September 8, 2023
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
Groundbreaking of Enoch Cree Nation’s new surgical facility
New program improves access to hip, knee surgeries in Fort McMurray
Surgical waitlist update
Improving patient flow and continuity of care
New supportive living spaces opening in Wainwright
Edmonton-area pediatric clinic helps families access care
Ponoka hospital adds new transition beds
Wellness seminars available
Wellness Seminars are available to help you and your team learn strategies to improve your well-being. (more...)
Mental Health Wellness - what causes sleep problems
Dr. Nicholas Mitchell talks about what causes sleep problems and how to sleep better. (more...)
E. coli outbreak in Calgary Zone
Thank you to all teams responding to the E. coli outbreak declared at six locations of a Calgary daycare and an additional five locations. (more...)
CEO message - Our People Survey opens Sept. 12
Guests on the AHS Vlog discuss Our People Survey and how it helps us learn what we’re doing right and where we can improve. (more...)
DynaLIFE, APL integration begins
The integration of DynaLIFE lab services and employees with Alberta Precision Laboratories officially started on Sept 1. (more...)
Exemplary emergency management service earns AHS staffer federal award
The Executive Director for AHS Emergency/Disaster Management was bestowed an Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award. (more...)
With the fall season just around the corner, I end this AHS Update with a message of gratitude for your hard work and flexibility over the summer months. Hopefully, most of you had a chance to get some rest this summer and feel refreshed as we head into the fall (and respiratory illness) season. I also encourage everybody to take five minutes and complete the Our People Survey when it arrives in your inbox next week (open Sept. 12 to Oct. 4). Your anonymous, confidential feedback will help us better support you and your colleagues as you care for Albertans and each other.
With enduring gratitude and appreciation,
Mauro Chies
AHS President & CEO
September 8, 2023
Please print and share with your teams as needed
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.
Groundbreaking of Enoch Cree Nation’s new surgical facility
The Enoch Cree Nation (ECN) hosted a groundbreaking event with AHS and government leaders this past Wednesday to celebrate the start of construction of its new chartered surgical facility (CSF).
Expected to open in June 2025, the surgical facility will complete around 3,000 additional publicly funded orthopedic surgeries annually. This is in addition to another 3,000 being completed at a Calgary CSF through an agreement with Canadian Surgery Solutions. This is great news for Albertans waiting for orthopedic procedures, including hip and knee surgeries.
In addition to helping reduce the waitlist of approximately 20,200 Albertans waiting for orthopedic surgeries, the partnership between AHS and the ECN will support an effective and culturally safe facility that will provide high-quality surgical care for the people of Alberta and the Nation. The agreement with ECN was announced last year, after it was a successful proponent of a Request for Proposals issued in 2021.
See video of the groundbreaking event below.
New program improves access to hip, knee surgeries in Fort McMurray
Northern Albertans now have improved access to hip and knee surgeries with the opening of a new surgical program at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre in Fort McMurray.
Launched this summer, the program is made possible, in part, through the recruitment of two orthopedic surgeons. Fort McMurray joins Hinton, Bonnyville, Grande Prairie and Westlock in the AHS North Zone offering these surgeries.
Up to 32 hip and knee surgeries are expected to be performed in Fort McMurray each month by late this year.
As of Sept. 4, 54.2 per cent of cases on the surgical waitlist at adult facilities were within clinically appropriate wait times, virtually unchanged from two weeks prior.
New supportive living spaces opening in Wainwright
Wainwright and area residents with care needs will soon benefit from the addition of 10 new continuing care spaces at the local Points West Living facility.
The additional designated supportive living spaces will open Sept. 15, with AHS providing operational funding. With the new beds, Points West Living Wainwright will offer 69 supportive living spaces — including 24 spaces specifically for seniors with dementia — where residents can get support for their health and personal needs in a home-like environment.
Supportive living promotes residents’ independence and aging in place through the provision of services such as 24-hour monitoring, emergency response, security, meals, housekeeping and social-enrichment activities. On-site licensed practical nurses and healthcare aides support residents requiring assistance with daily living, including personal care and recreational programs.
Edmonton-area pediatric clinic helps families access care
A pediatric clinic that opened earlier this year at the WestView Health Centre in Stony Plain is helping more families living in rural areas get the care they need in their community.
Having a pediatric clinic in the area helps break down barriers such as time, financial resources and travel, all of which can prevent families — including those in Alexis Nakota Sioux and Paul First Nation — from accessing healthcare.
The pediatric clinic operates in an existing shared clinic space that also offers clinics for casts, geriatric assessment, pediatric asthma, and home living. The clinic sees up to 12 patients each month. Patients are referred to the clinic and, after they are assessed by a pediatrician, return to their family physician with a care plan. With the clinic, more families have easier access to referrals for specialized treatment.
Ponoka hospital adds new transition beds
AHS is opening eight new transition beds at Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre, providing patients with a seamless transition from acute care hospitals throughout central Alberta to an environment that feels like home.
Transition beds will provide medically stable clients who require additional time to recover from their acute illness, or an assessment before transitioning to a supportive living or long-term care environment in their community, with a safe and comfortable place to recover in Ponoka.
Clients in transition beds will receive 24/7 personal or medical support in a home-like environment in Ponoka before they return to community living, helping to prevent infection and physical deconditioning, while promoting client independence and maintaining social interactions.
The new transition beds are expected to open in early fall.
Wellness seminars are virtual one-hour sessions that cover a range of topics, including shift work, interpersonal boundaries, and communication in family life.
The full 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.
For support with any issue, 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, a confidential support line, at 1-877-767-4637.
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 what causes sleep problems and how to sleep better.
On Sept 4, an E. coli outbreak was declared at six locations of a Calgary daycare and an additional five locations that share a central kitchen. Currently, there are more than 120 confirmed cases and more than two dozen pediatric patients receiving care in hospital within the Calgary Zone.
I want to take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the remarkable teams throughout Calgary supporting these young patients and their families. Thank you to those in our emergency departments, and to our Environmental Public Health, Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Surveillance, Health Link, inpatient care teams and numerous others that continue to ensure the well-being of those affected by this outbreak, in hospital and in the community. I am immensely grateful for the long hours and unwavering dedication to delivering top-notch public health action and care and support to these young patients and their families.
Our People Survey opens Sept. 12, and is a chance for you to share your thoughts on what it is like working at AHS and how our systems and actions are supporting patient safety.
By telling us what you think and how you’re doing, you help us learn what we’re doing right and how we can improve your work experience.
I encourage everyone to take the survey. We want to hear and learn from you.
Joining the AHS Vlog to tell us more are:
On Sept. 12, watch your inbox for a survey invitation from Gallup, the organization that conducts Our People Survey for AHS. Our IT external-email warning will pop up, but this is an AHS-approved email and safe to open.
From left to right: AHS President & CEO Mauro Chies, Deb Scharff, Thora Eyford and Dr. Sharron Spicer.
The joint agreement between Alberta Health Services (AHS) and DynaLIFE (first announced on Aug. 18) closed on Aug. 31, officially commencing the integration of DynaLIFE lab services and employees with Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) on Sept 1.
AHS and APL welcome DynaLIFE teams and expertise to our organizations and look forward to building on the growth achieved by all lab teams over the past year to further stabilize the community lab system and continue to improve services.
Although DynaLIFE operations have now transferred to APL oversight, the integration of DynaLIFE staff is expected to be completed by Dec. 18. We will continue to work closely with staff and unions to ensure transparency as we integrate the two organizations.
Albertans can continue to access their lab appointments as scheduled and can continue to book their lab at qme.dynalife.ca or by calling 1-877-702-4486.
Thank you to all of the lab and corporate teams that have been working tirelessly and diligently to ensure a smooth transition.
Cheryl Bourassa, Executive Director for AHS Emergency/Disaster Management, is one of five Albertans who received the Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award (EMESA) yesterday in Ottawa for outstanding contributions and achievements in keeping their communities safe.
Bourassa was recognized for outstanding collaboration and leadership in the execution of pandemic-related initiatives.
Established in 2017 by the federal government and awarded in partnership with the provinces and territories, the award recognizes individuals and groups for exceptional service and achievement to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters.
In addition to the individual awards, the Tsuu T’ina First Nation received a community award for exceptional leadership and collaboration in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congratulations to Cheryl and all the winners.
With the fall season just around the corner, I end this AHS Update with a message of gratitude for your hard work and flexibility over the summer months. Hopefully, most of you had a chance to get some rest this summer and feel refreshed as we head into the fall (and respiratory illness) season. I also encourage everybody to take five minutes and complete the Our People Survey when it arrives in your inbox next week (open Sept. 12 to Oct. 4). Your anonymous, confidential feedback will help us better support you and your colleagues as you care for Albertans and each other.
With enduring gratitude and appreciation,
Mauro Chies
AHS President & CEO
