You may remember that back in January, Alberta’s Ministry of Health began an all-out effort to seek feedback from Albertans about the refocusing of the health care system. Hearing directly from Albertans was important, so for six months, they hosted in-person engagement sessions as well as dedicated Indigenous and francophone sessions. Telephone town halls were held, and online feedback forms were made available.
It turns out that over 30,000 health care workers, patients, families, and caregivers across Alberta participated in providing feedback about refocusing the health care system. More than 2,850 Albertans attended primary engagement sessions held in 65 different locations across the province. Almost 10,000 people participated in virtual town halls, and more than 18,000 people shared their feedback through online tools. As the new, refocused health care system is set up later this fall, the insights gained from all this input will guide its design and implementation.
If you are interested in reading a culmination of the findings from the engagement sessions, the report, 'What We Heard,' is available to the public here: www.alberta.ca/leadtheway. You won’t be surprised to learn that one consistent priority was the need for timely and accessible care. Other recurring themes included the need to: continue engaging with Albertans; support and sustain the health care workforce; respond to the needs of patients and providers in rural, remote, and indigenous communities; empower local decision-making; prioritize system accountability; and ensure an integrated and coordinated health-care system.
The Minister of Health has committed to a second series of province-wide public engagement opportunities in winter/spring 2025 to share information and gather feedback about the refocusing work. You can sign up for an e-newsletter on the same web page as above if you would like to keep current on work being done to refocus the health care system.
Once again, I’d like to offer my thanks to the many people from this constituency who were involved in any of the feedback engagements. I encourage you to watch for upcoming opportunities to share your thoughts and help shape a stronger health care system that meets the needs of this community.
And since we’re talking about health, it gives me great pleasure to share with you that there are more doctors registered in Alberta today than at any other time in the province’s history. Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange recently issued a statement about the latest physician numbers from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA). She pointed out that at the end of September, there were 12,126 physicians registered in Alberta. Compared to the same time last year, that is an increase of 518 physicians or 4.5 per cent. Certainly, there is still work to do in attracting and retaining physicians, but those numbers are evidence that efforts undertaken by the Alberta government are getting us closer to where we need to be.
Alberta’s government is making sure communities have a say in how they are policed by the RCMP. In the fall session of 2022, we introduced and passed the Police Amendment Act, 2022. This piece of legislation will strengthen RCMP ties to the communities they serve and will improve police accountability by mandating civilian governance bodies for municipalities policed by the RCMP. An order in council was signed on Sept.25 with the new regulations coming into force March 1, 2025. The new legislation will create municipal and regional policing committees and a Provincial Police Advisory Board; their purpose will be to ensure large and small municipalities have a role in setting province-wide policing priorities and performance goals for the RCMP, and that service delivery reflects and addresses local needs. These upcoming changes represent a collaborative effort on the part of municipalities, the RCMP, and the Alberta Government to improve public safety in communities throughout the province.
Have you heard about FASST? The Fugitive Apprehension Sheriffs Support Team is a new team within the Alberta Sheriffs to help police services find and arrest high-priority fugitives. Since becoming operational in February, the team has executed more than 1,300 warrants. Of the 303 arrests that have been made, more than 260 have been on Tier 1 fugitives, who are considered the most dangerous and prolific offenders in the province. FASST is made up of 14 members, including 12 sheriffs and two supervisors. The team is based in Edmonton and Calgary – seven members in each city – and provides support to police services throughout the province. FASST helps police track and arrest a variety of wanted individuals, including escaped prisoners, suspects who have been charged but not located, sentenced offenders on statutory release, parole or probation who have violated conditions, and people awaiting trial who have violated bail conditions or failed to appear for court.
I was delighted to spend a couple of hours recently at the Wetaskiwin Community Learning Program (WCLP) with their executive director Colleen Thiessen, board chair Jessica Maude, staff members and students. WCLP is a Community Adult Learning Program with a focus on helping Adult Albertans improve their literacy skills in a variety of areas including English Language Learning, digital programs, tutoring, and preparation for the Canadian Adult Learning Credential (previously known as GED). They offer Family Literacy Programs, too. Kudos to this impressive group making a positive difference in so many lives.
Oct. 28 is the first day of Session this fall. You can keep track of new bills and their progress through the legislative process in a variety of ways. Information is available on the website for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta www.assembly.ab.ca.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! For me, the gorgeous fall colours are a potent reminder to slow down and be grateful for the many blessings we have in this province.
Hon. Rick Wilson is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin. His constituency office can be reached by email at Maskwacis.wetaskiwin@assembly.ab.ca, or by phone at 780-360-8003.
