Mission & Strategic Direction
Our Mission
To provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
Leading with Values
Alberta Health Services' values have one thing in common: the quality of patient care. Our seven values - respect, accountability, transparency, engagement, safety, learning and performance - drive us, and unite us.
Our Strategic Direction
The 2013-2016 Health Plan and Business Plan — Better Quality, Better Outcomes, Better Value — is the critical foundation for all activity within AHS.
Released on May 29, 2013, the plan guides us and outlines our operational goals over the next three years, which are supported by three strategic directions:
- Bringing Appropriate Care to Community
- Partnering for Better Health Outcomes
- Achieving Health System Sustainability
All three strategies work together and are equally important. As well, every decision we make is based on the following three principles:
- We are working to ensure that Albertans are getting the right care, in the right place, at the right time no matter where they live in the province.
- We are working to simplify the health system by looking at care delivery through the eyes of Albertans and their families.
- We are working to make the system more efficient through local and site-based decision-making, while reducing bureaucracy.
We are spending health care dollars on priority areas. Specifically, we are focusing on community-based care, reducing wait times for high priority procedures and treatments and taking better care of the vulnerable.
In the end, this plan is about delivering better services to Albertans by forming partnerships, being more effective with our resources, and investing in what will make a difference to Albertans now and in the future.
Accreditation
Alberta Health Services (AHS) participates in the accreditation of health services to help our organization ensure the delivery of safe quality healthcare. As a component of continuous quality improvement, accreditation compares our health services with established national standards of excellence to help us identify what we’re doing well and how we can further improve. The AHS Accreditation Department facilitates the accreditation processes, engages staff and organizes on-site survey visits with Accreditation Canada.
Accreditation Canada accredits the majority of AHS services, with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta accrediting Laboratory and Diagnostic Imaging Services.
AHS just completed its first accreditation cycle (2010 – 2012) and is planning for the next four-year cycle. Each year, Accreditation Canada summarizes the survey results in a report that helps guide AHS in making improvements.
Human Resources
Human Resources has collaborated with AHS' senior leadership team to create Alberta Health Services' people strategy, supporting the organization's 3 goals, 8 areas of focus and 20 strategic priorities. This strategy puts the foundational basics in place with key initiatives led by an enabling, proactive and service oriented Human Resources team.
The new Alberta Health Services Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety is designed specifically for our healthcare workforce and will support positive changes in health and safety practices throughout the organization.
Alberta Health Services is working to bolster engagement levels across the organization and has developed the Workforce Engagement Plan in consultation with employees, physicians and volunteers. The Workforce Engagement Working Group, comprised of individuals from all levels of the organization, was responsible for developing the plan.
Information Technology Research
As healthcare systems around the world struggle to meet increasing demand, address resource uncertainty, improve care and restrain costs, the impetus to align patient, provider and information has never been greater.
Of the many approaches being explored, the healthcare model that engages the patient as an active member of the care team is emerging as a leading concept, worthy of consideration.
Central to this model is Information Technology, and specifically, Personal Health Record (PHR) systems that provide patients with the information and health management tools they require to make educated health decisions and better manage their care.
Alberta Health Services has conducted an initial investigation into this approach, and invites all who are interested - public citizens and healthcare professionals alike - to review and comment on the reported findings.
Contact shannon.evans@albertahealthservices.ca to share your feedback.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Quality and Patient Safety
Quality and patient safety is an important area of commitment for Alberta Health Services, and has been identified in our Strategic Directions document as one of the key 20 strategic priorities for our organization.
With this, a Strategic Outline to help guide the direction of our quality improvement and patient safety efforts was developed. On June 30th, 2009, the Alberta Health Services Board approved the document.
Below is a link to view the Quality and Patient Safety Strategic Outline. As you view the document, you will see that the Outline highlights four ‘Key Enablers’ for quality and patient safety, describes the organizational strategies we are looking to operationalize and integrate into the AHS culture, and lists proposed performance measures to evaluate the strategies.
Here at Alberta Health Services, we strongly believe that quality and patient safety is everyone’s responsibility. As we move forward, we will build on the systems in place to ensure safety is integrated within our culture to improve the patient/provider experience.
Research Planning
Alberta Health Services is committed to research.
This important commitment is identified in Strategic Direction 2009-2012 - Defining Our Focus, Measuring Our Progress, and is one of 20 key strategic priorities for our organization.
As part of our research commitment, we are preparing a Strategic Directions for Research document.
From July 23, 2009, to September 15, 2009, the draft version of this document that will guide us in the future was made available to the public, our staff and our partners. We thank all who responded for their feedback and comments.
On Oct. 29, 2009, the AHS board approved the Strategic Directions for Research.
A link to the Alberta Health Services and Health Research Report, prepared by Drs. D. Lorne Tyrrell and Roger Palmer is also available below. The Research Report provides a platform or framework for Alberta Health Services' role in research.
Contracting Procurement & Supply Management
Environmental Sustainability Strategy
As one of the largest employers in the province with hospitals and facilities in every community, Alberta Health Services is committed to reducing its’ environmental footprint. The organization has developed a new “Towards the Alberta Health Services Environmental Sustainability Strategy” that will provide the necessary framework to further develop and implement environmental initiatives across the organization.
Future environmental initiatives will focus on the following key areas:
- Waste Management
- Energy Management
- Water Management
- Building Operations and Capital Management
- Transportation and Logistics
- Contracting, Procurement and Supply Management
- Information Technology
- Nutrition and Food Services
For further information, please contact Leonid Oukrainski, Executive Director, Capital and Equipment Sourcing at 780-735-0038.
