September 22, 2023
Thank you for the dedication and efforts of all the groups and disciplines managing the ongoing E. coli outbreak in the Calgary Zone. (more...)
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.
Decreasing emergency department wait times
Hardisty emergency department reopens
Reducing surgery wait times
Surgical waitlist update
Improving patient flow and continuity of care
Drayton Valley upgrades to improve patient flow
Work continues on other AHS priorities including:
Addiction and Mental Health
Wilderness-based recovery centre opens doors today
Get family and parenting supports
Fall is a time of transition. The Employee and Family Assistance Program offers support that can help. (more...)
Mental Wellness Moment — the link between vitamins and mental health
Dr. Nicholas Mitchell talks about supplements and vitamins, especially Vitamin D, and whether they can affect mental health. (more...)
CEO video message – spotlight on Indigenous Support Line
Guests on the AHS Vlog discuss the Indigenous Support Line, which helps Indigenous Persons navigate the healthcare system. (more...)
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation education sessions
Staff are encouraged to take part in virtual learning opportunities on Sept. 29 in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. (more...)
Review PPE guidance to prepare for rise in respiratory illnesses
Respiratory illness activity has increased in Alberta, along with COVID-19 positivity rate and patients in hospital with COVID-19. (more...)
Be heard! Our People Survey closes Oct. 4
Oct. 4 is the final day to take Our People Survey. It takes about five minutes and is completely anonymous. (more...)
New centralized repository for patient safety communications
A new repository of patient safety communication documents has been developed on Insite. (more...)
Register for webinar exploring MyAHS Connect
Join the AHS Virtual Health team on Oct. 18 to learn about MyAHS Connect and how you can integrate it into clinical practice. (more...)
From left: Quentin Ranson, Lynette Lutes, Curtis Perrott, Mauro Chies, Gail Aguillon, Robert Hirsche and Dr. Chester Ho.
Visiting our sites, meeting our teams and hearing about the amazing work we do every day are some of the joys of my role at AHS. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of visiting Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton and hearing about many of the facility’s services and programs, and witnessing some incredible technology in action. The photo shows me (centre) in front of the hospital’s Driver Simulator with, from left, occupational therapy manager Quentin Ranson; Lynette Lutes, Senior Operating Officer at the hospital; Curtis Perrott, Director, Pediatric Rehabilitation; Gail Aguillon, Director, Adult Rehabilitation; Robert Hirsche, Occupational Therapy Rehabilitation Technology Lead; and Dr. Chester Ho, Facility Medical Director. I end this AHS Update with a big thank you to the Glenrose team for hosting me, and to all the AHS teams across the province for the hard work, dedication and ingenuity you display every day as you serve patients and families. We have great teams across Alberta and, together, we are an incredible team.
With enduring gratitude and appreciation,
Mauro Chies
AHS President & CEO
September 22, 2023
Please print and share with your teams as needed
As the E. coli outbreak continues in the Calgary Zone, as of Sept 22, there are 349 confirmed cases, with eight of these individuals currently receiving inpatient care. Over the course of this outbreak, declared on Sept. 4, 37 children and one adult have been hospitalized. More than 800 children connected to this outbreak have been cleared to return to a daycare facility. Our front-line healthcare teams continue to provide both inpatients and outpatients with the best care and support possible.
Our lab teams continue to go above and beyond to ensure efficient testing of all affected individuals. Throughout the course of the outbreak, lab teams have conducted more than 900 clinical tests, cultured 283 samples, performed 1,798 PCR tests, and performed whole genome sequencing on 59 samples. As well, 44 food samples have been taken from the centralized kitchen as well as impacted daycares and tested; to date, all samples have tested negative. One additional food specimen is currently being investigated with potential links to the current outbreak.
Our public health team continues to review the food histories for more than 1,150 children and 250 daycare staff. This includes both those who became ill and those who did not, all of whom attended the 11 affected daycares. Very often it is not possible to identify the exact source of an outbreak. But by comparing the complete food history data of both groups, the team can potentially identify commonalities that indicate a source.
I am immensely grateful for the unwavering dedication and tireless efforts of all the groups and disciplines involved in managing this challenging outbreak. Your commitment to preventing spread and supporting the well-being of all the impacted individuals has been nothing short of remarkable and we thank each and every one of you for work and care.
For more information on this outbreak, visit www.ahs.ca/ecoli.
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.
Hardisty emergency department reopens
Emergency healthcare services are once again available at the Hardisty Health Centre. With the arrival of newly recruited staff, and with more arriving in the coming weeks, the facility’s emergency department reopened this past Monday and will operate weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with expanded hours to be added over time as staffing allows.
The ED was initially closed in April 2020 as part of pandemic capacity planning in anticipation of rising COVID-19 cases. Since that time, recruiting appropriate numbers of nursing staff – including registered nurses (RN) and licensed practical nurses – needed to support all site services has been a challenge. Available RN staffing was dedicated to long-term care to avoid having to relocate residents while recruitment continued to support the ED returning to service.
As of Sept. 11, 53.9 per cent of cases on the surgical waitlist at adult facilities were within clinically appropriate wait times, virtually unchanged from two weeks prior.
Drayton Valley upgrades to improve patient flow
More than $650,000 in redevelopment work at the Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre will improve patient flow and speed up the triage process for patients presenting to the emergency department.
Renovations to the hospital’s triage space and registration desk are now complete, providing staff with better sight lines to monitor patients in the waiting room. Patient privacy and security have also been enhanced with the installation of additional cameras and secure doors. Removal of the previous registration desk and the laying of new floor throughout the space is expected to be complete by early next month.
A further $2.2 million of government funding is currently supporting active facility upgrade projects at the Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre, including reconfiguration of the emergency department and elevator modernization. A roof upgrade project has been recently completed at $875,000.
Work continues on other AHS priorities, including:
Wilderness-based recovery centre opens doors today
More clients than ever before can access a unique wilderness-based addiction and mental health treatment program at the new Shunda Creek Recovery Centre, which celebrates its official grand opening today.
Operated by Enviros under contract to AHS, the Shunda Creek Recovery Centre — located west of Rocky Mountain House — is a 12-week, wilderness-based addiction and mental health recovery program for males ages 18 to 24. The new, larger facility has additional beds, increasing the program’s capacity to 18 clients, from 10.
Funded by AHS and Alberta Mental Health and Addiction, the program has been providing intensive adventure-based wilderness programming for young men since 2009, helping address substance and mental health issues that require live-in treatment and support.
Individuals in the program participate in outdoor activities, such as canoeing, hiking, rock climbing and camping trips, which supplement individualized treatment plans.
Fall is a time of transition for many people. The Employee and Family Assistance Program offers Life Smart Coaching Services that can help.
The Stress Solutions program can help you identify, manage and control stress. Childcare and Parenting offers guidance whether you are looking for additional coaching and support, or any child-related resources. Elder and Family Care can help you find your family member housing, coordinate care from a distance, set up palliative or respite care, and more.
To access any Life Smart Coaching Services, call the intake line at 1-877-273-3134. You will be asked some questions to determine the most personalized support. An expert will reach out to explain the supports available to you, and continue to check in as you access resources.
For support with any issue, call the EFAP intake line. Physicians can contact the AMA Physician and Family Support Program at 1-877-767-4637. Questions? Contact wellness@ahs.ca.
In the latest Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director with AHS Addiction and Mental Health — talks about supplements and vitamins, especially Vitamin D, and whether they can affect mental health.
The latest AHS Vlog highlights some of the great work that’s being done by the Indigenous Support Line.
The support line is for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, including youth and Elders, living on or off reserve, in a settlement or in cities and towns. It helps callers navigate the healthcare system, connect them with resources and cultural supports, and offers immediate support for addiction and mental health concerns.
No call is turned away, and the Indigenous listener helps guide the caller through each step in the patient’s healthcare journey.
This toll-free, confidential phone service is the first of its kind in Canada to connect Indigenous callers and service providers with Indigenous health professionals.
Joining the AHS Vlog to tell us more are:
From left: Mauro Chies, Andrea Jackson, Melissa Creyke
Education is at the heart of reconciliation. With that in mind, the Indigenous Wellness Core has organized three education sessions on Sept. 29 to share more about the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Sessions start at 9 a.m. and include Acknowledging the Truths, Truth & Reconciliation, and the Sixties Scoop. To register, please visit Together4Health.
This site also lists events taking place around the province to honour residential school survivors and all the children who never made it home. Video recordings will be posted on Together4Health once the sessions are complete.
More information can be found on the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation page.
Please note: For AHS, the day in lieu for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is Monday, Oct. 2.
Respiratory illness activity and outbreaks have increased in Alberta, along with COVID-19 positivity rate and admissions of new patients to hospital with COVID-19.
Continue to use the Routine Practices and Additional Precautions as required by the IPC Risk Assessment to make personal protective equipment (PPE) decisions, including the use of gowns, masking and eye protection when treating patients with respiratory illness symptoms. For further guidance, refer to the Joint Statement on PPE.
Continuous masking is required in patient care areas under select circumstances, including if patients and/or their family members ask healthcare providers to do so. For more information, refer to this FAQ. AHS continues to review our guidance for PPE at our facilities. Any future guidance will be based on several factors, including public safety, situational context, data and evidence, hospital impacts and engagement with the workforce and key stakeholders.
All staff should stay home when sick and continue to practise good hand hygiene.
Questions? Contact ppe@ahs.ca.
If you haven’t had the chance to complete Our People Survey, be sure to share your thoughts before it closes. Oct. 4 is the final day to take the survey. It takes about five minutes and is completely anonymous.
Our People Survey asks all members of our workforce what it’s like to work and volunteer at AHS, and how our systems and actions support patient safety.
Search your AHS email for a secure survey link from Gallup, AHS’ survey partner. Our IT external-email warning will pop up but this is an AHS-approved email and safe to open.
Leaders, be sure to check your participation rates to see where your team is at and encourage participation. The more voices we hear, the more representative results will be.
Resources and supports are available on the Our People Surveys page including an FAQ, Office Hours, Leaders Education Sessions, Leaders Resource Guide and more.
Questions? E-mail engage@ahs.ca.
A new repository of patient safety communications has been developed to assist the organization with raising awareness of identified patient safety risks. The new Patient Safety communications Insite page houses documents, such as patient safety alerts, safer practice notices, patient safety memos, patient safety learning summaries and Reporting & Learning System (RLS) trends. Sign up for alerts to be notified when new content is added to this Insite page.
MyAHS Connect is an AHS patient portal that offers patients personalized and secure online access to their Connect Care health record. Register to join the Virtual Health and MyAHS Connect teams on Oct. 18 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to learn how MyAHS Connect can be integrated into your clinical practice.
From left: Quentin Ranson, Lunette Lutes, Curtis Perrott, Mauro Chies, Gail Aguillon, Robert Hirsche and Dr. Chester Ho
Visiting our sites, meeting our teams and hearing about the amazing work we do every day are some of the joys of my role at AHS. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of visiting Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton and hearing about many of the facility’s services and programs, and witnessing some incredible technology in action. The photo shows me (centre) in front of the hospital’s Driver Simulator with, from left, occupational therapy manager Quentin Ranson; Lynette Lutes, Senior Operating Officer at the hospital; Curtis Perrott, Director, Pediatric Rehabilitation; Gail Aguillon, Director, Adult Rehabilitation; Robert Hirsche, Occupational Therapy Rehabilitation Technology Lead; and Dr. Chester Ho, Facility Medical Director. I end this AHS Update with a big thank you to the Glenrose team for hosting me, and to all the AHS teams across the province for the hard work, dedication and ingenuity you display every day as you serve patients and families. We have great teams across Alberta and, together, we are an incredible team.
With enduring gratitude and appreciation,
Mauro Chies
AHS President & CEO
