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‘Putting real decision-making power back in the hands of local hospital leaders’: Premier Smith
The province says it’s getting rid of Alberta Health Services’ complex zone-based leadership structure in favour of hospital-based leadership teams to better support facilities and staff.
“What works in Calgary or Edmonton isn’t always what works in Camrose or Peace River. That’s why we’re cutting through bureaucracy and putting real decision-making power back in the hands of local hospital leaders, so they can act fast, hire who they need and deliver better care for their communities,” said Premier Danielle Smith, in a statement.
The province said zone-based leadership lacks flexibility and responsiveness, particularly when it comes to hiring, securing supplies and adopting necessary technologies.
“By rethinking how decisions are made, we’re working to improve health care through a more balanced and practical approach. By removing delays and empowering our on-site leaders, we’re giving facilities the tools to respond to real-time needs and ultimately provide better care to Albertans,” said Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange.
Last November, the province announced that the five Alberta Health Services (AHS) health zones would be replaced with seven regional corridors — North-West, North-East, Edmonton, Central, Calgary, South-West, South-East health corridors — to reflect travel patterns and where residents access health services and facilities.
Hospitals, or acute care sites, will be integrated into the corridors.
“Acute Care Alberta will provide oversight and monitor site-level performance, and I’m confident overall hospital performance will improve when hospital leadership and staff have more authority to do what they know is best,” said Dr. Chris Eagle, interim CEO of Acute Care Alberta.
Friends of Medicare called the decentralization plan another step towards hospital privatization.
“Albertans own these hospitals, and we deserve to know whether the government’s plan for them serves the public interest, or the financial interests of for-profit corporations and their shareholders. Our hospitals are not for sale,” said executive director Chris Gallaway with Friends of Medicare.
Alberta New Democrat Dr. Luanne Metz agreed the UCP government’s was moving closer to implementing a plan to hand control of Albertans’ publicly paid-for hospitals to private operators.
“Instead of focusing on the basics: hiring more doctors, treating staff with respect, getting down ER wait times and getting people the surgeries they need, the UCP government is focusing on who orders supplies,” Metz said.
“And let’s remember, from the private lab fiasco to wasting millions on unusable acetaminophen, the UCP government has a horrible track record of bloated contracts with private vendors.”
The province said the Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Acute Care Alberta and Alberta Health Services will work collaboratively to design and establish the new leadership and management model with an interim model to be established by November 2025, followed by full implementation by summer 2026.
Hospital-based leadership will apply only to AHS acute care facilities. Other acute care organizations will not be affected at the time of implementation.
