Hearing from Albertans on a vision for health and healthcare

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is Canada’s first and largest province-wide, fully integrated health system. We’re responsible for delivering health services to more than four million people living in Alberta, as well as to some residents of Saskatchewan, B.C. and the Northwest Territories.

Throughout long range planning, AHS and Alberta Health are working with staff, our partners and the community to co-design a healthcare system that focuses on quality and sustainability. Together, we can develop new and innovative solutions for 15 years in the future, and start building toward them today.

One example of how we’ve already started the process in the Central Zone is by bringing together a cross section of people from the area, including various community representatives, physicians, care providers, other health partners and members of the AHS team. The purpose was to work together to generate ideas on how healthcare could look in the future, and review potential community based health care services.

Engaging community members authentically, and truly listening to their insights resulted in great ideas on how we can help people sooner in their health care journey. For example:

• Further empower Albertans to become ‘custodians’ of their own health; this could mean more self-management and creating opportunities to improve and sustain health outcomes (e.g.  green walking spaces, health vending machines in schools)
• Focus our efforts on health and well-being and supporting Albertans in identifying and addressing root causes of health problems that could include smoking, obesity, and substance abuse
• Continue to focus on appropriate, quality care that improves outcomes in rural areas, building on successes like Alberta’s north-south ‘radiation corridor’; once complete, 92 per cent of patients will be able to access radiation treatment within 100 kilometres of their homes

Our goal is to have a healthier Alberta 15 years from now.