Becoming the Best: Alberta's 5-year Health Action Plan 2010-2015

Alberta Health and Wellness and Alberta Health Services recently released the joint 5-year Health Action Plan, which will provide Albertans clear direction on what they can expect from their health care system over the next 5 years.

Albertans will see reductions in wait times for surgeries, cancer treatment and continuing care as part of the new health action plan.

Albertans can expect to see:

• Reduced wait times for hip surgery from the current 35 weeks to 27 weeks in 2011-12 to 14 weeks in 2014-15;
• Reduced wait times for cancer patients to see a radiation oncologist from the current 7.1 weeks to 4 weeks in 2011-12 to 2 weeks in 2014-15;
• Increased percentage of patients treated and admitted to hospital within eight hours from the emergency department (in the busiest 15 sites) from the current 38% to 60% in 2011-12 to 90% in 2014-15;
• Reduced number of people waiting in hospital for a continuing care space from the current 777 people to 375 people in 2011-12 to 250 people in 2014-15;
• Increased percentage of children getting scheduled mental health treatment within 30 days from the current 78% to 90% in 2011-12 to 92% in 2014-15.

The government’s plan for Alberta’s health care system continues to evolve and take shape. It began with the establishment of Alberta Health Services as the single health delivery arm in Alberta. It was followed by the first-of-its-kind five-year funding plan for health and then the introduction of an Alberta Health Act. The release of this new 5-year Health Action Plan is the next important piece of work that maintains our commitment to putting people first.

The Health Action Plan clearly defines short and long-term goals for AHS that will ensure Albertans have access to quality health care. With the stability provided by the five-year funding plan, AHS is committed to delivering on these goals and being accountable to all Albertans.

The 5-year Health Action Plan sets out clearly defined targets for health system performance and also outlines how Alberta Health Services and the Government of Alberta will meet those targets.

Actions include:

• Adding more hospital beds and surgeries;
• Adding more radiation therapy capacity;
• Expanding HEALTHLink (a 24/7 nurse telephone advice and health information service);
• Adding more continuing care spaces;
• Adding more mental health staff to schools and clinics; and
• Increasing the involvement of nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other health-care providers in the delivery of primary health care.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta; the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta; the Alberta College of Pharmacists; and the Health Quality Council of Alberta provided input and advice that was used to develop the five-year Health Action Plan and a set of 50 supporting performance measures.

View Becoming the Best: Alberta’s 5-year Health Action Plan and the accompanying performance measures.