November 29, 2024
Thank you for feedback during rural visits
Last week, I visited AHS sites in Fort Macleod and Claresholm, and spoke with staff and physicians. I appreciated our conversations. (more...)
Manage stress during the holidays
Set yourself up for a balanced holiday season with resources from the Employee and Family Assistance Program. (more...)
A conversation about Connect Care
Two AHS leaders and physicians came together over Zoom to reflect on the implementation of Connect Care and discuss what comes next. (more...)
Next steps in the 2024 Our People Survey
Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts in the 2024 Our People Survey. Your feedback provides valuable insight. (more...)
Do not delete SharePoint shortcuts from Windows File Explorer
Deleting a SharePoint Online shortcut from Windows File Explorer will delete the entire contents of the shortcut. (more...)
Review new policy on patient allergies, adverse reactions
Coming into effect early next year, a new policy focuses on collecting and documenting patient allergy and adverse reactions. (more...)
Stay healthy and get immunized before the holidays
Protect yourself and others this holiday season by getting your seasonal immunizations at a pharmacy or public health clinic. (more...)
Learn how digital remote patient monitoring revolutionizes healthcare
Register for a webinar on Dec. 11 to explore how digital remote patient monitoring is used, and how it integrates with Connect Care. (more...)
November 29, 2024
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit two of our rural sites, Fort Macleod Health Centre and Claresholm Community Health Centre. I want to acknowledge and give kudos to those who met with me during my visits. I toured both sites and spoke with staff and physicians working that day. They spoke about the work they do each day, the challenges they face as they deliver quality care in their communities and the degree of administrative work attached to it all. I appreciated your candour and openness, and I enjoyed seeing the great work you do in our rural locations.
In Fort Macleod, we sat down with community leaders and had a conversation about the service disruptions they have been experiencing over the past year. Our chat included opportunities for retention and recruitment, access to rural housing and growing a local workforce with a focus on healthcare. The consensus was that when our staff and physicians put down roots and live in the communities they serve, access to care seems to be more sustainable.
We know students who train in rural locations are more likely to stay there. The municipal leaders of Fort Macleod acknowledged the potential with the Southern Alberta Medical Program at the University of Lethbridge, knowing it will take time to catch up to the need and see the results of this program in these communities. There is also a need for more rural physicians to take on students and opportunities for teaching hospitals.
Both housing and education fall under different agencies within government and I will follow up with them to share what I heard.
We know growing our own workforce is a long-term vision. In the short term, we will continue to work with our community partners to actively recruit and retain both staff and physicians to support our rural regions. I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to chat with me last week. I heard you and I see the great work you’re doing. You are helping to inform the work we are doing to retain staff, and I hope I was able to demonstrate to you my sincere appreciation.
I am looking forward to further visits, including Lac La Biche and other sites to be confirmed in the new year. We have an amazing communications and engagement team who, with local leadership, have developed incredible insights into all our communities. The thing that impresses me most is the connection between local leaders and their communities. I will continue to emphasize in these visits that I am not there to usurp that local authority, but to hear about local concerns and ensure the decisions we are making every day help to sustain and improve all the services we provide in every corner of the province.
Thank you for your warm hospitality. I look forward to continuing to meet colleagues in communities across the province.
Sincerely,
Athana Mentzelopoulos
President & CEO
Are you feeling the holiday stress? Explore resources from the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) to help you navigate this time of year:
If you need further support, call the EFAP intake line at 1-877-273-3134. Physicians can contact the AMA Physician and Family Support Program, a confidential 24/7 support line, at 1-877-767-4637.
Questions? Contact wellness@ahs.ca.
Earlier this month, Dr. Peter Jamieson, AHS Vice President, Quality and Chief Medical Officer, had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Jeremy Theal, AHS Chief Medical Information Officer, about the implementation of Connect Care. In the video, they discuss what it was like managing and accessing health information as physicians before Connect Care, how it’s helped in their own practice, the benefits already realized and what comes next.
While this video was recorded primarily for medical staff, there are topics that will be of interest to other staff. You can watch the video on YouTube and navigate to specific topics by clicking on chapters found in the description.
Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts in the 2024 Our People Survey. We heard from more than 45,700 people, and your feedback will provide valuable insight into what’s working well and where we can improve.
We are committed to getting the results out as soon as possible so leaders may share them with their teams. The true impact of the surveys happens in the conversations that follow about the results and actions they can take to support a stronger workplace environment.
As we continue to work with Alberta Health to refocus the healthcare system, please know we are here and we are listening. The information we receive from the survey will guide us as we strive to improve our workplace environment and ensure we are providing quality patient care.
Thank you for your input, continued support, and everything you do for each other and all Albertans.
Over the past year, IT has been moving all AHS network file storage to cloud storage as part of the Microsoft Technologies Program (personal drives are moving to OneDrive and shared network drives are moving to SharePoint Online Libraries).
Some staff have created shortcuts to SharePoint Online sites in their OneDrive so they can access SharePoint Online content with Windows File Explorer.
Deleting a SharePoint Online shortcut from Windows File Explorer will delete the entire contents of the shortcut (e.g. a library or folders / subfolders). Follow this guide to safely remove shortcuts.
Items that have been accidentally deleted can be restored from your Recycle Bin for up to 30 days. After 30 days, the files can be restored by IT for an additional 63 days. Contact the IT Service Desk for support.
The new Collection of Patient Allergy and Adverse Reaction Information Policy, effective Jan. 31, 2025, was developed to provide a consistent approach for collecting and documenting patient allergy and adverse reactions. This supports safe patient care and shared decision-making.
Highlights:
Review the new policy and resources. Questions? Email policy@ahs.ca.
Consider getting immunized to stay healthy while spending time with your loved ones and to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses over the holidays.
You can get your seasonal immunizations (influenza and COVID-19) at pharmacies or public health clinics (for households with children under five). If you choose any of these options for your influenza immunization, please remember to submit a Got My Flu Shot form to support with influenza outbreak planning.
For more information, visit Seasonal Immunization for Workers.
Register to attend a webinar presented by AHS’ Virtual Health team, Revolutionizing Healthcare with Digital Remote Patient Monitoring (dRPM), on Dec. 11 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Remote patient monitoring is transforming healthcare by allowing clinicians to track patient health in real-time, reducing hospital visits, improving patient outcomes and potentially cutting healthcare costs. It enhances provider efficiency by offering continuous health data, allowing for more informed decisions, better resource allocation and early intervention.
In this webinar, we’ll explore what dRPM is, how it’s used within AHS, benefits of the service and how it integrates with Connect Care.
