June 16, 2023
June 16, 2023
As of this morning, there are 75 active wildfires in Alberta, with 21 of them classified as ‘out of control.’ (more...)
We are working to urgently address four key priorities. They are:
Much of this work is underway. We will continue to use this update to highlight actions being taken to address our priorities.
Reducing surgery wait times
Surgical wait-list update
New wellness seminar series
The new Wellness Seminar schedule is now available. The seminars offer strategies to support your well-being. (more...)
Mental Wellness Moment — helping your child or teen during a disaster
Dr. Nicholas Mitchell talks about common responses to stress in youth, and what adults can do to help them deal with a disaster. (more...)
Continuous masking update
AHS is rescinding the Use of Masks During COVID-19 Directive, effective Monday (June 19). (more...)
COVID-19 status and cases in Alberta
Latest hospitalizations, ICU update and wastewater surveillance. (more...)
Celebrate allyship during Pride Month
June is Pride Month and there are many ways to celebrate Pride at AHS. (more...)
Accreditation Canada Spring 2023 survey results are in
Accreditation compares our health services with national standards of excellence. (more...)
Access HR, IT support through the new ServiceHub portal
Service Hub, a new user-friendly system for Human Resources and Information Technology support, is now live. (more...)
Patient Safety Plan now available
The 2023-26 AHS Patient Safety Plan supports collective efforts across the care continuum to improve patient safety. (more...)
Future of Cancer Impact in Alberta report now available
The report includes 40 recommendations to guide action around cancer prevention, treatment and supportive care. (more...)
CEO video message – importance of patient feedback
Learn how Patient Relations and the Office of Alberta Health Advocates support patients and families to share feedback. (more...)
Finding efficiencies subject of President’s Speaker Series event
The June 23 President’s Speaker Series event explores how we can free up time by revising or removing outdated practices. (more...)
Register for the i4 2023 conference
i4 exists to help you invent the future of health and care services. Be part of that future. Early bird registration is now open. (more...)
First annual InfoCare Celebration kicks off
The event runs until July 14, with resources, tips and content dedicated to protecting privacy and information security. (more...)
We’re only halfway through June so, if you haven’t done so already, you still have time to participate in AHS celebrations for Pride Month (see item above for details) and National Indigenous Peoples Month (visit Together4Health for a list of upcoming events). We want all people to feel safe and respected when they come to AHS for services. Participating in, and learning from, awareness events like the ones scheduled this month are helping us become a more inclusive and welcoming healthcare organization for everyone. Finally, I wish to offer my heartfelt gratitude to everyone helping communities respond to the ongoing wildfire situation in the province. Again, when Albertans need us, we are there for them. I am proud of you and thankful for everything you do.
With enduring gratitude and appreciation,
Mauro Chies
AHS President & CEO
June 16, 2023
Please print and share with your teams as needed
Wildfires continue in North and Central zones. Last Friday, an evacuation order was called for the Town of Edson for the second time this year. At the time the evacuation was called, there were approximately 80 patients and residents to be moved from Edson Healthcare Centre, and again our teams got the job done efficiently and safely. The municipality rescinded the evacuation order last night (June 15), and the North Zone Emergency Operations Centre and local teams are taking steps to reopen the facility.
Each evacuation and re-entry takes many teams to ensure the facility is safe and equipped to provide care, and I extend my thanks to all — from those who made emergency plans in advance; organized logistics and sourced transportation; prepared evacuees with medications and records; ensured the facility and its equipment were shut down and secure; and physically moved each and every patient and resident. Throughout each emergency response, our EMS and clinical teams have cared for patients, residents and one another with professionalism and kindness.
AHS continues to make public health, as well as mental health and addiction support, available to all evacuees.
As of this morning, there are 75 active wildfires in Alberta, with 21 of them classified as ‘out of control.’ Seven communities have issued a State of Local Emergency, and four First Nations have issued a Band Council Resolution due to wildfire activity.
We are working to urgently address four key priorities. They are:
Much of this work is underway. We will continue to use this update to highlight actions being taken to address our priorities.
As of June 5, 54.6 per cent of cases on the surgical wait-list at adult facilities were within clinically appropriate wait times, virtually unchanged from two weeks prior.
The new Wellness Seminar schedule is now available. The seminars offer strategies to support your well-being.
These one-hour virtual sessions cover a range of topics such as happiness, interpersonal boundaries and the newest seminar on communication in family life.
The new schedule is on Insite and you can register on MyLearningLink. Leaders can also schedule seminars for their teams and can select from the topics available in the catalogue.
You can call the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) intake line at 1-877-273-3134. Physicians can contact the AMA Physician and Family Support Program at 1-877-SOS-4MDS for options and support.
Questions? Contact wellness@ahs.ca.
In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with AHS — talks about common responses to stress in children and teenagers, and what adults can do to help young people deal with a disaster or emergency.
AHS is rescinding the Use of Masks During COVID-19 Directive, effective Monday (June 19).
AHS will no longer require continuous masking for workers, patients, families and visitors at AHS facilities, as well as Alberta Precision Laboratories, Covenant Health, CapitalCare and Carewest sites. This applies to all AHS and contracted staff, including physicians, midwives, students, volunteers and contractors.
We continue to respect the choice to voluntarily wear a mask in all areas and encourage those who wish to wear a mask to continue to do so. Healthcare providers are asked to mask when requested by a patient. Use this poster to display on sites and units.
Any guidance regarding future continuous masking requirements will be based on several factors, including public safety, situational context, data and evidence, hospital impacts and extensive engagement with the workforce and key stakeholders.
Staff are required to continue to use Routine Practices and Additional Precautions as required by the IPC Risk Assessment to make personal protective equipment (PPE) decisions and to prevent the spread of infections. Appropriate PPE will continue to be available in all settings.
For more information, please see the updated frequently asked questions.
Questions? Contact ppe@ahs.ca.
Hospitalizations and ICUs
On June 5:
Wastewater surveillance
Five sites increased by more than 25 per cent compared to the weekly average in the last report. These sites were Okotoks, Canmore, Drumheller, Edson and Grande Prairie. The other 15 sites decreased or had no significant changes. Wastewater can provide an early indication of COVID-19 infection trends in a community.
The above interpretations were made from available data as of June 13 at 7 a.m.
You can show your support and demonstrate active allyship during Pride Month by:
Questions? Contact diversityandinclusion@ahs.ca.
Accreditation Canada surveyors visited 51 AHS sites across the province this spring and connected with 790 staff and physicians, patients/residents and families, community partners and volunteers. You can see the results. Accreditation Canada surveys are unannounced, and more than 400 sites worked to be accreditation ready. Simultaneously, the Calgary Stroke Program prepared and was surveyed for Stroke Distinction status. The results from the survey and the preparation clearly show the dedication and compassion of each and every one of you.
Accreditation compares our health services with national standards of excellence to help us identify what we are doing well and how we can further improve.
The survey results highlight the high level of dedication of our physicians and staff to delivering people-centred care at all levels. Surveyors noted the strength in our innovative models of care and technology to expand the reach of new programs.
ServiceHub is now live. It’s the new portal for Human Resources and Information Technology questions, resources and services.
The Human Resource Contact Centre and IT ServiceHUB are now a part of the ServiceHub portal for a streamlined and improved user experience. Through the new portal, you can receive HR and IT support, access resources, review knowledge articles and submit requests in one convenient location. ServiceHub uses a responsive design that can be accessed from your work and personal devices.
You can access the portal through the HR Contact Centre and IT Service Desk landing pages. You will still be able to chat with a live agent for HR support through the new ServiceHub, and support desk phone numbers for HR and IT will not change:
The new 2023-26 AHS Patient Safety Plan supports collective efforts across the care continuum to improve patient safety by providing key directions and areas of focus to work toward. It highlights examples of available metrics to focus improvement efforts. Local metrics should be chosen to measure improvements and evaluate effectiveness in focus areas that are meaningful to teams. This plan is a refresh of the 2018-22 plan.
The Future of Cancer Impact (FOCI) in Alberta report, developed by the Cancer Strategic Clinical Network and a multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional working group, provides projections and analyses of cancer incidence, prevalence, mortality, survival and cancer management costs in Alberta from 2020-2040, as well as recommendations for integrated research and actions.
While the FOCI in Alberta report points to many current and upcoming challenges, it also highlights strengths within the existing cancer system that can be leveraged to proactively respond to this growth.
FOCI was a collaborative effort, designed to collect and reflect the knowledge, experiences and perspectives of individuals within and beyond Alberta’s scientific and clinical communities. The next step is to share the report widely to stimulate renewed and well-informed discussion, planning and action around cancer control in Alberta over the next two decades.
Patients and families are at the heart of everything we do and it’s important they share their healthcare experiences with us. Their feedback helps improve our programs, services and the care we provide.
We encourage people to speak with their care team. They can also share their feedback with our Patient Relations department, which listens and responds with privacy and respect, gathers information, and follows up on patient or family concerns.
There is also the Office of the Alberta Health Advocates through the Ministry of Health. It empowers Albertans to be effective advocates in their own health and healthcare, and provides support and advocates for a healthcare system that is responsive and accountable to the people being served.
Joining the AHS Vlog to talk about their roles are:
Guests l to r: Sharon Berry and Catherine Douglas
The President’s Speaker Series returns June 23 from noon to 1 p.m., when you’re invited to join an online discussion on finding efficiencies.
Organizations must adapt and revisit past practices to changing circumstances. This can be difficult, as our first instinct is often to add new practices — but to evolve, an organization should first remove or revise existing practices that have become unproductive. Not doing so can lead to unexpected costs, increased complexity and delays in adopting new practices.
This discussion and Q&A will be led by keynote speaker Derek Hassay, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. To attend the event, click the link below on June 23 at noon. We encourage you to add the link to your Outlook Calendar.
The future of health and care takes place at the intersection of people, relationships, community and science and technology. Success in health and care services is tied to societal progress and the exploding speed of technology. i4 exists to help you invent the future of health and care services. Be part of that future. Early bird registration is now open.
The first-annual InfoCare Celebration runs until July 14, featuring resources, tips and special guests dedicated to protecting privacy and information security, which is critically important at an organization such as AHS that handles huge volumes of confidential information.
InfoCare is your main source of information for these key topics. InfoCare offers a large and growing list of resources, best practices, monthly education campaigns, a network of InfoCare coaches to mentor skills, and an easy process for identifying and reporting security incidents and privacy breaches.
For the next month, AHS staff are encouraged to tune in to InfoCare’s Insite page to learn more about protecting privacy and information security. Staff who are interested in getting more involved can also sign up to be an InfoCare Coach.
We’re only halfway through June so, if you haven’t done so already, you still have time to participate in AHS celebrations for Pride Month (see item above for details) and National Indigenous Peoples Month (visit Together4Health for a list of upcoming events). We want all people to feel safe and respected when they come to AHS for services. Participating in, and learning from, awareness events like the ones scheduled this month are helping us become a more inclusive and welcoming healthcare organization for everyone. Finally, I wish to offer my heartfelt gratitude to everyone helping communities respond to the ongoing wildfire situation in the province. Again, when Albertans need us, we are there for them. I am proud of you and thankful for everything you do.
With enduring gratitude and appreciation,
Mauro Chies
AHS President & CEO
