Latest news with #AdrianaLaGrange
CBC
23-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Breakup of Alberta health ministry will create confusion, doctors and nurses say
Social Sharing Organizations that represent Alberta's physicians and nurses say the splitting of the provincial health ministry into two, at the same time Alberta Health Services is broken into four, will create confusion for patients. On Friday, Premier Danielle Smith announced that Adriana LaGrange, formerly the health minister, is now minister of primary and preventative health services and Matt Jones is moving from Jobs, Economy and Trade to become minister of hospital and surgical services. Alberta Health will be divided to reflect the two ministers' areas of responsibility. The province says this completes the breakup of Alberta Health Services, the former province-wide health authority, into four different agencies: Acute Care Alberta, Recovery Alberta, Primary Care Alberta and Assisted Living Alberta. Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson is responsible for Recovery Alberta. Jason Nixon, the minister of the newly named Assisted Living and Social Services ministry, will oversee Assisted Living Alberta. Dr. Shelley Duggan, president of the Alberta Medical Association, is concerned about how patients will navigate the new system. In an interview with CBC News, Duggan gave the example of a physician caring for a hospital patient who will need home care after they are discharged. "Maybe you're having a challenge with getting them home care," she said. "Do you go to the acute care people and ask for help? Do you go to the continuing care people and ask for help?" Lack of transparency, UNA president says Another example Duggan gave is a psychiatrist caring for a patient with substance use issues. If the patient is in hospital, Acute Care Alberta is the agency the doctor deals with, Duggan said. If that patient needs to move into addictions treatment, then Recovery Alberta is in charge. "You can see that even within a hospital stay or an event, we'll call it, people can move between all of these different pillars," she said. Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta, said the confusion created by the AHS and ministerial break-up will blur the lines of accountability. She said Alberta Health Services was transparent. These new pillars with their respective ministers make it harder for the public to see where their taxes are going. "Nixon, Jones, Wilson or LaGrange, which minister of health do you speak to about your concerns, about the services you are or are not able to access?" Smith said. "We had one minister, the buck stopped there. We now have four ministers. Who knows where the buck stops?" A spokesperson for the province said the ministerial changes won't affect patients. "Public servants will continue their work as usual, with organizational structures and reporting lines adjusting to reflect the new cabinet responsibilities, as is standard with changes in cabinet," a spokesperson said in an email attributed to LaGrange's office. Duggan said the AMA has met regularly with LaGrange. She said she sent a request to meet with Jones, Nixon and Wilson. "For physicians, it's just confusion and chaos and hoping that the changes will sort of end soon and that we can figure out what the new reality is," she said.
CTV News
17-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘The problem is the patient experience': Smith overhauls Alberta health portfolio
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, right, and Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange provide an update on what steps the government is taking related to allegations by former Alberta Health Services CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos, in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, Feb. 19, CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
Calgary Herald
17-05-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
Southern Alberta sees spike in measles cases
Article content The number of patients suffering from measles leaped by 29 cases in southern Alberta on Friday, a daily increase that is higher than what the entire U.S. experienced in a week. Article content Article content The rise brings the total number in Alberta to 438, most of which are concentrated in southern Alberta, where almost 300 people are down with the disease. The region is followed by the Central Zone with 91 confirmed cases, and Edmonton and Calgary, which have reported six and 11 cases, respectively. Article content Article content Outbreaks — defined as two or more linked cases — have now been reported in all health zones. Article content Article content Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 20 cases in the U.S. between May 4 and 11, and two cases between May 11 and 15. In contrast, 346 cases were reported in Canada from April 27 to May 3, compared to 45 in the U.S. in the same period. Article content The rate of measles is highest among children aged between under five to 17. More than 350 people suffering from the disease belong to the cohort. Article content Children under five are most at risk of serious complications, particularly babies who are aged six to 12 months, said Dr. James Talbot, public health physician and the province's former chief medical officer of health, in an interview last week. Article content Article content During a panel hosted by the Alberta Medical Association on May 8, he urged Albertan families to move quickly on getting themselves and their children vaccinated, citing three reasons. Article content Article content The first, he said, is that measles is widely known to be a highly contagious virus that spreads quickly. Secondly, he explained that because it often takes time for measles symptoms to show up, there are probably more cases of the infection in Alberta than those reported. Article content 'And thirdly, the percentage of kids unimmunized or partially immunized is very high in Alberta,' he said. Article content The panel followed days after a provincial update on May 5, wherein Adriana LaGrange, the province's health minister, and Dr. Sunil Sookram, Alberta's interim chief medical officer of health, confirmed that actions are being taken to expand the provincial response to the outbreak. Article content The most recent update arrives as Measles makes a comeback in the country, especially in Alberta, where immunization rates are among the lowest in the country. Article content Provincial data shows that only 71.6 per cent of seven-year-olds were fully vaccinated against the measles in 2024. Article content In the south zone, where the majority of the cases are concentrated, multiple communities show vaccination rates well below 50 per cent in 2024, including the County of Forty Mile (30.2 per cent), Lethbridge (46.7 per cent) and the Municipality of Taber (39.1 per cent).
CBC
17-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Alberta premier shuffles cabinet, splits health portfolio
Social Sharing Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced an overhaul of several government ministries, creating two new health services portfolios and replacing her Indigenous relations minister. Former health minister Adriana LaGrange has been sworn in as minister of primary and preventative health services, while former jobs minister Matt Jones is in charge of hospital and surgical health services. Previous Indigenous relations minister Rick Wilson is now minister of mental health and addiction. Jason Nixon, who already had continuing care added to his seniors, social services and housing portfolio, will lead a renamed ministry of assisted living and social services. Four ministers are now responsible for each of the newly compartmentalized areas of health services, Smith told people assembled at a swearing-in ceremony in Calgary. "With this team of ministers, we will keep our promises to shorten wait times, improve primary care, ensure Albertans' needs are being met in the most appropriate setting, and develop an even stronger focus on mental health and addiction supports," Smith said. Wilson replaces Dan Williams, who moves to municipal affairs. Rajan Sawhney will head Indigenous relations, while cabinet newcomer Myles McDougall, who represents the Calgary-Fish Creek constituency, assumes her former portfolio of advanced education. Change in Speaker necessitated shuffle Smith says the shuffle was needed to fill the vacancy left by former municipal affairs minister Ric McIver, who is taking on the role of Speaker of the assembly. "Once you move one cabinet minister, you have to start moving a few others," Smith said Friday before the swearing-in ceremony with Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani. WATCH | Some promises fulfilled, plus a few surprises: What you might have missed during the Alberta Legislature's spring sitting 1 day ago Duration 3:16 Nathan Cooper, the former Speaker, left the job earlier this week and is stepping down this summer as the MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills to become the province's new representative in Washington. The move created a ripple throughout ministries at the same time that Smith's government is in the midst of major health-care system restructure and separatist talk has soured Indigenous relations in the province. Former tourism minister Joseph Schow is taking over the jobs, economy, trade and immigration file from Jones. Schow's press secretary said he will remain the government's house leader. Cabinet expands The shuffle puts 27 total people in cabinet, a net increase of two people and more than half of the 47-member United Conservative Party caucus. Crestview Strategy vice-president Mandi Johnson, who previously worked for the UCP government, expected Smith to trim cabinet in preparation for a possible early provincial election call. Dividing health duties into four portfolios makes it unclear who's in charge of the health system, and that may be purposeful, Johnson said. "That's probably because the premier is the health minister," Johnson said. "She cares very much about the health file. She obviously wants things to move faster than they're moving." Given the government's investment and focus on changing the addictions treatment system, Johnson said moving Wilson into that file demonstrates that he has the premier's trust. Smith previously added child-care funding negotiations with the federal government to Jones' portfolio, and his move into health is a signal that "she wants something back on track," Johnson said. Under McDougall, the post-secondary sector should expect to see more focus on the pushback against equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, Johnson said. Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, who has previously called for LaGrange to be fired as health minister, called Friday's changes a demotion for her. He doesn't see how splitting up health oversight will improve front-line care, he said. "If you don't have a family doctor, if you're waiting for cancer care, if you have a friend or relative or a loved one who is in trouble with addictions and mental health, or if you have to drive by a closed emergency room to get to one, where you're waiting 15 hours, nothing announced today will help you," Nenshi told reporters. He was also disappointed to see Smith leave Justice Minister Mickey Amery in his portfolio. Amery has acknowledged he is related by marriage and has a friendship with the owner of MHCare, a medical supply company whose relationship with the government is currently the subject of several probes. Muhammed Yaseen, who was the minister of immigration and multiculturalism, is now an associate minister of multiculturalism. Demetrios Nicolaides is taking on more responsibility, adding child care to his portfolio. He is now the minister of education and child care. Andrew Boitchenko, who was previously the parliamentary secretary for Indigenous relations, is minister of tourism and sport. Grant Hunter, who served as a minister under former premier Jason Kenney, is associate minister of water. He also takes over as chief government whip from Shane Getson.
Toronto Star
16-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Star
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith shuffles her cabinet, splits health portfolio
CALGARY - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced an overhaul of several government ministries, creating two new health services portfolios and replacing her Indigenous relations minister. Former health minister Adriana LaGrange has been sworn in as minister of primary and preventative health services, while former jobs minister Matt Jones is in charge of hospital and surgical health services.
