build the best-performing, publicly funded health system in Canada," Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said.
"It not about privatization. It is also not about revamping some of the major existing legislation pieces that we have in Alberta at this time."
The proposed Alberta Health Act contains five new measures:
- Health charter: High principles for all health institutions, facility operators and health providers in the province. It is a charter of goals and expectations, not a charter of rights, and it can't be used as the basis for legal claims.
- Health advocate: Reviews complaints made under the charter and has the power to recommend changes. If a health provider fails to implement the recommendations, the advocate can write a report to the minister. It is up to the minister to decide whether the report will be made public.
- Health providers: The minister can pass a regulation designating "other persons" as health providers who are subject to the charter. For example: massage therapists, medical device providers and health care aides who provide support services for the sick, elderly and disabled.
The idea is that the charter will apply to all who have a hand in keeping Albertans healthy, not just doctors.
- - Penalties: The Lieutenant Governor in Council can set penalties for breaching regulations, such as failing to comply with the advocate's request for information during a review.
- - Public consultation: The minister must give the public 30 days to comment on new regulations before they become law.
Opposition parties and critics were divided in their assessments of the bill, in part, they said, because the legislation is so vague.
Much of the controversy centred around the section that allows the health minister to designate "other persons as health providers."
Despite strong denials from Zwozdesky, questions were raised about whether such wording could be used by the government to quietly push more private operators into the health system.
"I think the potential is there to deputize private providers to allow for more private contracting, and potentially encourage a race to use less qualified personnel to do certain procedures," said David Eggen of the advocacy group Friends of Medicare.
Eggen said he fears the act's "enabling" structure means the minister can dismantle existing health legislation behind closed doors rather than debating such changes in the legislature.
But NDP Leader Brian Mason said the proposed act was more useless than dangerous.
"I don't think it's the insidious Trojan horse we expected it to be," he said. "The act is set up to create a charter that's not enforceable in the courts. It's set up to create a health advocate who you can complain to and then he can issue reports, and then if the minister wants to do something about it, he can. But that's all this act is."
Mason said he thinks the "other persons" referred to in the act does not mean private operators, but people who practise alternative or emerging forms of medicine that may need to be brought into the official health system one day.
Liberal Leader David Swann said it was hard to judge the legislation until the Conservatives come forward with more information about their plans for the health advocate, health charter and procedure for making changes to the system. "The devil is in the details," he said.
All opposition leaders agreed the health act was an attempt to deflect attention from current problems in the system, including overcrowding and long wait times in hospital emergency rooms.
"In my mind, it's a diversionary piece of legislation trying to distract our attention from real issues they are failing to grapple with," Mason said.
Zwozdesky has responded to the emergency room issue by calling for new wait-time targets. He said patients should wait no longer than four hours from arrival to discharge, while patients needing to be admitted should wait no longer than eight hours before getting a bed.
Asked if he would enshrine these benchmarks in the yet-to-be written health charter, Zwozdesky was noncommittal.
Swann, however, suggested it should be considered.
"Without firm teeth, I don't think the government is going to change anything."
kkleiss@edmontonjournal.comkgerein@edmontonjournal.com
Opposition fears legislation will lead to privatization, fails to address ER waits
By Karen Kleiss And Keith Gerein, Edmonton Journal October 29, 2010
The Conservative government introduced its long-awaited Alberta Health Act on Thursday, hailing it as a "historic" step toward building the best health system in Canada.
But critics say the act could open the door to private health care and does nothing to address the ongoing crisis in the province's emergency rooms.
If passed, Bill 17 will create a health charter that outlines what Albertans can expect from the system and will install an advocate to resolve patient complaints. It passed first reading Thursday and will be debated in the legislature in coming weeks.
"Bill 17 is part of our ongoing efforts to help build the best-performing, publicly funded health system in Canada," Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said.
"It not about privatization. It is also not about revamping some of the major existing legislation pieces that we have in Alberta at this time."
The proposed Alberta Health Act contains five new measures:
- Health charter: High principles for all health institutions, facility operators and health providers in the province. It is a charter of goals and expectations, not a charter of rights, and it can't be used as the basis for legal claims.
- Health advocate: Reviews complaints made under the charter and has the power to recommend changes. If a health provider fails to implement the recommendations, the advocate can write a report to the minister. It is up to the minister to decide whether the report will be made public.
- Health providers: The minister can pass a regulation designating "other persons" as health providers who are subject to the charter. For example: massage therapists, medical device providers and health care aides who provide support services for the sick, elderly and disabled.
The idea is that the charter will apply to all who have a hand in keeping Albertans healthy, not just doctors.
- - Penalties: The Lieutenant Governor in Council can set penalties for breaching regulations, such as failing to comply with the advocate's request for information during a review.
- - Public consultation: The minister must give the public 30 days to comment on new regulations before they become law.
Opposition parties and critics were divided in their assessments of the bill, in part, they said, because the legislation is so vague.
Much of the controversy centred around the section that allows the health minister to designate "other persons as health providers."
Despite strong denials from Zwozdesky, questions were raised about whether such wording could be used by the government to quietly push more private operators into the health system.
"I think the potential is there to deputize private providers to allow for more private contracting, and potentially encourage a race to use less qualified personnel to do certain procedures," said David Eggen of the advocacy group Friends of Medicare.
Eggen said he fears the act's "enabling" structure means the minister can dismantle existing health legislation behind closed doors rather than debating such changes in the legislature.
But NDP Leader Brian Mason said the proposed act was more useless than dangerous.
"I don't think it's the insidious Trojan horse we expected it to be," he said. "The act is set up to create a charter that's not enforceable in the courts. It's set up to create a health advocate who you can complain to and then he can issue reports, and then if the minister wants to do something about it, he can. But that's all this act is."
Mason said he thinks the "other persons" referred to in the act does not mean private operators, but people who practise alternative or emerging forms of medicine that may need to be brought into the official health system one day.
Liberal Leader David Swann said it was hard to judge the legislation until the Conservatives come forward with more information about their plans for the health advocate, health charter and procedure for making changes to the system. "The devil is in the details," he said.
All opposition leaders agreed the health act was an attempt to deflect attention from current problems in the system, including overcrowding and long wait times in hospital emergency rooms.
"In my mind, it's a diversionary piece of legislation trying to distract our attention from real issues they are failing to grapple with," Mason said.
Zwozdesky has responded to the emergency room issue by calling for new wait-time targets. He said patients should wait no longer than four hours from arrival to discharge, while patients needing to be admitted should wait no longer than eight hours before getting a bed.
Asked if he would enshrine these benchmarks in the yet-to-be written health charter, Zwozdesky was noncommittal.
Swann, however, suggested it should be considered.
"Without firm teeth, I don't think the government is going to change anything."
kkleiss@edmontonjournal.comkgerein@edmontonjournal.com
Attacks on our public system wreak their grim harvest
Plan revealed to 'decongest' Alberta hospital wards
Health official says open beds will shorten ER waits
By Matt McClure, Calgary Herald October 29, 2010
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
Dr. Grant Innes, AHS's head of emergency medicine for Calgary region, said his "overcapacity protocol" is a proven method of improving the flow of patients within the health-care system.
"When the emergency wards are full, it's a way of getting the sickest people into a bed," Innes said.
"You push out the in-patients who don't need to be there. When a medical or surgical unit upstairs has to find a space because someone is landing in their lap, they usually do."
Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky committed this week to reduce the average wait time for patients who show up at emergency wards requiring admission to eight hours, but emergency physicians say they're waiting to see how hospitals will meet those targets.
Seriously ill patients who show up at Calgary emergency wards are now waiting an average of up to 20 hours before they are admitted. Doctors say many are enduring unnecessary pain, suffering poor outcomes and even dying on occasion because they aren't seen in a timely fashion.
Dr. Eric Grafstein, head of emergency medicine at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, said patients at facilities there faced similar waits four years ago. After five patients died in emergency waiting rooms in a one-month period, overcapacity measures were introduced that quickly cut wait times in half, from 20 to 10 hours on average.
"It's a way to decongest in a hurry when you get crowded and share the burden of overcrowding," Grafstein said. "We can get eight to 10 patients out of our ward and upstairs inside an hour."
He said wait times have dropped even further since then, with the introduction of a pay for performance program that rewards hospitals for meeting wait time targets. Hospitals that admit patients within 10 hours of their arrival in emergency get $600. When they treat and discharge those who don't need a bed within four hours, they get $100.
"Doctors are now seeing patients within an hour," said Grafstein, "and deciding a lot sooner who needs to be in hospital and who doesn't."
He said there has been grumbling from hospital wards that now have to handle extra patients, but he said that so far there have been no incidents of negative outcomes because of poor care or premature discharges.
Innes said his overcapacity proposal for Calgary hospitals received a favourable reaction when he presented it this week at a meeting of medical department heads.
He said it's now being reviewed and considered by senior officials inside AHS.
Dr. Paul Parks, emergency section president with the Alberta Medical Association, said he supports the idea, but stressed it will only work if there is increased accountability inside AHS.
"Sharing the burden of overcrowding won't be popular," Parks said.
"There needs to be someone inside every hospital with the authority to make this happen."
Despite repeated requests for an interview, top bureaucrats at the provincial health authority wouldn't speak about the proposal.
AHS has said it plans to solve emergency room overcrowding by expanding home care and reducing the number of people -- nearly one in five Albertans -- who often rely on emergency wards for primary care because they have no family doctor.
The provincial health authority is also increasing the number of long-term care beds. By adding over 500 spaces across the province between now and the end of March, it hopes to free beds in hospital wards that are now clogged with chronically ill patients.
But Innes said adding more beds won't end emergency ward overcrowding. When the 200-bed facility at Garrison Green in Calgary opened in June, he said hospital wards emptied and emergency waits shortened temporarily.
"By September the backlog in our emergency wards was worse than it had ever been," he said.
"Additional beds may be part of the answer, but we also have to change rules about who gets them."
Emergency physicians have warned in a leaked letter that Alberta's health system is facing "potential catastrophic collapse" because of hospital overcrowding, but new figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information show the province spends more tax dollars per capita on health care than any other province but Newfoundland.
Despite a relatively young population, Alberta is forecast to spend $4,295 per capita this year on health care, well above the national average of $3,663.
David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said the numbers shows there's gross mismanagement of public health-care budgets by AHS.
"While the lines in our emergency wards have grown longer," said Eggen, "we're spending too much on prescription drugs and contracting out long-term care to the private sector."
mmcclure@calgaryherald.com
Health official says open beds will shorten ER waits
By Matt McClure, Calgary Herald October 29, 2010
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
Dr. Grant Innes, AHS's head of emergency medicine for Calgary region, said his "overcapacity protocol" is a proven method of improving the flow of patients within the health-care system.
"When the emergency wards are full, it's a way of getting the sickest people into a bed," Innes said.
"You push out the in-patients who don't need to be there. When a medical or surgical unit upstairs has to find a space because someone is landing in their lap, they usually do."
Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky committed this week to reduce the average wait time for patients who show up at emergency wards requiring admission to eight hours, but emergency physicians say they're waiting to see how hospitals will meet those targets.
Seriously ill patients who show up at Calgary emergency wards are now waiting an average of up to 20 hours before they are admitted. Doctors say many are enduring unnecessary pain, suffering poor outcomes and even dying on occasion because they aren't seen in a timely fashion.
Dr. Eric Grafstein, head of emergency medicine at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, said patients at facilities there faced similar waits four years ago. After five patients died in emergency waiting rooms in a one-month period, overcapacity measures were introduced that quickly cut wait times in half, from 20 to 10 hours on average.
"It's a way to decongest in a hurry when you get crowded and share the burden of overcrowding," Grafstein said. "We can get eight to 10 patients out of our ward and upstairs inside an hour."
He said wait times have dropped even further since then, with the introduction of a pay for performance program that rewards hospitals for meeting wait time targets. Hospitals that admit patients within 10 hours of their arrival in emergency get $600. When they treat and discharge those who don't need a bed within four hours, they get $100.
"Doctors are now seeing patients within an hour," said Grafstein, "and deciding a lot sooner who needs to be in hospital and who doesn't."
He said there has been grumbling from hospital wards that now have to handle extra patients, but he said that so far there have been no incidents of negative outcomes because of poor care or premature discharges.
Innes said his overcapacity proposal for Calgary hospitals received a favourable reaction when he presented it this week at a meeting of medical department heads.
He said it's now being reviewed and considered by senior officials inside AHS.
Dr. Paul Parks, emergency section president with the Alberta Medical Association, said he supports the idea, but stressed it will only work if there is increased accountability inside AHS.
"Sharing the burden of overcrowding won't be popular," Parks said.
"There needs to be someone inside every hospital with the authority to make this happen."
Despite repeated requests for an interview, top bureaucrats at the provincial health authority wouldn't speak about the proposal.
AHS has said it plans to solve emergency room overcrowding by expanding home care and reducing the number of people -- nearly one in five Albertans -- who often rely on emergency wards for primary care because they have no family doctor.
The provincial health authority is also increasing the number of long-term care beds. By adding over 500 spaces across the province between now and the end of March, it hopes to free beds in hospital wards that are now clogged with chronically ill patients.
But Innes said adding more beds won't end emergency ward overcrowding. When the 200-bed facility at Garrison Green in Calgary opened in June, he said hospital wards emptied and emergency waits shortened temporarily.
"By September the backlog in our emergency wards was worse than it had ever been," he said.
"Additional beds may be part of the answer, but we also have to change rules about who gets them."
Emergency physicians have warned in a leaked letter that Alberta's health system is facing "potential catastrophic collapse" because of hospital overcrowding, but new figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information show the province spends more tax dollars per capita on health care than any other province but Newfoundland.
Despite a relatively young population, Alberta is forecast to spend $4,295 per capita this year on health care, well above the national average of $3,663.
David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said the numbers shows there's gross mismanagement of public health-care budgets by AHS.
"While the lines in our emergency wards have grown longer," said Eggen, "we're spending too much on prescription drugs and contracting out long-term care to the private sector."
mmcclure@calgaryherald.com
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Try doing your job Mr. Harper
Western medicare advocates call for federal investigation of Copeman Healthcare Centre
Canada NewsWire
VANCOUVER, Oct. 28
VANCOUVER, Oct. 28 /CNW/ - Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq's recent announcement of her department's investigation into the controversial Sentinelle Health Group in Ottawa has prompted public health care supporters in BC and Alberta to call for a similar review of the Copeman Healthcare Centre.
"We would like to take this occasion to request that your department also investigate the practices of the Copeman Healthcare Centre which operates on a similar business model as Sentinelle Health Group," said BC Health Coalition co-chair Rachel Tutte in a letter sent to Aglukkaq today.
The BC Health Coalition and Alberta Friends of Medicare have been following business practices at Copeman clinics in Vancouver and Calgary. Both groups saw the immediate similarities between Copeman and Ottawa's Sentinelle, which recently began courting MPs as potential patients. The move now has Health Canada questioning whether Sentinelle's membership fees violate the Canada Health Act.
"This is an issue of access to insured medical services on the basis of need," said Alberta Friends of Medicare executive director David Eggen.
"Health Canada needs to work with our provincial health ministries to determine whether the practice of charging access fees for membership in a primary care clinic violates the Canada Health Act's principle of accessibility on uniform terms and conditions," said Eggen, noting that Copeman charges an up-front access fee of $3,900.00 and ongoing access fees of $2,900.00 per year that allow for preferred access to specialist medical practitioners working there.
The BC Health Coalition and Alberta Friends of Medicare will continue to raise concerns about the dangers of member-only, private-pay medical centres and promote public solutions to our health care challenges. "Government needs to promote public community health clinics with multi-disciplinary primary health care teams that will result in lower costs to the system and better health outcomes," said Tutte.
"Member-only clinics harm public health care by taking health care professionals like doctors and nurses away from the public sector to work in for-profit clinics accessible only to those who can afford the high fees."
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/148187#ixzz13iKyl0dO
Canada NewsWire
VANCOUVER, Oct. 28
VANCOUVER, Oct. 28 /CNW/ - Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq's recent announcement of her department's investigation into the controversial Sentinelle Health Group in Ottawa has prompted public health care supporters in BC and Alberta to call for a similar review of the Copeman Healthcare Centre.
"We would like to take this occasion to request that your department also investigate the practices of the Copeman Healthcare Centre which operates on a similar business model as Sentinelle Health Group," said BC Health Coalition co-chair Rachel Tutte in a letter sent to Aglukkaq today.
The BC Health Coalition and Alberta Friends of Medicare have been following business practices at Copeman clinics in Vancouver and Calgary. Both groups saw the immediate similarities between Copeman and Ottawa's Sentinelle, which recently began courting MPs as potential patients. The move now has Health Canada questioning whether Sentinelle's membership fees violate the Canada Health Act.
"This is an issue of access to insured medical services on the basis of need," said Alberta Friends of Medicare executive director David Eggen.
"Health Canada needs to work with our provincial health ministries to determine whether the practice of charging access fees for membership in a primary care clinic violates the Canada Health Act's principle of accessibility on uniform terms and conditions," said Eggen, noting that Copeman charges an up-front access fee of $3,900.00 and ongoing access fees of $2,900.00 per year that allow for preferred access to specialist medical practitioners working there.
The BC Health Coalition and Alberta Friends of Medicare will continue to raise concerns about the dangers of member-only, private-pay medical centres and promote public solutions to our health care challenges. "Government needs to promote public community health clinics with multi-disciplinary primary health care teams that will result in lower costs to the system and better health outcomes," said Tutte.
"Member-only clinics harm public health care by taking health care professionals like doctors and nurses away from the public sector to work in for-profit clinics accessible only to those who can afford the high fees."
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/148187#ixzz13iKyl0dO
Please Mr. Please, don't play B 17!
Zwozdesky introduces Alberta’s first Health Act
Bill 17 passes first reading
By Karen Kleiss, edmontonjournal.com October 28, 2010 8:42 PM Comments (4)
StoryPhotos ( 2 )
More Images » Dr. Paul Parks, left, the ER doctor whose letter sparked fierce concern about the state of Alberta's emergency departments, with Alberta health minister Gene Zwozdesky during a newsconference in Edmonton Wednesday, October 27, 2010.Photograph by: Chris Schwarz, edmontonjournal.comKAREN KLEISS and KEITH GEREIN
EDMONTON — The Conservative government introduced its long-awaited Alberta Health Act on Thursday, hailing it as a “historic” step toward building the best health system.
But critics say the act could open the door to private health care and does nothing to address the ongoing crisis in the province’s emergency rooms.
If passed, Bill 17 will create a health charter that outlines what Albertans can expect from the system and will install an advocate to resolve patient complaints. It passed first reading Thursday and will be debated in the legislature in coming weeks.
“Bill 17 is part of our ongoing efforts to help build the best-performing, publicly funded health system in Canada,” Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said.
“It not about privatization. It is also not about revamping some of the major existing legislation pieces that we have in Alberta at this time.”
The proposed Alberta Health Act contains five ideas new to Albertans:
Health charter: A high-level set of principles for all health institutions, facility operators and “health providers” in the province. It is a charter of goals and expectations, not a charter of rights, and it can’t be used as the basis for legal claims.
Health advocate: Reviews complaints made under the charter and has the power to recommend changes. If a health provider fails to implement the recommendations, the advocate can write a report to the minister. It is up to the minister to decide whether the report will be made public.
Health providers: The minister can pass a regulation designating “other persons” as health providers who are subject to the charter. For example: massage therapists, medical device providers and health care aides who provide support services for the sick, elderly and disabled. The idea is that the charter will apply to all who have a hand in keeping Albertans healthy, not just doctors.
Penalties: The Lieutenant Governor in Council can set penalties for breaching regulations, such as failing to comply with the advocate’s request for information during a review.
Public consultation: The minister must give the public 30 days to comment on new regulations before they become law.
Opposition parties and critics were divided in their assessments of the bill, in part, they said, because the legislation is so vague.
Much of the controversy centred around the section that allows the health minister to designate “other persons as health providers.”
Despite strong denials from Zwozdesky, questions were raised about whether such wording could be used by the government to quietly push more private operators into the health system.
“I think the potential is there to deputize private providers to allow for more private contracting, and potentially encourage a race to use less qualified personnel to do certain procedures,” said David Eggen of the advocacy group Friends of Medicare.
Eggen said he fears the act’s “enabling” structure means the minister can dismantle existing health legislation behind closed doors rather than debating such changes in the legislature.But NDP Leader Brian Mason said the proposed act was more useless than dangerous.
“I don’t think it’s the insidious Trojan horse we expected it to be,” he said. “The act is set up to create a charter that’s not enforceable in the courts. It’s set up to create a health advocate, who you can complain to and then he can issue reports, and then if the minister wants to do something about it, he can. But that’s all this act is.”
Mason said he thinks the “other persons” referred to in the act does not mean private operators, but people who practice alternative or emerging forms of medicine that may need to be brought into the official health system one day.
Liberal Leader David Swann said it was hard to judge the legislation until the Conservatives come forward with more information about their plans for the health advocate, health charter and procedure for making changes to the system. “The devil is in the details,” he said.
All opposition leaders agreed the health act was an attempt to deflect attention from current problems in the system, including overcrowding and long wait times in hospital emergency rooms.
“In my mind, it’s a diversionary piece of legislation trying to distract our attention from real issues they are failing to grapple with,” Mason said.
Zwozdesky has responded to the emergency room issue by calling for new wait-time targets. He said patients should wait no longer than four hours from the time they arrive at emergency to the time they are treated and discharged, while patients needing to be admitted should wait no longer than eight hours before getting a bed.
Asked if he would enshrine these benchmarks in the yet-to-be written health charter, Zwozdesky was non-committal.
Swann, however, suggested it should be considered.
“That’s a very interesting idea. Without firm teeth, I don’t think the government is going to change anything.”
kkleiss@edmontonjournal.com
kgerein@edmontonjournal.com
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Bill 17 passes first reading
By Karen Kleiss, edmontonjournal.com October 28, 2010 8:42 PM Comments (4)
StoryPhotos ( 2 )
More Images » Dr. Paul Parks, left, the ER doctor whose letter sparked fierce concern about the state of Alberta's emergency departments, with Alberta health minister Gene Zwozdesky during a newsconference in Edmonton Wednesday, October 27, 2010.Photograph by: Chris Schwarz, edmontonjournal.comKAREN KLEISS and KEITH GEREIN
EDMONTON — The Conservative government introduced its long-awaited Alberta Health Act on Thursday, hailing it as a “historic” step toward building the best health system.
But critics say the act could open the door to private health care and does nothing to address the ongoing crisis in the province’s emergency rooms.
If passed, Bill 17 will create a health charter that outlines what Albertans can expect from the system and will install an advocate to resolve patient complaints. It passed first reading Thursday and will be debated in the legislature in coming weeks.
“Bill 17 is part of our ongoing efforts to help build the best-performing, publicly funded health system in Canada,” Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said.
“It not about privatization. It is also not about revamping some of the major existing legislation pieces that we have in Alberta at this time.”
The proposed Alberta Health Act contains five ideas new to Albertans:
Health charter: A high-level set of principles for all health institutions, facility operators and “health providers” in the province. It is a charter of goals and expectations, not a charter of rights, and it can’t be used as the basis for legal claims.
Health advocate: Reviews complaints made under the charter and has the power to recommend changes. If a health provider fails to implement the recommendations, the advocate can write a report to the minister. It is up to the minister to decide whether the report will be made public.
Health providers: The minister can pass a regulation designating “other persons” as health providers who are subject to the charter. For example: massage therapists, medical device providers and health care aides who provide support services for the sick, elderly and disabled. The idea is that the charter will apply to all who have a hand in keeping Albertans healthy, not just doctors.
Penalties: The Lieutenant Governor in Council can set penalties for breaching regulations, such as failing to comply with the advocate’s request for information during a review.
Public consultation: The minister must give the public 30 days to comment on new regulations before they become law.
Opposition parties and critics were divided in their assessments of the bill, in part, they said, because the legislation is so vague.
Much of the controversy centred around the section that allows the health minister to designate “other persons as health providers.”
Despite strong denials from Zwozdesky, questions were raised about whether such wording could be used by the government to quietly push more private operators into the health system.
“I think the potential is there to deputize private providers to allow for more private contracting, and potentially encourage a race to use less qualified personnel to do certain procedures,” said David Eggen of the advocacy group Friends of Medicare.
Eggen said he fears the act’s “enabling” structure means the minister can dismantle existing health legislation behind closed doors rather than debating such changes in the legislature.But NDP Leader Brian Mason said the proposed act was more useless than dangerous.
“I don’t think it’s the insidious Trojan horse we expected it to be,” he said. “The act is set up to create a charter that’s not enforceable in the courts. It’s set up to create a health advocate, who you can complain to and then he can issue reports, and then if the minister wants to do something about it, he can. But that’s all this act is.”
Mason said he thinks the “other persons” referred to in the act does not mean private operators, but people who practice alternative or emerging forms of medicine that may need to be brought into the official health system one day.
Liberal Leader David Swann said it was hard to judge the legislation until the Conservatives come forward with more information about their plans for the health advocate, health charter and procedure for making changes to the system. “The devil is in the details,” he said.
All opposition leaders agreed the health act was an attempt to deflect attention from current problems in the system, including overcrowding and long wait times in hospital emergency rooms.
“In my mind, it’s a diversionary piece of legislation trying to distract our attention from real issues they are failing to grapple with,” Mason said.
Zwozdesky has responded to the emergency room issue by calling for new wait-time targets. He said patients should wait no longer than four hours from the time they arrive at emergency to the time they are treated and discharged, while patients needing to be admitted should wait no longer than eight hours before getting a bed.
Asked if he would enshrine these benchmarks in the yet-to-be written health charter, Zwozdesky was non-committal.
Swann, however, suggested it should be considered.
“That’s a very interesting idea. Without firm teeth, I don’t think the government is going to change anything.”
kkleiss@edmontonjournal.com
kgerein@edmontonjournal.com
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Province promises to cut ER wait times
ctvcalgary.ca
The province is promising to cut the wait times patients are experiencing in overcrowded emergency rooms by implementing benchmarks recommended by emergency room doctors.
"The sickest patients are seen first in the ER regardless of when they arrive. Patients will register, be seen, and admitted in eight hours. By admitted, we mean transferred to a ward in the hospital where they can be cared for appropriately," says Dr. Paul Parks with the Alberta Medical Association.
ER physicians have asked for a maximum eight-hour wait in the ER for a patient needing admission to the hospital and a maximum four-hour wait for people who need to be treated but not admitted.
Doctors from the Alberta Medical Association recently complained to the province, saying over-crowding was nearing catastrophic proportions.
Seriously ill patients were waiting hours to be seen because ER beds were being used by other, less critical patients, waiting to be admitted to the hospital.
Keren Behar's husband experienced these long wait times. Not long ago, her husband woke up with a crippling headache. They rushed to the ER but were stunned when they got inside.
"I felt like I was in a third world country or a war-torn zone with a line up of injured people waiting to be seen. I didn't think I was in Calgary, Alberta in a teaching hospital," she says.
It took over 12 hours for the Behars to be seen.
Alberta Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky says he expects those new rules to be fully in place by Christmas.
Some doctors say there needs to be more accountability at the hospital level to actually see wait times go down. Managers need the authority and the impetus to act and find spaces for patients when they are needed.
But the health minister's promise to improve things is ringing hollow with many people who said they've heard this before.
Critics say the province already promised shorter wait times a long time ago and it's not chipping any more money to make the system more efficient.
"This is very reactionary. No new money in dealing with the problem and on it goes. We have empty promises from our government," says David Eggen with Friends of Medicare.
ctvcalgary.ca
The province is promising to cut the wait times patients are experiencing in overcrowded emergency rooms by implementing benchmarks recommended by emergency room doctors.
"The sickest patients are seen first in the ER regardless of when they arrive. Patients will register, be seen, and admitted in eight hours. By admitted, we mean transferred to a ward in the hospital where they can be cared for appropriately," says Dr. Paul Parks with the Alberta Medical Association.
ER physicians have asked for a maximum eight-hour wait in the ER for a patient needing admission to the hospital and a maximum four-hour wait for people who need to be treated but not admitted.
Doctors from the Alberta Medical Association recently complained to the province, saying over-crowding was nearing catastrophic proportions.
Seriously ill patients were waiting hours to be seen because ER beds were being used by other, less critical patients, waiting to be admitted to the hospital.
Keren Behar's husband experienced these long wait times. Not long ago, her husband woke up with a crippling headache. They rushed to the ER but were stunned when they got inside.
"I felt like I was in a third world country or a war-torn zone with a line up of injured people waiting to be seen. I didn't think I was in Calgary, Alberta in a teaching hospital," she says.
It took over 12 hours for the Behars to be seen.
Alberta Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky says he expects those new rules to be fully in place by Christmas.
Some doctors say there needs to be more accountability at the hospital level to actually see wait times go down. Managers need the authority and the impetus to act and find spaces for patients when they are needed.
But the health minister's promise to improve things is ringing hollow with many people who said they've heard this before.
Critics say the province already promised shorter wait times a long time ago and it's not chipping any more money to make the system more efficient.
"This is very reactionary. No new money in dealing with the problem and on it goes. We have empty promises from our government," says David Eggen with Friends of Medicare.
Zwozdesky commits to reducing Alberta ER wait times
Patients should be in and out of emergency ward faster
By Jodie Sinnema, edmontonjournal.com October 27, 2010 4:05 PM Comments (7)
StoryPhotos ( 2 )
edmontonjournal.comEDMONTON — The minister of health has committed to bringing in aggressive wait time targets tied to administrative performance goals that will see patients in and out of the emergency ward faster.
But although the new policies will be formally put in place by Christmas — they were first proposed as key solutions by Alberta emergency doctors in March 2009 — Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said hospitals won’t be able to meet those targets for some time.
“They have to start aspiring toward it,” Zwozdesky said of administrators down to front line workers of Alberta Health Services. “That will not be accomplished before Christmas.”
The new wait time benchmarks will see patients waiting no longer than four hours from the time they arrive at emergency to the time they are treated and discharged home. Patients who need to be admitted to hospital are supposed to wait no longer than eight hours in emergency before they get a bed in another ward.
Current wait times often exceed 20 hours in big urban hospital such as the Royal Alexandra or University of Alberta hospitals. The father of Dr. Raj Sherman, parliamentary assistant to Zwozdesky, waited four days in emergency before he received a proper hospital bed.
Zwozdesky’s commitment and directive to Alberta Health Services came after a Tuesday evening meeting with Dr. Paul Parks, president of the emergency medicine section of the Alberta Medical Association, whose letter sparked provincewide concern over a “potential catastrophic collapse” of emergency care if actions weren’t taken immediately.
“This is not a negative situation,” Zwozdesky said. “This is a situation that calls for improvement and address and that’s what we’re doing.”
He said several things will be happening to get wait-times down. New hospital beds will be opening, although he didn’t know when the emergency ward in the Eastwood Health Centre would be functional, or when newly constructed but empty wards will be staffed in Calgary’s Peter Lougheed and Rockyview hospitals.
Alberta Health Services will also be regularly required to report actual emergency wait times for each hospital site instead of averages for the entire province, both to the front line workers and to the public.
And a more clear communications line will be set up so when doctors and nurses start predicting an upcoming crisis in the emergency ward due to lack of beds, one single on-site director can make on-the-spot decisions to find more beds across the hospital.
“Greater accountability is necessary,” Zwozdesky said. “It’s just taken some time to get to this stage.”
Without setting harsher consequences to meet the wait-time targets, Albertans won’t take the health ministry’s commitment seriously, said Edmonton-Strathcona NDP MLA Rachel Notley.
“I think it’s unrealistic and if the government wants us to buy it, here’s the measure of accountability: if they haven’t met it by December, the minister resigns,” Notley said. “If that’s not the measure of accountability, I don’t have any time for this because it’s more of the same.”
She said more problems in health care aren’t reaching the minister’s ear because employees feel gagged by Alberta Health Services.
“A public letter is the only way to capture the attention of the minister,” Notley said of Parks’ September letter to the minister, which outlined hundreds of cases where patients waited too long for emergency care. “I congratulate these ER doctors for having the courage to come forward but the fact of the matter is there is a lot of other people in this health-care system who have stories to tell about how it’s not working but are unable to because they don’t have the job security these ER docs have.”
Zwozdesky said health administrators already can lose their bonuses if they don’t meet care targets.
“I’m not going to ask anybody to resign over this. Let’s give it a chance,” he said.
But Parks said he isn’t sure if losing a bonus is sufficient to ensure improved emergency care.
“We’re asking that we may need more than just that on the line,” he said.
Dr. Felix Soibelman, president of the Edmonton Emergency Physicians Association, said too many administrators have their performance measured against emergency room wait times.
“When you have a diffusion of accountability like that, it’s very hard for one individual person to take ownership of the problem and say yes, I am responsibility solely for this and that is what we would like to see,” Soibelman said.
Yet Parks said the minister’s commitment to tackle the problem is a good start.
“We have put forward an aggressive agenda for Alberta Health Services, but it’s one our patients deserve,” Parks said. “We need action and we need it in days and weeks, not just months or years. … And to all Albertans, if you have to go to the emergency department, please be assured that our emergency care teams — doctors, nurse, technicians and others — will provide you with the very best treatment and care that we can.”
Without new money, more staff or a better plan to improve that care, David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, has his doubts the targets are feasible.
“If these ER docs did not have the bravery to come up and speak, none of this would have happened,” Eggen said. “This is very reactionary. … I think the government wants to look like they’re doing something on this file.”
jsinnema@edmontonjournal.com
Patients should be in and out of emergency ward faster
By Jodie Sinnema, edmontonjournal.com October 27, 2010 4:05 PM Comments (7)
StoryPhotos ( 2 )
edmontonjournal.comEDMONTON — The minister of health has committed to bringing in aggressive wait time targets tied to administrative performance goals that will see patients in and out of the emergency ward faster.
But although the new policies will be formally put in place by Christmas — they were first proposed as key solutions by Alberta emergency doctors in March 2009 — Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said hospitals won’t be able to meet those targets for some time.
“They have to start aspiring toward it,” Zwozdesky said of administrators down to front line workers of Alberta Health Services. “That will not be accomplished before Christmas.”
The new wait time benchmarks will see patients waiting no longer than four hours from the time they arrive at emergency to the time they are treated and discharged home. Patients who need to be admitted to hospital are supposed to wait no longer than eight hours in emergency before they get a bed in another ward.
Current wait times often exceed 20 hours in big urban hospital such as the Royal Alexandra or University of Alberta hospitals. The father of Dr. Raj Sherman, parliamentary assistant to Zwozdesky, waited four days in emergency before he received a proper hospital bed.
Zwozdesky’s commitment and directive to Alberta Health Services came after a Tuesday evening meeting with Dr. Paul Parks, president of the emergency medicine section of the Alberta Medical Association, whose letter sparked provincewide concern over a “potential catastrophic collapse” of emergency care if actions weren’t taken immediately.
“This is not a negative situation,” Zwozdesky said. “This is a situation that calls for improvement and address and that’s what we’re doing.”
He said several things will be happening to get wait-times down. New hospital beds will be opening, although he didn’t know when the emergency ward in the Eastwood Health Centre would be functional, or when newly constructed but empty wards will be staffed in Calgary’s Peter Lougheed and Rockyview hospitals.
Alberta Health Services will also be regularly required to report actual emergency wait times for each hospital site instead of averages for the entire province, both to the front line workers and to the public.
And a more clear communications line will be set up so when doctors and nurses start predicting an upcoming crisis in the emergency ward due to lack of beds, one single on-site director can make on-the-spot decisions to find more beds across the hospital.
“Greater accountability is necessary,” Zwozdesky said. “It’s just taken some time to get to this stage.”
Without setting harsher consequences to meet the wait-time targets, Albertans won’t take the health ministry’s commitment seriously, said Edmonton-Strathcona NDP MLA Rachel Notley.
“I think it’s unrealistic and if the government wants us to buy it, here’s the measure of accountability: if they haven’t met it by December, the minister resigns,” Notley said. “If that’s not the measure of accountability, I don’t have any time for this because it’s more of the same.”
She said more problems in health care aren’t reaching the minister’s ear because employees feel gagged by Alberta Health Services.
“A public letter is the only way to capture the attention of the minister,” Notley said of Parks’ September letter to the minister, which outlined hundreds of cases where patients waited too long for emergency care. “I congratulate these ER doctors for having the courage to come forward but the fact of the matter is there is a lot of other people in this health-care system who have stories to tell about how it’s not working but are unable to because they don’t have the job security these ER docs have.”
Zwozdesky said health administrators already can lose their bonuses if they don’t meet care targets.
“I’m not going to ask anybody to resign over this. Let’s give it a chance,” he said.
But Parks said he isn’t sure if losing a bonus is sufficient to ensure improved emergency care.
“We’re asking that we may need more than just that on the line,” he said.
Dr. Felix Soibelman, president of the Edmonton Emergency Physicians Association, said too many administrators have their performance measured against emergency room wait times.
“When you have a diffusion of accountability like that, it’s very hard for one individual person to take ownership of the problem and say yes, I am responsibility solely for this and that is what we would like to see,” Soibelman said.
Yet Parks said the minister’s commitment to tackle the problem is a good start.
“We have put forward an aggressive agenda for Alberta Health Services, but it’s one our patients deserve,” Parks said. “We need action and we need it in days and weeks, not just months or years. … And to all Albertans, if you have to go to the emergency department, please be assured that our emergency care teams — doctors, nurse, technicians and others — will provide you with the very best treatment and care that we can.”
Without new money, more staff or a better plan to improve that care, David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, has his doubts the targets are feasible.
“If these ER docs did not have the bravery to come up and speak, none of this would have happened,” Eggen said. “This is very reactionary. … I think the government wants to look like they’re doing something on this file.”
jsinnema@edmontonjournal.com
Friday, October 22, 2010
Health act pannedEmail
Friends of Medicare says the province is back to its same old health care tricks.
Brenda Corney, chairperson Friends of Medicare, Red Deer Chapter, said the proposed Alberta Health Care Act is a collection of “air-fairy” principles that won’t protect Alberta’s health care from privatization.
“We have our Canada Health Act. It gives us our principles. Just get to the work of making our system work,” Corney said on Thursday. “We’re putting all this emphasis on principles when we really need to be putting emphasis on how are we going to do these things.”
On Wednesday, Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky announced he has accepted 15 recommendations in the Alberta Health Act consultation report, to be introduced in the legislature this fall.
Recommendations include putting people first, establishing a health charter and health advocate, and a process of public engagement on health policies and regulations.
Corney said the new act, which will consolidate Alberta’s Health Care Insurance Act, Hospitals Act, the Nursing Home Act and Health Insurance Protection Act, does not guarantee protection against privatization currently contained in these acts will survive.
“These are the acts that are constricting to private health care.”
This isn’t the first time Alberta’s Progressive Conservative government has tried to dismantle Albertans’ public health care system, she said.
“They know what Ralph Klein tried to do. They know what the governments are trying to do is off-load the responsibility for care onto either people or insurance companies or private for profit places.”
Corney said the notion in the act to make people responsible for making health choices is also disturbing for the poor or homeless, for example.
“What happens to the person who’s got an addiction and has unhealthy practices? Are they denied health care? Will the doctor say — you’re 30 pounds overweight so you don’t get this treatment?”
Sam Denhaan, president of Central Alberta Council on Aging, said Diana Gibson with Parkland Institute will speak about the act at the council’s December meeting. Parkland Institute calls the Alberta Health Care Act a trojan horse for expanding for-profit care.
In the meantime, CACA members are reeling from the province’s three per cent increase in accommodation fees for people in long-term care starting Feb. 1.
According to the province, the 14,000 people are in long-term care beds who will see an average increase of $543 a year. That $7 million won’t mean much to government, but individual increases will hurt many seniors, Denhaan said.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
Friends of Medicare says the province is back to its same old health care tricks.
Brenda Corney, chairperson Friends of Medicare, Red Deer Chapter, said the proposed Alberta Health Care Act is a collection of “air-fairy” principles that won’t protect Alberta’s health care from privatization.
“We have our Canada Health Act. It gives us our principles. Just get to the work of making our system work,” Corney said on Thursday. “We’re putting all this emphasis on principles when we really need to be putting emphasis on how are we going to do these things.”
On Wednesday, Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky announced he has accepted 15 recommendations in the Alberta Health Act consultation report, to be introduced in the legislature this fall.
Recommendations include putting people first, establishing a health charter and health advocate, and a process of public engagement on health policies and regulations.
Corney said the new act, which will consolidate Alberta’s Health Care Insurance Act, Hospitals Act, the Nursing Home Act and Health Insurance Protection Act, does not guarantee protection against privatization currently contained in these acts will survive.
“These are the acts that are constricting to private health care.”
This isn’t the first time Alberta’s Progressive Conservative government has tried to dismantle Albertans’ public health care system, she said.
“They know what Ralph Klein tried to do. They know what the governments are trying to do is off-load the responsibility for care onto either people or insurance companies or private for profit places.”
Corney said the notion in the act to make people responsible for making health choices is also disturbing for the poor or homeless, for example.
“What happens to the person who’s got an addiction and has unhealthy practices? Are they denied health care? Will the doctor say — you’re 30 pounds overweight so you don’t get this treatment?”
Sam Denhaan, president of Central Alberta Council on Aging, said Diana Gibson with Parkland Institute will speak about the act at the council’s December meeting. Parkland Institute calls the Alberta Health Care Act a trojan horse for expanding for-profit care.
In the meantime, CACA members are reeling from the province’s three per cent increase in accommodation fees for people in long-term care starting Feb. 1.
According to the province, the 14,000 people are in long-term care beds who will see an average increase of $543 a year. That $7 million won’t mean much to government, but individual increases will hurt many seniors, Denhaan said.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
Province warned to free up more ER beds before system collapsesKevin Usselman Oct 22, 2010 08:26:11 AM
The president of the Alberta Medical Association's emergency medicine unit has fired off a letter to both the premier and the health minister.
The Calgary Herald reports it contains an urgent warning that if more space in emergency rooms is not created, the system could soon collapse.
Dr. Paul Park writes "overcrowding in our province today is worse than it has ever been."
Emergency room doctors say Albertans have every right to be worried.
The Executive Director of the Friends of Medicare tells 660News, he's not surprised to hear about the dire warning.
David Eggen says the government only has itself to blame for the poor state of health care by gutting health care services 20 years ago.
Eggen says hundreds of more acute and long-term beds and more staff needs to be added to the system before something tragic happens.
Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky acknowledges he has received the letter and says the province is in the process of adding more beds, hoping that will not only reduce wait times but will improve patient care
The president of the Alberta Medical Association's emergency medicine unit has fired off a letter to both the premier and the health minister.
The Calgary Herald reports it contains an urgent warning that if more space in emergency rooms is not created, the system could soon collapse.
Dr. Paul Park writes "overcrowding in our province today is worse than it has ever been."
Emergency room doctors say Albertans have every right to be worried.
The Executive Director of the Friends of Medicare tells 660News, he's not surprised to hear about the dire warning.
David Eggen says the government only has itself to blame for the poor state of health care by gutting health care services 20 years ago.
Eggen says hundreds of more acute and long-term beds and more staff needs to be added to the system before something tragic happens.
Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky acknowledges he has received the letter and says the province is in the process of adding more beds, hoping that will not only reduce wait times but will improve patient care
City hospitals to open 81 new beds before year's end By Journal Staff, Edmonton Journal October 22, 2010 Edmonton hospitals will open 81 new beds before the end of the year and should have no problem staffing them, even though many of the job openings have yet to be posted, says a top administrator with Alberta's health superboard.
"We are comfortable that staffing will not present an issue for us," said Deb Gordon, senior vice-president for the major tertiary hospitals for Alberta Health Services. She said opening Edmonton's hospital beds, plus 12 detox beds in a centre downtown and other continuing care beds, will cost about $50 million each year.
Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta, said many of those beds aren't new and there aren't enough nurses to staff the ones already available.
"Staffing is going to be a huge challenge," said Smith, noting that 18 transition unit beds at the University Hospital for patients no longer needing acute care, but in need of care for a few days before going home or to a community bed, have been in flux because there aren't enough nurses to staff them.
Those beds were opened earlier this year, but not publicly announced, as were 30 new transition beds at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and 10 medical beds at the Misericordia and Grey Nuns which opened in May. Another 21 medical assessment beds at the Alex were to open in May, but have been delayed until November. Two more medical observation beds are heading to the Royal Alex.
"I'm disappointed with the lack of clarity," Smith said. "It's not as easy or as rapid to open and expand (beds) as it is to contract."
Calgary hospitals get 132 new beds, which were already announced in September at a cost of $15.7 million so that temporary beds could be moved out of hallways.
Even with that September announcement, Calgary will still have unopened beds in the Peter Lougheed Centre, where 140 beds were built in 2008 but never opened because of lack of money and staff. Many staff have already been hired as the beds open, but another 160 are needed before December's end to open the beds in the two cities.
The details about the beds came one day after Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky held a news conference about the proposed Alberta Health Act, then suddenly made the announcement about the additional beds.
"They are in serious damage control," Liberal MLA and health critic Kevin Taft said. "There's a huge gap between the minister and the reality of Alberta Health Services' daily life. ... I have to question once again the ability of this government to manage the health-care system."
David Eggen, executive director with Friends of Medicare, said the bed program seems cobbled together with no indication how nursing staff will be added.
"I really don't know if there are any new beds because there is no new money," Eggen said. "If they are going to do new beds, why didn't they do that before?"
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
"We are comfortable that staffing will not present an issue for us," said Deb Gordon, senior vice-president for the major tertiary hospitals for Alberta Health Services. She said opening Edmonton's hospital beds, plus 12 detox beds in a centre downtown and other continuing care beds, will cost about $50 million each year.
Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta, said many of those beds aren't new and there aren't enough nurses to staff the ones already available.
"Staffing is going to be a huge challenge," said Smith, noting that 18 transition unit beds at the University Hospital for patients no longer needing acute care, but in need of care for a few days before going home or to a community bed, have been in flux because there aren't enough nurses to staff them.
Those beds were opened earlier this year, but not publicly announced, as were 30 new transition beds at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and 10 medical beds at the Misericordia and Grey Nuns which opened in May. Another 21 medical assessment beds at the Alex were to open in May, but have been delayed until November. Two more medical observation beds are heading to the Royal Alex.
"I'm disappointed with the lack of clarity," Smith said. "It's not as easy or as rapid to open and expand (beds) as it is to contract."
Calgary hospitals get 132 new beds, which were already announced in September at a cost of $15.7 million so that temporary beds could be moved out of hallways.
Even with that September announcement, Calgary will still have unopened beds in the Peter Lougheed Centre, where 140 beds were built in 2008 but never opened because of lack of money and staff. Many staff have already been hired as the beds open, but another 160 are needed before December's end to open the beds in the two cities.
The details about the beds came one day after Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky held a news conference about the proposed Alberta Health Act, then suddenly made the announcement about the additional beds.
"They are in serious damage control," Liberal MLA and health critic Kevin Taft said. "There's a huge gap between the minister and the reality of Alberta Health Services' daily life. ... I have to question once again the ability of this government to manage the health-care system."
David Eggen, executive director with Friends of Medicare, said the bed program seems cobbled together with no indication how nursing staff will be added.
"I really don't know if there are any new beds because there is no new money," Eggen said. "If they are going to do new beds, why didn't they do that before?"
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Calgary tests waters with private health careCALGARY, Alberta (MarketWatch) — In the oil-rich town of Calgary, there’s no shortage of deal-making swagger. But there’s a growing shortage of patience with strains on the local health-care system that’s pitting free-market enthusiasts against supporters of the popular public health program.
It’s part of a broader debate taking place not just across the Canadian province of Alberta, but in the United States as well.
American voters are set to weigh in on the first wave of President Barack Obama’s health-overhaul changes in the midterm elections Nov. 2 after a prolonged and at times bitter dispute over the proper role of government in financing health care. Even in Canada, where the public system is a point of national pride, signs of strain are showing as the population ages and health care shifts outside traditional hospital settings.
Calgary weighs private optionsIn Canada, rising health-care costs are prompting a call for changes to the country's popular public program. The Chamber of Commerce is making its case for a greater role for the private sector. MarketWatch's Kristen Gerencher reports.
The U.S. is preparing to increase the role of government by covering 32 million more Americans through tighter regulation of private health insurers and an expansion of the Medicaid program, with the biggest changes starting in 2014.
North of the border, Canadian provinces are tinkering with becoming more profit-driven, making now the right time to foster more health-care discussions between the two nations, said Tom Noseworthy, professor of health policy and management at the University of Calgary.
“You’re going to become more universal. We’re going to become more private,” he said. “Can we please talk about the implications and learn from each other?”
Calgary is a fast-growing, business-friendly city nestled in the mountains of southern Alberta, a geographically large province with 3.7 million residents. Taxes are low, company profits are high and, as in the rest of Canada, health care for medically necessary doctor and hospital services is guaranteed to every legal resident at virtually no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. The big-ticket items left out of the public plan include prescription drugs, long-term care and home care. But workers typically receive supplemental employer benefits that cover drugs, and many provinces cover seniors’ medications.
HEALTH CARE IN CANADA
The long wait
If you're a Canadian seeking nonurgent medical treatment, the waits can be legendary. But most residents north of the border say they wouldn't trade their health-care system for anything. MarketWatch's Russ Britt reports.
Health care at crossroads
Canada is re-examining how to maintain its public health-care system as patients struggle with extended wait times and turn to the private sector.
• Canada's limited health-care opportunities
• Calgary weighs private options for care /conga/story/2010/10/canada-health-care.html 106278 Wait times for services and costs are two of the main concerns with the provincial health program. Some patients had to wait as long as 51 weeks from decision to treatment for a knee replacement during 2009-2010, according to Alberta Health and Wellness. The wait for cataract surgery for all of Alberta averaged 41 weeks last year before the government embarked on several surgery “blitzes” aimed at increasing capacity and decreasing wait times.
Health care comprised nearly 40% of provincial expenditures this year. That figure grabbed the attention of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, whose members deemed health care a high priority for 2010.
“This was surprising because health care hasn’t come up in the top five priorities for as long as I can remember,” said Ben Brunnen, director of policy and research. The Chamber wants the government to allow a greater role for the private sector, which it says would alleviate wait lists and reduce costs.
Different views on costs
Changes may be in store if health care’s portion of the budget rises much higher, but it’s unclear where the tipping point may be, said John Church, associate professor at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health in Edmonton.
“Canadians love their health-care system, so that magic number could actually get to be quite high,” he said. “My guess is 50% would really start to turn up the political heat.”
“If we aren’t going to continue to allow the health-care portion of the pie to increase, where are we going to have to draw boundaries around what’s going to be covered publicly and what’s financed by private means?” Church said.
Supporters say the system isn’t perfect but would only be harmed by courting for-profit ventures.
Joan Teghtmeyer, a member of the Calgary chapter of Friends of Medicare, which aims to strengthen public health care, said the transition to more out-of-pocket costs brings with it the dangers of the American system, which now leaves 50 million uninsured and mostly at the mercy of private insurers.
“I don’t want to pay for the kinds of games you have to play with insurance companies for insurance outside the system,” she said.
Allowing for-profit outfits to corner the market on some medical services would take needed money out of the public program, said Ted Woynillowicz, chairman of the Calgary chapter of Friends of Medicare.
“I’ve got grandchildren, so I want to see them continue to have a reliable and predictable program,” he said.
It’s part of a broader debate taking place not just across the Canadian province of Alberta, but in the United States as well.
American voters are set to weigh in on the first wave of President Barack Obama’s health-overhaul changes in the midterm elections Nov. 2 after a prolonged and at times bitter dispute over the proper role of government in financing health care. Even in Canada, where the public system is a point of national pride, signs of strain are showing as the population ages and health care shifts outside traditional hospital settings.
Calgary weighs private optionsIn Canada, rising health-care costs are prompting a call for changes to the country's popular public program. The Chamber of Commerce is making its case for a greater role for the private sector. MarketWatch's Kristen Gerencher reports.
The U.S. is preparing to increase the role of government by covering 32 million more Americans through tighter regulation of private health insurers and an expansion of the Medicaid program, with the biggest changes starting in 2014.
North of the border, Canadian provinces are tinkering with becoming more profit-driven, making now the right time to foster more health-care discussions between the two nations, said Tom Noseworthy, professor of health policy and management at the University of Calgary.
“You’re going to become more universal. We’re going to become more private,” he said. “Can we please talk about the implications and learn from each other?”
Calgary is a fast-growing, business-friendly city nestled in the mountains of southern Alberta, a geographically large province with 3.7 million residents. Taxes are low, company profits are high and, as in the rest of Canada, health care for medically necessary doctor and hospital services is guaranteed to every legal resident at virtually no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. The big-ticket items left out of the public plan include prescription drugs, long-term care and home care. But workers typically receive supplemental employer benefits that cover drugs, and many provinces cover seniors’ medications.
HEALTH CARE IN CANADA
The long wait
If you're a Canadian seeking nonurgent medical treatment, the waits can be legendary. But most residents north of the border say they wouldn't trade their health-care system for anything. MarketWatch's Russ Britt reports.
Health care at crossroads
Canada is re-examining how to maintain its public health-care system as patients struggle with extended wait times and turn to the private sector.
• Canada's limited health-care opportunities
• Calgary weighs private options for care /conga/story/2010/10/canada-health-care.html 106278 Wait times for services and costs are two of the main concerns with the provincial health program. Some patients had to wait as long as 51 weeks from decision to treatment for a knee replacement during 2009-2010, according to Alberta Health and Wellness. The wait for cataract surgery for all of Alberta averaged 41 weeks last year before the government embarked on several surgery “blitzes” aimed at increasing capacity and decreasing wait times.
Health care comprised nearly 40% of provincial expenditures this year. That figure grabbed the attention of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, whose members deemed health care a high priority for 2010.
“This was surprising because health care hasn’t come up in the top five priorities for as long as I can remember,” said Ben Brunnen, director of policy and research. The Chamber wants the government to allow a greater role for the private sector, which it says would alleviate wait lists and reduce costs.
Different views on costs
Changes may be in store if health care’s portion of the budget rises much higher, but it’s unclear where the tipping point may be, said John Church, associate professor at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health in Edmonton.
“Canadians love their health-care system, so that magic number could actually get to be quite high,” he said. “My guess is 50% would really start to turn up the political heat.”
“If we aren’t going to continue to allow the health-care portion of the pie to increase, where are we going to have to draw boundaries around what’s going to be covered publicly and what’s financed by private means?” Church said.
Supporters say the system isn’t perfect but would only be harmed by courting for-profit ventures.
Joan Teghtmeyer, a member of the Calgary chapter of Friends of Medicare, which aims to strengthen public health care, said the transition to more out-of-pocket costs brings with it the dangers of the American system, which now leaves 50 million uninsured and mostly at the mercy of private insurers.
“I don’t want to pay for the kinds of games you have to play with insurance companies for insurance outside the system,” she said.
Allowing for-profit outfits to corner the market on some medical services would take needed money out of the public program, said Ted Woynillowicz, chairman of the Calgary chapter of Friends of Medicare.
“I’ve got grandchildren, so I want to see them continue to have a reliable and predictable program,” he said.
Friday, October 15, 2010
They can't take our blackberry away!
Sherwood Park hospital top issue
Strathcona County candidates getting earful on doorstepsLast Updated: Thursday, October 14, 2010 | 12:49 PM MT Comments8Recommend9.
CBC News
A provincial issue may be hijacking the municipal election in Sherwood Park.
Candidates running for county office say the province’s broken promise over a new hospital is the number one issue on county doorsteps.
"They're angry. They're frustrated. They want their voices to be heard," said mayoral candidate and former councillor Linda Osinchuk.
"And they want to make sure a facility here is going to take care of their babies being born, and they're going to be able to have their seniors being able to get their care, and that they can go to a facility right next door."
Osinchuk voiced her frustration Wednesday night at a public meeting in support of the hospital organized by the Friends of Medicare.
While the small but angry crowd blamed the province, some believe the county council did too little to support the project.
"This is a huge election issue for this county — huge," said Dr. Stan Kolber. "Everybody's realized they have blinders on them, there's broken promises, they've been misled and they are angry. Just as I am furious."
Five years ago the province announced it would build a full-service state-of-the-art hospital in Sherwood Park.
Ground was broken three years ago, but the project was delayed. But this fall the province said when the hospital opens in 2013, it will not accommodate overnight patients.
Strathcona County candidates getting earful on doorstepsLast Updated: Thursday, October 14, 2010 | 12:49 PM MT Comments8Recommend9.
CBC News
A provincial issue may be hijacking the municipal election in Sherwood Park.
Candidates running for county office say the province’s broken promise over a new hospital is the number one issue on county doorsteps.
"They're angry. They're frustrated. They want their voices to be heard," said mayoral candidate and former councillor Linda Osinchuk.
"And they want to make sure a facility here is going to take care of their babies being born, and they're going to be able to have their seniors being able to get their care, and that they can go to a facility right next door."
Osinchuk voiced her frustration Wednesday night at a public meeting in support of the hospital organized by the Friends of Medicare.
While the small but angry crowd blamed the province, some believe the county council did too little to support the project.
"This is a huge election issue for this county — huge," said Dr. Stan Kolber. "Everybody's realized they have blinders on them, there's broken promises, they've been misled and they are angry. Just as I am furious."
Five years ago the province announced it would build a full-service state-of-the-art hospital in Sherwood Park.
Ground was broken three years ago, but the project was delayed. But this fall the province said when the hospital opens in 2013, it will not accommodate overnight patients.
There will always be a need to promise fat contracts at Tory fundraisers
Province defends health contracts
'There will always be a need': minister
By Jason Fekete, Calgary Herald October 15, 2010 6:16 AM Comments (1)
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
The Health Resource Centre, at the site of the former Grace Hospital, argued it provides fast, cheap and efficient surgeries that take pressure off public hospitals and taxpayers.Photograph by: Archive, Calgary HeraldThe Stelmach government says the expected closing of the Health Resource Centre in Calgary -- after a bitter legal dispute with Alberta Health Services -- won't deter the province from contracting public medical services to private operators.
Alberta Health Services announced this week it is quietly settling out of court the legal spat with HRC, a private surgery clinic that's been providing about 1,000 hip and knee replacements a year.
The medical superboard will shift all of its cases to the new McCaig Tower at Foothills Medical Centre starting next month, as the Health Resource Centre prepares to close its doors at the former Grace Hospital on Nov. 12.
The provincial health board is on the hook for up to $4 million it agreed to pay earlier this year to stave off bankruptcy proceedings and keep HRC operating until the new public facility opened at Foothills Hospital.
Mounting taxpayer costs to keep the for-profit HRC facility open -- conducting public surgeries -- has the opposition Liberals calling for an end to private health contracting.
The closing of the HRC has the Wildrose Alliance accusing the Tory government of reneging on a deal with the private facility to conduct more surgeries, forcing it to close and scaring off private health investment.
Despite the health-care headaches with HRC, Premier Ed Stelmach and Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said Thursday the government will continue contracting out publicly funding surgeries to private health operators.
"There's opportunity in the province" for private delivery, Stelmach told reporters in Red Deer, before delivering a speech to about 525 people who attended a $250-a-plate Progressive Conservative party fundraiser.
"There's a lot of room for different options in providing not only acute care, but also continuing care in the province."
Zwozdesky said moving the procedures to Foothills Hospital will eventually increase the number of public surgeries performed.
The health minister said cataract surgeries conducted in private facilities are slightly cheaper, while the government and health board always planned to transition the bone and joint surgeries to the public facility.
"There will always be a need for some surgeries to be done in private facilities as long as they are paid for publicly with public funds," Zwozdesky said.
Liberal Leader David Swann believes the government must stop contracting public surgeries to for-profit facilities, arguing private procedures are more expensive, less efficient and an unstable mode of delivering health care.
"Quit experimenting with privatization and get back to your job, which is to ensure that Albertans have access to quality, timely, publicly delivered health care," Swann said in a release.
Networc, the owners of the Health Resource Centre, blames the medical superboard for its financial woes.
The company claims it entered a 10-year lease with Cambrian Group of Companies for a new $65-million facility after health officials promised HRC 3,500 procedures annually, more than triple the current load.
But millions in debt, it now faces the prospect of bankruptcy.
David Eggen, executive director of the Friends of Medicare, said he feels for the owners of the Health Resource Centre, arguing "they've been left high and dry" by the government.
Nevertheless, he said for-profit operators are "obviously not reliable" and the opening of additional surgical space at Foothills means there's no need for private delivery in Calgary.
"I don't know why Mr. Stelmach doesn't just cut his losses and move on," Eggen said. "I hope the government learns from this."
jfekete@calgaryherald.com
'There will always be a need': minister
By Jason Fekete, Calgary Herald October 15, 2010 6:16 AM Comments (1)
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
The Health Resource Centre, at the site of the former Grace Hospital, argued it provides fast, cheap and efficient surgeries that take pressure off public hospitals and taxpayers.Photograph by: Archive, Calgary HeraldThe Stelmach government says the expected closing of the Health Resource Centre in Calgary -- after a bitter legal dispute with Alberta Health Services -- won't deter the province from contracting public medical services to private operators.
Alberta Health Services announced this week it is quietly settling out of court the legal spat with HRC, a private surgery clinic that's been providing about 1,000 hip and knee replacements a year.
The medical superboard will shift all of its cases to the new McCaig Tower at Foothills Medical Centre starting next month, as the Health Resource Centre prepares to close its doors at the former Grace Hospital on Nov. 12.
The provincial health board is on the hook for up to $4 million it agreed to pay earlier this year to stave off bankruptcy proceedings and keep HRC operating until the new public facility opened at Foothills Hospital.
Mounting taxpayer costs to keep the for-profit HRC facility open -- conducting public surgeries -- has the opposition Liberals calling for an end to private health contracting.
The closing of the HRC has the Wildrose Alliance accusing the Tory government of reneging on a deal with the private facility to conduct more surgeries, forcing it to close and scaring off private health investment.
Despite the health-care headaches with HRC, Premier Ed Stelmach and Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said Thursday the government will continue contracting out publicly funding surgeries to private health operators.
"There's opportunity in the province" for private delivery, Stelmach told reporters in Red Deer, before delivering a speech to about 525 people who attended a $250-a-plate Progressive Conservative party fundraiser.
"There's a lot of room for different options in providing not only acute care, but also continuing care in the province."
Zwozdesky said moving the procedures to Foothills Hospital will eventually increase the number of public surgeries performed.
The health minister said cataract surgeries conducted in private facilities are slightly cheaper, while the government and health board always planned to transition the bone and joint surgeries to the public facility.
"There will always be a need for some surgeries to be done in private facilities as long as they are paid for publicly with public funds," Zwozdesky said.
Liberal Leader David Swann believes the government must stop contracting public surgeries to for-profit facilities, arguing private procedures are more expensive, less efficient and an unstable mode of delivering health care.
"Quit experimenting with privatization and get back to your job, which is to ensure that Albertans have access to quality, timely, publicly delivered health care," Swann said in a release.
Networc, the owners of the Health Resource Centre, blames the medical superboard for its financial woes.
The company claims it entered a 10-year lease with Cambrian Group of Companies for a new $65-million facility after health officials promised HRC 3,500 procedures annually, more than triple the current load.
But millions in debt, it now faces the prospect of bankruptcy.
David Eggen, executive director of the Friends of Medicare, said he feels for the owners of the Health Resource Centre, arguing "they've been left high and dry" by the government.
Nevertheless, he said for-profit operators are "obviously not reliable" and the opening of additional surgical space at Foothills means there's no need for private delivery in Calgary.
"I don't know why Mr. Stelmach doesn't just cut his losses and move on," Eggen said. "I hope the government learns from this."
jfekete@calgaryherald.com
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Leave Alberta health laws alone, group urges
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | 11:02 PM MT Comments33Recommend15.
CBC News
Alberta's minister of health must scrap proposed changes to the province's health laws because they open the door to privatization, the executive director of Friends of Medicare said Tuesday.
"Make no mistake about it, the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health and their recommendations is no benign exercise," David Eggen said. "It was designed specifically to lay the groundwork for more private health care in this province."
The committee, chaired by Tory MLA Fred Horne, released a report in September with 15 recommendations for changing provincial health laws.
A legal opinion from lawyer Gwen Gray that was solicited by Eggen's group found Alberta's existing legislation protects the system from the introduction of private insurance, extra billing and private hospitals.
Those protections exist only in provincial legislation, not the Canada Health Act, Gray found.
"Alberta's health framework is actually very sound," Eggen said. "There might be room for improvement but there's no need to junk the whole system."
Friends of Medicare believes any new legislation would give Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky the ability to make new health care regulations without putting them to a debate in the legislature.
The group launched a campaign Tuesday in hopes of convincing Zwozdesky to shelve the committee's recommendations and look at issues affecting the delivery of health care in Alberta.
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | 11:02 PM MT Comments33Recommend15.
CBC News
Alberta's minister of health must scrap proposed changes to the province's health laws because they open the door to privatization, the executive director of Friends of Medicare said Tuesday.
"Make no mistake about it, the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health and their recommendations is no benign exercise," David Eggen said. "It was designed specifically to lay the groundwork for more private health care in this province."
The committee, chaired by Tory MLA Fred Horne, released a report in September with 15 recommendations for changing provincial health laws.
A legal opinion from lawyer Gwen Gray that was solicited by Eggen's group found Alberta's existing legislation protects the system from the introduction of private insurance, extra billing and private hospitals.
Those protections exist only in provincial legislation, not the Canada Health Act, Gray found.
"Alberta's health framework is actually very sound," Eggen said. "There might be room for improvement but there's no need to junk the whole system."
Friends of Medicare believes any new legislation would give Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky the ability to make new health care regulations without putting them to a debate in the legislature.
The group launched a campaign Tuesday in hopes of convincing Zwozdesky to shelve the committee's recommendations and look at issues affecting the delivery of health care in Alberta.
Critics fear 'radical reform' of health-care system
Friends of Medicare launches campaign against proposed Alberta Health changes
By Karen Kleiss, edmontonjournal.com October 13, 2010 Comments (5)
•Story•Photos ( 1 )
Dave EggenPhotograph by: Larry Wong, edmontonjournal.comEDMONTON — Two advocacy groups say the proposed Alberta Health Act will be a piece of "shell legislation" that will give politicians the power to privatize health care without any public debate.
Friends of Medicare and the Alberta Federation of Labour say the province is planning to overhaul health laws so the important parts are in the regulations, not in the law itself. Regulations can be changed by ministers at any time, behind closed doors, while laws must be debated in the public forum of the legislature.
"Albertans spoke out loud and clear during the spring and summer; they wanted their public health system improved, not dismantled," said David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
"We believe the Alberta Health Act has national implications, making a piece of shell legislation that can attack the fundamental principles of the protection of health care in each of the provinces of this country."
Eggen said his organization, along with the Alberta Federation of Labour, will launch a campaign to persuade Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky to move away from this kind of "enabling legislation" and "blaze his own trail" in health care by improving the current system to give Albertans better health care.
Zwozdesky said his critics are misleading the public.
"People should wait until they see the act when it is introduced in the legislature before they start scaring people with misleading information," he said. "It's time for that to stop."
He said the government has listened to Albertans, who say they want meaningful involvement in a publicly funded universal healthcare system, along with a health charter and a health advocate.
"Let me be perfectly clear -- we are not privatizing health care. The premier has made that clear. I have made that clear."
Asked if the new law would open the door to privatized care, he said "absolutely not."
The organizations have obtained a legal opinion that says the proposed changes to the health act are "not consistent with a democratic society."
Lawyer Gwen Gray said that contrary to popular belief, protection against the privatization of health care is contained in provincial laws, not the federal Canada Health Act. As a result, she said that a promise to abide by the Canada Health Act doesn't guarantee the province won't legalize private health care.
"The Canada Health Act guarantees the existence of a public healthcare system for all Canadians. It is silent on whether there is a parallel private system for the wealthy that can be purchased, with private insurance, from doctors who opt-out of the public system," she wrote in the four-page summary.
"It is the Alberta laws that make a private health-care market impossible, and it is those laws the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health is proposing to change."
AFL president Gil McGowan said Albertans should be concerned that the province's health laws are about to undergo radical reform.
"Consolidation of existing legislation under a new Alberta Health Act is far from mere administrative housekeeping. It has the potential to be something much closer to radical reform.
"The kind of reform envisioned by the former minister, Ron Liepert, and the advisory committee, could dramatically undermine the ability of Albertans to have a say in the shape of their health-care system."
kkleiss@edmontonjournal.com
Friends of Medicare launches campaign to drop health law changes
Legal opinion commissioned by AFL says proposed changes are undemocratic
EDMONTON, Oct. 12 /CNW/ - Friends of Medicare (FoM) today launches a new campaign to persuade Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky to abandon proposed changes to provincial health laws.
"It's time to move on from the unpopular and discredited policies of former Health Minister Ron Liepert and his advisory committee on health and abandon proposed changes to the laws governing health care in Alberta," says David Eggen, executive director of FoM. "It's clear the Albertans care deeply about health care and don't want or need existing laws and protections to be weakened or removed."
The Alberta Federation of Labour commissioned a legal opinion from Gwen Gray of Chivers Carpenter LLP, who examined the existing provincial legislation and the proposed changes. She found our current laws do a good job of protecting the publicly funded, publicly delivered health-care system that Albertans want. The opinion also finds that protections against private health care are contained within Alberta's laws, not the Canada Health Act. The legal opinion concludes that changing Alberta's health laws would significantly weaken Albertans' protections against private insurance, extra billing, and U.S.-style private hospitals.
The changes proposed by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health would scrap all existing health care laws - including protections against privatization - and replace them with what is known as "enabling legislation." The Health Minister could make new health-care laws without even having a debate in the Legislature. The legal opinion concludes that the plan for putting health-care laws into regulations is "not consistent with a democratic society."
AFL president Gil McGowan says: "We believe that Zwozdesky shares the concern of Albertans about protecting our public health-care system. The revisions to provincial health laws planned by his predecessor sparked legitimate fears among the citizens of this province. It's time for Zwozdesky to make a clean break from those discredited ideas and embark on a new path that will reassure Albertans that the future of health care is in safe hands."
"This is far too great a risk to public health care," says Eggen. "Perhaps Zwozdesky might be able to assure us that he won't allow more private health care, but he cannot make that reassurance about future health ministers. They would have the power to do whatever they wished, without public consultation or even debate in the Legislature."
Legal opinion commissioned by AFL says proposed changes are undemocratic
EDMONTON, Oct. 12 /CNW/ - Friends of Medicare (FoM) today launches a new campaign to persuade Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky to abandon proposed changes to provincial health laws.
"It's time to move on from the unpopular and discredited policies of former Health Minister Ron Liepert and his advisory committee on health and abandon proposed changes to the laws governing health care in Alberta," says David Eggen, executive director of FoM. "It's clear the Albertans care deeply about health care and don't want or need existing laws and protections to be weakened or removed."
The Alberta Federation of Labour commissioned a legal opinion from Gwen Gray of Chivers Carpenter LLP, who examined the existing provincial legislation and the proposed changes. She found our current laws do a good job of protecting the publicly funded, publicly delivered health-care system that Albertans want. The opinion also finds that protections against private health care are contained within Alberta's laws, not the Canada Health Act. The legal opinion concludes that changing Alberta's health laws would significantly weaken Albertans' protections against private insurance, extra billing, and U.S.-style private hospitals.
The changes proposed by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health would scrap all existing health care laws - including protections against privatization - and replace them with what is known as "enabling legislation." The Health Minister could make new health-care laws without even having a debate in the Legislature. The legal opinion concludes that the plan for putting health-care laws into regulations is "not consistent with a democratic society."
AFL president Gil McGowan says: "We believe that Zwozdesky shares the concern of Albertans about protecting our public health-care system. The revisions to provincial health laws planned by his predecessor sparked legitimate fears among the citizens of this province. It's time for Zwozdesky to make a clean break from those discredited ideas and embark on a new path that will reassure Albertans that the future of health care is in safe hands."
"This is far too great a risk to public health care," says Eggen. "Perhaps Zwozdesky might be able to assure us that he won't allow more private health care, but he cannot make that reassurance about future health ministers. They would have the power to do whatever they wished, without public consultation or even debate in the Legislature."
Leave health act alone, says lobby group
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 06:00 am | By Lauren Den Hartog
Health care advocates have called on the province to shelve plans to overhaul Alberta’s existing health care legislation and introduce a new health act later this fall.
On Tuesday, the health care lobby group Friends of Medicare held a press conference in Edmonton where executive director David Eggen said that Alberta’s current health framework is sound and not in need of an overhaul.
“There might be need for improvements but there is no need to jump the whole system,” said Eggen.
Friends of Medicare said the new legislation could make it easier for the government to de-list health services from medicare coverage.
Last month, Alberta Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky received the final report prepared by Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Fred Horne, and an eight-member advisory committee. The report, which is intended to guide the future of Alberta’s publicly funded health system, was the result of a four-month long public consultation earlier this year.
The report was divided into two parts, the first of which, Putting People First – Recommendations For An Alberta Health Act, provided 15 recommendations in areas such as guiding principles, a health charter and future public engagement. The second part of the report, Putting People First – A Summary of Views, summarized the input provided by Albertans during public consultations.
Some of the recommendations in the report include establishing principles in the Alberta Health Act that clearly put people first; mandating a health charter that acknowledges that health and health care are a partnership between individuals, families, communities, health providers and the government; establishing a health advocate, and making a commitment in the health charter that all Albertans have access to primary care through primary care teams.
According to the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), a legal opinion they commissioned from Gwen Gray of Chivers Carpenter LLP, found that current laws do a good job of protecting the publicly funded, publicly delivered health care systems.
“Consolidation of existing legislation under a new Alberta Health Act is far from mere administrative housekeeping. It has the potential to be something much closer to radical reform,” said Gil McGowan, AFL president, on Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by Friends of Medicare, changes proposed by the Minister’s Advisory Committee on Health would scrap all existing health care laws — including protection against privatization — and replace them with “enabling legislation.”
McGowan said this would only provide broad outlines and directions of intent without real details. Under this format, he said, the minister can make new health care laws without first having a debate in the legislature.
Alberta’s current health care legislation includes 30 separate laws and more than 100 regulations. Most of the legislation dates back to the 1960s.
“The health care system in those days was basically access to doctors and services were provided in hospital and sure enough, today our legislation still lets us do things very easily when it comes to the doctor providing the service or when we want to offer the service in a hospital,” said Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Fred Horne, earlier this year.
“But when we want to do things in the community, or when we want to have more providers involved in delivering the care, our legislation has no place for that. There is no place in our legislation for nurse practitioners.”
The minister will review the consultation report and is expected to present a formal response later this month.
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 06:00 am | By Lauren Den Hartog
Health care advocates have called on the province to shelve plans to overhaul Alberta’s existing health care legislation and introduce a new health act later this fall.
On Tuesday, the health care lobby group Friends of Medicare held a press conference in Edmonton where executive director David Eggen said that Alberta’s current health framework is sound and not in need of an overhaul.
“There might be need for improvements but there is no need to jump the whole system,” said Eggen.
Friends of Medicare said the new legislation could make it easier for the government to de-list health services from medicare coverage.
Last month, Alberta Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky received the final report prepared by Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Fred Horne, and an eight-member advisory committee. The report, which is intended to guide the future of Alberta’s publicly funded health system, was the result of a four-month long public consultation earlier this year.
The report was divided into two parts, the first of which, Putting People First – Recommendations For An Alberta Health Act, provided 15 recommendations in areas such as guiding principles, a health charter and future public engagement. The second part of the report, Putting People First – A Summary of Views, summarized the input provided by Albertans during public consultations.
Some of the recommendations in the report include establishing principles in the Alberta Health Act that clearly put people first; mandating a health charter that acknowledges that health and health care are a partnership between individuals, families, communities, health providers and the government; establishing a health advocate, and making a commitment in the health charter that all Albertans have access to primary care through primary care teams.
According to the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), a legal opinion they commissioned from Gwen Gray of Chivers Carpenter LLP, found that current laws do a good job of protecting the publicly funded, publicly delivered health care systems.
“Consolidation of existing legislation under a new Alberta Health Act is far from mere administrative housekeeping. It has the potential to be something much closer to radical reform,” said Gil McGowan, AFL president, on Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by Friends of Medicare, changes proposed by the Minister’s Advisory Committee on Health would scrap all existing health care laws — including protection against privatization — and replace them with “enabling legislation.”
McGowan said this would only provide broad outlines and directions of intent without real details. Under this format, he said, the minister can make new health care laws without first having a debate in the legislature.
Alberta’s current health care legislation includes 30 separate laws and more than 100 regulations. Most of the legislation dates back to the 1960s.
“The health care system in those days was basically access to doctors and services were provided in hospital and sure enough, today our legislation still lets us do things very easily when it comes to the doctor providing the service or when we want to offer the service in a hospital,” said Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Fred Horne, earlier this year.
“But when we want to do things in the community, or when we want to have more providers involved in delivering the care, our legislation has no place for that. There is no place in our legislation for nurse practitioners.”
The minister will review the consultation report and is expected to present a formal response later this month.
Shoot, shovel and shut up!
Alberta pursues out-of-court deal with private clinic
Compensation denied, but AHS on hook for $4M
By Matt McClure, Calgary Herald October 14, 2010 A lberta Health Services is quietly settling its legal battle with a private surgery clinic that's been providing about 1,000 hip and knee replacements a year to Calgary patients.
But the medical director at Health Resource Centre says the settlement contains no compensation for the losses his facility will suffer as the provincial health board shifts all of its cases to the new McCaig Tower at Foothills Medical Centre starting next month.
"My main customer is AHS and they've decided they don't want to do business with us anymore," Dr. Steve Miller said.
"We could have fought that, but they have very deep pockets and it would have dragged on for years."
Still, AHS is on the hook for up to $4 million it agreed to pay earlier this year to stave off bankruptcy proceedings and keep HRC operating until the new public facility opened. Those costs include $2.6 million in bills from lawyers and the interim receiver, as well a $1.1-million payout of a bank loan owed by HRC's owner, Networc Health Inc.
"We're not sure of the final bill," says Chris Mazurkewich, AHS's chief financial officer. "What we are certain of is that we are working together with HRC to ensure there is no disruption to patients."
Miller says HRC will close its doors at the former Grace Hospital on Nov. 12. Many of its clinical staff are now applying for jobs in the new orthopedic unit at McCaig Tower, which has only filled half of its 195 positions.
With millions in debt, Networc now faces the prospect of bankruptcy.
"We're in a bad situation," Miller said. "There's no question this is the end for our company."
In its court filings, Networc blames its financial woes on AHS. The company says it entered a 10-year lease with Cambrian Group of Companies for a new $65-million facility after health officials promised HRC 3,500 procedures annually, more than triple the current load. When the deal with AHS was never finalized and Networc fell behind on its payments for the new building, Cambrian filed an application last April to force the company into bankruptcy. That prompted AHS to intervene and have an interim receiver appointed instead.
Networc's affidavits also describe meetings at fancy hotels, golf course clubhouses and political fundraisers where company officials rubbed shoulders and talked business with decision-makers in Alberta health care.
One filing detailed an encounter at a political fundraiser last October for Ron Liepert, where a company official says the then health minister "shook his hand and told him that there was so much work to do that there was nothing for him to worry about."
David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said the legal settlement means many questions about Networc's relationship with the Alberta government may never be answered.
"We may never know what prompted them to expand so dramatically with no firm deal," said Eggen, "but there's no question this is a big embarrassment for a government that has had a policy of expanding private contracts for medical services."
mmcclure@calgaryherald.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Compensation denied, but AHS on hook for $4M
By Matt McClure, Calgary Herald October 14, 2010 A lberta Health Services is quietly settling its legal battle with a private surgery clinic that's been providing about 1,000 hip and knee replacements a year to Calgary patients.
But the medical director at Health Resource Centre says the settlement contains no compensation for the losses his facility will suffer as the provincial health board shifts all of its cases to the new McCaig Tower at Foothills Medical Centre starting next month.
"My main customer is AHS and they've decided they don't want to do business with us anymore," Dr. Steve Miller said.
"We could have fought that, but they have very deep pockets and it would have dragged on for years."
Still, AHS is on the hook for up to $4 million it agreed to pay earlier this year to stave off bankruptcy proceedings and keep HRC operating until the new public facility opened. Those costs include $2.6 million in bills from lawyers and the interim receiver, as well a $1.1-million payout of a bank loan owed by HRC's owner, Networc Health Inc.
"We're not sure of the final bill," says Chris Mazurkewich, AHS's chief financial officer. "What we are certain of is that we are working together with HRC to ensure there is no disruption to patients."
Miller says HRC will close its doors at the former Grace Hospital on Nov. 12. Many of its clinical staff are now applying for jobs in the new orthopedic unit at McCaig Tower, which has only filled half of its 195 positions.
With millions in debt, Networc now faces the prospect of bankruptcy.
"We're in a bad situation," Miller said. "There's no question this is the end for our company."
In its court filings, Networc blames its financial woes on AHS. The company says it entered a 10-year lease with Cambrian Group of Companies for a new $65-million facility after health officials promised HRC 3,500 procedures annually, more than triple the current load. When the deal with AHS was never finalized and Networc fell behind on its payments for the new building, Cambrian filed an application last April to force the company into bankruptcy. That prompted AHS to intervene and have an interim receiver appointed instead.
Networc's affidavits also describe meetings at fancy hotels, golf course clubhouses and political fundraisers where company officials rubbed shoulders and talked business with decision-makers in Alberta health care.
One filing detailed an encounter at a political fundraiser last October for Ron Liepert, where a company official says the then health minister "shook his hand and told him that there was so much work to do that there was nothing for him to worry about."
David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said the legal settlement means many questions about Networc's relationship with the Alberta government may never be answered.
"We may never know what prompted them to expand so dramatically with no firm deal," said Eggen, "but there's no question this is a big embarrassment for a government that has had a policy of expanding private contracts for medical services."
mmcclure@calgaryherald.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Monday, October 4, 2010
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Red Deer Advocate
Friends of Medicare forms local chapter
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Text By Jack Wilson - Red Deer Advocate
Published: October 01, 2010 6:17 AM
Putting pressure on Red Deer’s MLAs can make a difference in saving beds at two nursing homes slated for closure, an official with the Friends of Medicare said Thursday.
David Eggen, executive director of Friends, told about 50 people they can make a difference by demonstrating their displeasure with the planned closures of the Red Deer Nursing Home and Valley Park Manor.
“Now that we have a chapter here they will expect us to do something.
“I think we can go right after Cal Dallas and Mary-Anne Jablonski’s offices and demand they not close some of those beds at those two facilities.
“We can demonstrate pretty clearly by going right after them and say you’re jobs are on the line.”
The Friends formed a chapter in Central Alberta during a meeting at the Red Deer Public Library.
It is one of eight Alberta chapters in the 30-year-old organization which has more than 5,000 members.
Eggen said the Wildrose Alliance Party “could scare the daylights out of the Red Deer Tory MLAs.
“In all seriousness they will only act out of fear.
“I know Mary-Anne is scared. She’s definitely jumpy.
“So let’s work on them. Make them more jumpy,” Eggen said.
He said previous efforts from Central Alberta to keep the government honest in health care has been “focused, intelligent and well placed advocacy for health care.”
Brenda Corney, who was elected chairperson of the Central Alberta chapter, said everyone must be vigilant to protect and preserve public health care.
“We may not be able to stop the challenges completely but we can slow them down,” Corney said.
Eggen said the province does listen to Friends.
“They like to say they don’t but they’re worried about the health file too,” he said.
He said acute care bed reduction has seen the Central Alberta area left with about half as many beds as it had 20 years ago.
In that time the population has increased by about a third.
He said the government uses old excuses like health care is too expensive.
The government claims the population is growing and it’s not sustainable so it needs to look for options.
“These are code words for privatization.
“We have to debunk those myths.
“Our health system is very affordable.”
He said the province only spends five per cent of its gross domestic product on health care.
The Canadian average is 9.5-10 per cent while it’s 17 per cent in the United States.
“The next time your MLAs here pull out that old song that health care is eating up the budget tell them baloney,” Eggen said.
jwilson@reddeeradvocate.com
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Red Deer Advocate
Friends of Medicare forms local chapter
Email Print Letter to Editor Share
Recommend on Facebook
Text By Jack Wilson - Red Deer Advocate
Published: October 01, 2010 6:17 AM
Putting pressure on Red Deer’s MLAs can make a difference in saving beds at two nursing homes slated for closure, an official with the Friends of Medicare said Thursday.
David Eggen, executive director of Friends, told about 50 people they can make a difference by demonstrating their displeasure with the planned closures of the Red Deer Nursing Home and Valley Park Manor.
“Now that we have a chapter here they will expect us to do something.
“I think we can go right after Cal Dallas and Mary-Anne Jablonski’s offices and demand they not close some of those beds at those two facilities.
“We can demonstrate pretty clearly by going right after them and say you’re jobs are on the line.”
The Friends formed a chapter in Central Alberta during a meeting at the Red Deer Public Library.
It is one of eight Alberta chapters in the 30-year-old organization which has more than 5,000 members.
Eggen said the Wildrose Alliance Party “could scare the daylights out of the Red Deer Tory MLAs.
“In all seriousness they will only act out of fear.
“I know Mary-Anne is scared. She’s definitely jumpy.
“So let’s work on them. Make them more jumpy,” Eggen said.
He said previous efforts from Central Alberta to keep the government honest in health care has been “focused, intelligent and well placed advocacy for health care.”
Brenda Corney, who was elected chairperson of the Central Alberta chapter, said everyone must be vigilant to protect and preserve public health care.
“We may not be able to stop the challenges completely but we can slow them down,” Corney said.
Eggen said the province does listen to Friends.
“They like to say they don’t but they’re worried about the health file too,” he said.
He said acute care bed reduction has seen the Central Alberta area left with about half as many beds as it had 20 years ago.
In that time the population has increased by about a third.
He said the government uses old excuses like health care is too expensive.
The government claims the population is growing and it’s not sustainable so it needs to look for options.
“These are code words for privatization.
“We have to debunk those myths.
“Our health system is very affordable.”
He said the province only spends five per cent of its gross domestic product on health care.
The Canadian average is 9.5-10 per cent while it’s 17 per cent in the United States.
“The next time your MLAs here pull out that old song that health care is eating up the budget tell them baloney,” Eggen said.
jwilson@reddeeradvocate.com
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