Local decision-making, physician engagement, patient care pathways drive realignment

Date:

May 6, 2011

Alberta Health Services News Release

May 3, 2011

EDMONTON — Alberta Health Services President and CEO Dr. Chris Eagle today announced a realignment of the organization’s leadership structure to transfer more decision-making to its five zones; hospitals and community care centres; and to increase direct physician engagement in planning and service delivery.

The realignment supports clinical networks and is designed to help patients into and through the health system more quickly, said Dr. Eagle. “People in both our health system and our communities have told us these changes are important for AHS today. Two things matter most to our patients: improved access and quality. That’s our focus.”

Major changes to the senior executive structure will be completed by the end of May, and there will be no impact on frontline service delivery. The realigned executive team is based on joint decision-making between the operational and clinical arms of Alberta Health Services.

“Physicians and other clinical leaders want and need to be part of planning and decision-making from beginning to end. Changing the way we are structured in order to engage them is the key first step. In turn, this will help us accelerate our performance improvement objectives, including wait-time reductions in high priority areas such as cancer care and community care,” Dr. Eagle said.

Geographically, AHS’ five zones will not change but the streamlined structure will allow operational decisions to be made closer to where care is provided, and communities, including the Health Advisory Councils, will be much more directly connected to their local health system and care providers.

“I’m very pleased that Dr. Eagle and the AHS team are restructuring to provide better physician involvement, more local decision-making, and to improve access for all Albertans. This builds on a year of remarkable progress as we implement our 5-Year Health Action Plan and move toward a much more patient-focused health system,” said Health and Wellness Minister Gene Zwozdesky.

The 5-Year Health Funding Plan provides stable funding for five years to AHS, starting in 2010-11. The plan includes funding increases of six per cent in each of the first three years and
4.5 per cent in each of the next two years.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.7 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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