Coupled with news of Dr. Chris Eagle’s appointment as permanent president and CEO Thursday, Alberta Health Services (AHS) also unveiled $190 million in new funding, an announcement the Greater Edmonton Health Advisory Council was happy to hear.
Of that total, $19 million will go to reducing emergency room wait times, $15 million to shorten radiation therapy wait times, $46 million to slice surgical wait times and $110 million to slash the number of patients waiting for continuing care beds. Those dollars are in addition to annual funding.
“The priorities they have identified with that money certainly align with the kinds of things we’ve been hearing from the community,” said Wayne Shillington, council member. “It’s part of a larger strategy too.”
The council — one of many throughout the province — is responsible for relaying community feedback to AHS.
Timely access to what patients need, when they need, it is something Shillington often hears about.
He said the money would help, both in hospitals and when it comes to public perception.
“There appears to be a good, positive air of ‘how do we make the system work better?’” said Shillington. “That is encouraging for people in an advisory role like ourselves. It’s a sense of optimism, I think, that’s starting to emerge in the system.”
Eagle stated at Thursday’s press conference, and in media releases, that the initiatives this money will go towards are being announced now to “underscore the importance of moving more quickly.”
He said AHS is moving forward with a five-year Health Action Plan that contains clear actions and clear targets.
Ken Hughes, AHS board chairman, said in a release that work to amalgamate health boards across Alberta is finished. The focus now “is on reaching the performance targets” set out in that plan.
The $190 million is part of the AHS budget and business plan for 2011-12.
It is a plan that has not yet been formally approved by the board and cannot be until the next provincial budget is approved.
Shillington is not terribly concerned about that.
“I am optimistic that this would not have been announced had there not been some confidence that the funding that’s being put forward will support this. I think the board at AHS is well on top of those kinds of things,” he said.
