The last of Alberta's four health agencies will be operational in the fall. Here's who is in charge and what each agency does
Article content
The province began implementing its plan to dismantle Alberta Health Services (AHS) into four new health care pillars in 2024. It divided the health care system into four new agencies — Acute Care Alberta, Primary Care Alberta, Recovery Alberta and Assisted Living Alberta.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The last of Alberta's four new health agencies will be operational starting in the fall of 2025 and, over the last year and half, there have been a number of changes to who is in charge.
Article content
Article content
Here's a breakdown of the chief executive officers overseeing the systems, the ministries in charge and an update on the search for the province's next chief medical officer of health.
Article content
Each health agency has an appointed chief executive officer to oversee the transition of the services from AHS to the new agency, along with the implementation of certain structures to alleviate burdens like wait times and access currently within the health care system.
Article content
Dr. Chris Eagle will be retiring as interim CEO of Acute Care Alberta on Oct. 10, which leaves the role up for grabs. He was appointed to the role in February 2025. He led the development of a leadership structure, implemented performance and accountability frameworks, and made efforts to improve surgical access, emergency and hospital care. Eagle was previously the president and CEO of AHS. Acute Care Alberta became operational last April 1.
Article content
Article content
Kim Simmonds became CEO of Primary Care Alberta in November 2024. The agency became fully operational on Feb. 1, 2025. Simmonds was the assistant deputy minister of strategic planning and performance at Alberta Health, holding both public and private sector experience in Calgary, Edmonton and rural Alberta.
Article content
Article content
Kerry Bales is the CEO of Recovery Alberta, formerly the chief program officer for addiction, mental health and correctional services in AHS, prior to his appointment in April 2024. The agency became operational on Sept. 1, 2024.
Article content
Gord Johnston was the latest to be appointed and will begin his role as CEO of Assisted Living Alberta on Aug. 1. The agency is set to be fully operational in fall 2025. Johnston was the CEO of Civida, a provider of affordable homes in northern Alberta.
Article content
What does each agency do?
Article content
Primary Care Alberta provides services specific to the day-to-day health care needs of Albertans including ensuring Albertans are attached to a primary care provider, improving access to day-to-day health services and supporting integrated teams.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
6 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Saturday's letters: Is UCP against Albertans with disabilities?
Article content As a parent of an adult with Down syndrome, we are very familiar with AISH. My daughter works part-time, volunteers and participates actively in art and sports programs. She is also an AISH recipient. AISH is essential for her financial needs, dental needs and diabetic needs. What AISH doesn't cover, family does. Article content The $200 Canada Disability Benefit is a very nice supplement to the existing AISH income. It will help with expenses which AISH doesn't cover. This federal government gesture is meant to supplement, not take away from any existing provincial programs for persons with disabilities. Article content Article content Article content Article content Kudos to Keith Gerein and his description of crowdfunding, especially his note '… it's nice to see an innovative attempt to have the public directly contribute to the revitalization without relying on corporate or government millions. And if it works, perhaps that can be a model to re-energize other meaningful properties in the city.' Article content Article content I heartily agree, especially now that the province has reopened the possibility of salvaging the old provincial museum and is accepting proposals into September. If a crowdfunding opportunity arose to help save the old RAM, I, for one, would gladly contribute. I am sure many others would too. Perhaps it's not too late to save that beautiful, old building. Article content Pat Holt, Edmonton Article content Our previous premier, Jason Kenney, valued Albertans' health and lives sufficiently that, in the fall of 2021, his UCP government actually provided vaccine-hesitant Albertans with a $100 debit card to undertake one or even two COVID-19 vaccinations, typically (and conveniently) at their neighborhood pharmacy. Article content In striking contrast and just four years later, it appears that our current premier, Danielle Smith, places much less value on Albertans' health and lives. Her UCP government plans, in the fall of 2025, both to charge us a significant price (likely more than $100 each) for our COVID-19 vaccinations and to require that those of us who find this affordable to book our COVID-19 vaccination appointments, in advance, at a small number of often-inconveniently-located public health clinics.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Water advisories issued for Slave Lake, Alberta Beach
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued water advisories for two lakes ahead of the long weekend. Visitors to Lesser Slave Lake in north-central Alberta are advised to keep an eye out for blue-green algae. Exposure to blue-green algae can cause skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Blue-green algae can be fatal to pets. AHS recommends washing with tap water as soon as exposure occurs. Humans are also advised to limit consumption of whole fish and fish trimmings from the lake. Feeding whole fish or fish trimmings to pets can result in death. Fish filets from the lake are still safe for human consumption. Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, appears on the water's surface and can often look like scum, grass clippings, fuzz or globs. It can be blue-green, greenish-brown, brown or pinkish-red and often smells musty or grassy. Blue-green algae blooms lake water Blue-green algae is pictured in this photo from the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). Waters of Lesser Slave Lake where algae blooms are not visible can still be used for recreational purposes even while the advisory is in place. Lesser Slave Lake is about 200 kilometres north of Edmonton. Alberta Beach is also under an advisory but for elevated levels of fecal bacteria in the water of the main beach area. AHS is advising the public not to swim or wade at the beach area, effective immediately. At current levels, gastrointestinal illness may result from ingestion of the water at Alberta Beach, said the health authority, adding there is also a possibility of contracting skin, ear and eye infections with water contact. The advisory will remain in effect until further notice while AHS Environmental Public Health officers continue to monitor the water at Alberta Beach. Alberta Beach is located about 70 kilometres west of Edmonton.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Alberta audit suggests patients paying clinic membership fees get more thorough care
EDMONTON – An audit of Alberta medical clinics charging membership fees found no significant cases of patients paying out of pocket for covered medical treatment but paying members are likely getting more thorough care. The province launched the audit in 2023 in response to concerns over a Calgary medical clinic switching to a membership model and planning to charge annual fees of about $5,000 for families and $2,000 for an adult. Ads promised patients shorter wait-times and extended appointments but experts warned membership fees would create a two-tiered health system benefiting those who can pay. Health Canada at the time said a membership system was contrary to a federal law protecting people from paying for medically necessary care, as it meant Albertans were paying for preferential access to doctors. A two-page summary of the audit, which reviewed 13 clinics, says physicians in the clinics saw substantially fewer patients than other doctors and members seemed to get longer and more comprehensive appointments than non-members. 'Membership clinics averaged 232 new patients per physician, compared to an average of 965 in public clinics,' the report says. 'Members of these clinics receive more service units per visit, suggesting longer or more comprehensive appointments than those provided to non-members.' The report, published earlier this week, says that there was 'no evidence that physicians were incentivized to prioritize members over non-members.' There was also no evidence to suggest the clinics were intentionally breaking the law by charging patients for what should be free medical care, it says. Although four of the clinics provided insured and uninsured services only to members. Uninsured services aren't covered under public health plans and include doctor's notes and forms and certain cosmetic procedures. The report doesn't say how much the clinics charged for memberships or where they're located. It says three provide primarily virtual services, 'one of which requires payment to access an online platform where both insured and uninsured services are delivered.' The report makes policy recommendations for the province to ensure clinics are more regulated and to address grey areas where patients get insured and uninsured services during the same appointment. 'Although clinics generally understand the distinction between insured and uninsured services and the importance of avoiding extra-billing, some overlap is difficult to rule out, as uninsured allied health services may be delivered during visits that also include insured services,' the report says. The office of Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange says in a statement the province is reviewing the recommendations and legislative changes are possible. 'Membership clinics operate as private businesses within Alberta's publicly funded health system, with physicians working as independent contractors under approved compensation models,' the statement reads. 'We're pleased the audit found no significant non-compliance and no evidence that anyone is being charged for insured services.' LaGrange's office didn't specify what changes are being considered. University of Calgary health law professor Lorian Hardcastle said she found the report underwhelming in detail and that it doesn't address paying for preferential access to physicians. 'Some of these clinics advertise not just that you get quicker appointments but that you can get after-hours appointments,' Hardcastle said. 'You're paying for the after-hours call, but if the thing you're calling about is … just a regular medically necessary issue, then you are getting better access to care for your medically necessary issues, which I think is problematic in terms of the legislation.' 'The government didn't seem, in the report, all that concerned about what they found.' Health Canada is responsible for enforcing compliance with the Canada Health Act, and Hardcastle said the agency needs to be 'holding the province's feet to the fire.' The act allows Ottawa to claw back funds to provinces through health transfers, if provinces allow providers to charge patients for medically necessary or covered services. Health Canada said in a statement that it has been in contact with Alberta about its audit and reiterated that patients paying membership fees to get preferential access to care raises concerns. 'Health Canada is reviewing the recently released report and will continue engaging with the province to ensure that (patients) do not face patient charges to access medically necessary services,' the statement reads. Dr. Luanne Metz, an Opposition NDP legislature member, said the report's recommendations for clearer and enhanced regulations are important, but without more details the severity of the situation is unclear. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'This report shows you that there are things going on that need, at the minimum, monitoring. But ideally we just need to fix it so people get the public health care that they need,' she said. Metz also said the audit's findings are contradictory, as it says clinics weren't intentionally charging patients for insured care, even though it found four only provided services to members. 'It's pretty hard to reconcile that if you only can be a member to get those services,' she said. LaGrange's office said it wasn't making the full report public as it contains 'operational and proprietary information.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025.
