Dear Members,
In the news-cycle roar of recent days, and in the complexity of these times, it can be hard to see a clear road ahead for health care. Our system is strained in every way. This fraught environment often leads to frustration and dissatisfaction, with some looking to lay blame. Fingers have been pointed at Alberta Health Services, chartered surgical facilities (CSFs) and at physicians and other health professionals. This is not acceptable. We, as members of the AMA and leaders in Alberta’s health care system, must strive for informed reform, support evidence-based practices and promote honest dialogue about issues in our provincial health care system.
As has been stated before, the AMA supports the use of private service providers to deliver publicly funded services. For example, there are legitimate reasons to use CSFs. When done well, they can increase capacity and save money for the system. Whatever the arrangement, we should move forward only when there are strategies included to avoid unintended consequences to the public health care system. All Albertans lose: (i) when not-for-profit acute care lacks enough anesthesiologists, general internists, surgeons or any of our specialist colleagues to deliver urgent surgical care or (ii) when such health human resource shortages cause existing operating rooms to sit idle while patients wait.
Whether we are talking about CSFs or any other public/private delivery models, Albertans must know that:
- The publicly funded system receives priority.
- There is equitable access based on need (and not ability to pay).
- There is transparency in the pricing of services.
- Guardrails are in place to protect patients in our universal health care system.
Physicians advocate daily for these types of policies (that should apply not only within health, but across all ministries). We have been raising our voices to ensure government sees all aspects of quality care and chooses the best path forward. It is our duty to advocate, and we should not be subject to recriminations for fulfilling that role.
For those of you working with AHS, it is perhaps difficult to feel that you have a voice right now. An organization that has provided world-class care, research and teaching is now in the daily news. For physicians who have worked proudly within AHS for years, the burnout and moral injury is real. For those working across mental health and addictions, we hear you advocating for your patients and value your early insights on change in the system. For those in primary and community care, we hope that your ideas will continue to resonate with government, and that respectful collaboration will become the hallmark of the newly refocused system across the entire continuum.
On this journey, there is nothing more important than respecting physicians and team colleagues on the front lines. I will do everything I can to amplify your voice and support you. As members of the AMA, this is the time to come together and lift each other up. Let’s heal health care with informed reform.
One last note: If you are wondering about our Budget 2025 response, I will share that with you early next week.
Sincerely,
Shelley Duggan, MD, FRCPC
President, Alberta Medical Association