May 3, 2024
Launch 8 of Connect Care goes live tomorrow
Launch 8 of Connect Care goes live tomorrow at 5 a.m., bringing more than 10,500 staff at 229 AHS sites onto the system. (more...)
Shared Commitments integrated into Connect Care
Learn how providers can document Shared Commitments conversations into Connect Care. (more...)
Surgical capacity expands at Leduc Community Hospital
Operating room hours have expanded at Leduc Community Hospital, accommodating 17 per cent more surgeries each year. (more...)
Access improves for treatment of swallowing disorders
Albertans with swallowing disorders can now access a minimally invasive procedure at hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary. (more...)
Continuing care option to be introduced in two northern towns
Residents in two North Zone towns will soon be able to access a continuing care option previously unavailable where they live. (more...)
Take care of your physical, mental well-being
By supporting each other, we can maintain a workplace that’s physically and psychologically safe for all. (more...)
Mental Wellness Moment — Dealing with change
Dr. Nicholas Mitchell provides advice on dealing with change and outlines positive impacts of change. (more...)
AHS launches new organ and tissue donation awareness campaign
The new AHS ‘All the Ways’ campaign takes a lighthearted approach to the subject of deceased organ and tissue donation. (more...)
May is Health Philanthropy Month
May is Health Philanthropy Month, and AHS takes this opportunity to thank our foundation and auxiliary partners for their support. (more...)
Research and Innovation Report now online
The 2023 AHS Research and Innovation Report has been posted ahead of Canadian Innovation Week and Clinical Trials Day. (more...)
AHS introduces new Learning Health System
The development of a new model evolves quality management within AHS. (more...)
Register for AHS Improvement Way (AIW) Day on June 12
Discover the power of AIW Day, where connection and inspiration fuel your journey in quality improvement. (more...)
New way to report phishing messages, junk mail coming soon
A new Report Message button is being added to Microsoft Outlook, giving you an easy way to report phishing and junk emails. (more...)
May 3, 2024
Launch 8 of Connect Care goes live tomorrow at 5 a.m., bringing more than 10,500 staff at 229 AHS sites onto the system. Joining Connect Care tomorrow are programs and services for community ambulatory care, continuing care, seniors and home care in the Calgary and Central zones, as well as addictions and mental health group homes in Edmonton Zone, and population public health sites across all zones. The ninth and final launch of Connect Care is scheduled for later this year.
AHS’ new Shared Commitments are now integrated into Connect Care. Documenting conversations with patients about Shared Commitments is important to ensure their values, needs and care preferences are considered throughout their healthcare journey. It also ensures other members of their care team can access this information.
Providers who have access to the Education Activity in Connect Care can pull up the AHS General Patient Education template, where they will find a link to the Shared Commitments Overview document under Facility Orientation. Providers can print the resource or review it with their patient.
There are many locations in Connect Care where a provider can capture Shared Commitments conversations. We’ve created a Mapping Shared Commitments to Connect Care resource to help guide you through this process.
Learn more about Shared Commitments or register for our introductory webinar on May 7 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Leduc and area patients now have access to the surgeries they need with the expansion of operating room hours at Leduc Community Hospital. The surgical theatres will now run Monday to Friday, enabling the hospital to accommodate 17 per cent, or approximately 400, more surgeries each year.
The additional surgical capacity is made possible with funding from the Alberta Surgical Initiative (ASI), which was jointly developed by the Government of Alberta and AHS. With the ASI funding, the hospital has been able to increase the number of operating room nurses and operating room hours. The extra surgical capacity will also help relieve pressure on other hospitals and surgical sites in the AHS Edmonton Zone.
Albertans with swallowing disorders can now access a minimally invasive procedure at hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary.
For years, some Albertans with achalasia — an excessive tightness of the ring of muscle between the esophagus and the stomach — would be referred out of province for treatment if they were eligible for a non-surgical procedure rather than traditional surgery.
Recently, gastroenterologists and thoracic surgeons at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton and Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary have collaborated to offer a minimally invasive procedure: peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). During the procedure, an endoscope — a narrow flexible tube with a camera — is inserted through the mouth and cuts the muscles in the esophagus, without the need for surgery or incisions in the skin.
It’s estimated 60 patients will now be able to access POEM in Edmonton and Calgary annually.
Residents in Spirit River and Manning will soon be able to access a continuing care option that was previously unavailable in their North Zone communities.
This summer, the two communities are expected to have their first Type B Continuing Care Home spaces (formally known as designated supportive living level 4 spaces): 16 in Manning and 52 in Spirit River (half of which will be dedicated for patients with dementia). Type B Continuing Care Home spaces provide a home-like environment that offers 24-hour on-site scheduled and unscheduled professional and personal care and support from licensed practical nurses and healthcare aides.
AHS is committed to working with you to prevent physical and psychological harm, so you can remain healthy and safe at work.
When we are psychologically and physically safe, we are more engaged in our work.
Here are some ways to care for your overall well-being and extend support to others:
Questions? Contact wellness@ahs.ca.
In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with AHS — provides advice on dealing with change and outlines positive impacts of change.
The new AHS ‘All the Ways’ public awareness campaign takes a lighthearted approach to the subject of deceased organ and tissue donation. The series of TV/online video, social media, transit and billboard ads aims to normalize family discussions about donation decisions. Grieving families often find it easier to consent to donation if they know what their loved one wanted.
The campaign was developed following engagement sessions and surveys of transplant staff/physicians and advocates. Concepts were presented to several donor families; all were supportive of normalizing donation discussions and the use of humour to capture attention. ‘All the Ways’ launched on April 22 during National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week and will run until the end of 2024 and beyond.
Nearly 300 people are waiting for life-saving transplants in Alberta. For more information, visit www.GiveLifeAlberta.ca
May is Health Philanthropy Month, and AHS takes this opportunity to thank our foundation and auxiliary partners for their support across the province.
AHS is proud to work with 69 foundations and 36 auxiliaries that provide support for high-quality care to our patients. Last year, AHS’ valued partners raised more than $308 million for healthcare. They also invested more than $112 million toward local and system-wide AHS priorities and $33 million toward health research.
This month, AHS will highlight our partners in our Faces of the Foundations story series on ahs.ca and social media. To learn more about AHS’ philanthropic partners, please visit ahs.ca/give.
The 2023 AHS Research and Innovation Report has been posted ahead of Canadian Innovation Week (May 13-17) and Clinical Trials Day (May 20).
The report highlights the work of researchers, innovators and clinical staff across AHS, as well as the numerous partnerships necessary to advance knowledge and innovation.
As context, AHS received in 2022/23 more than 1,100 requests to initiate clinical studies, including surveys, physical assessments, and highly regulated clinical trials. More than 5,000 Albertans were enrolled in clinical studies that involved new drugs or devices across AHS sites using Connect Care, including almost 1,000 in cancer trials.
To find out more about how clinical trials work and how they are supported by AHS, visit Alberta Cancer Clinical Trials and Participate in Research.
AHS continues to evolve our quality management and innovation by advancing a Learning Health System approach to ensure patients receive continuously improving, high-quality, safer and more efficient care. The new model, Learn Improve Together, is based off the strengths of our solid foundation of excellence.
Visit insite.ahs.ca/LearnImproveTogether to learn how this model will leverage our strengths to reduce administrative burden, create capacity at the front line and support our work to ensure every Albertan has access to excellent healthcare.
Whether you're a seasoned AHS Improvement Way practitioner or new to the approach, join us on June 12 for a day of virtual engaging presentations and interactive workshops. This year, our focus is on change management within AIW, essential process improvement tools, and strategies for leading an efficient organization. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired.
Register here. If you have any questions, please email aiw@ahs.ca.
A new Report Message button is being added to Microsoft Outlook, giving an easy way to report phishing and junk emails.
When you click on the Report Message button, you will see a drop-down menu that lists the types of messages you can report.
Choose the option (junk, phishing, not junk) that best suits the kind of message you're reporting.
You can still use the old phishing button to report phishing emails—just note that it has been redesigned by Microsoft and has a new look.
By using the new Report Message button or the redesigned Report Phishing button, you are helping Microsoft develop better security controls to protect our network and keep our information and systems safe.
If you have questions, please review the FAQ.
