Board Chair appointed for Alberta Public Laboratories

EDMONTON – Alberta Health Services (AHS) today appointed Dr. Lorne Tyrrell as Chair of Alberta Public Laboratories’ (APL) board of directors.

Dr. Tyrrell brings a wealth of experience in the public healthcare sector as a world-class clinician, researcher, and professor in the field of virology and infectious diseases. He is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Alberta, where he previously served as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry from 1994 to 2004. His leadership and vision also led to the establishment in 2010 of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology at the University of Alberta.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Tyrrell bring his knowledge, expertise and leadership to the table of Alberta Public Laboratories,” says Sarah Hoffman, Alberta’s Minister of Health. “Alberta Public Laboratories will ensure we provide cost-effective, quality and integrated lab services to Alberta families for generations to come.”

Dr. Tyrrell also has an extensive background in governance within the healthcare sector, having served as Chair on the boards of both the Institute of Health Economics and the Gairdner Foundation, which rewards excellence in biomedical research. He was also appointed to the Science Advisory Board of Health Canada.

“Dr. Tyrrell’s outstanding commitment and contribution to the medical community in Alberta and Canada make him the ideal choice to help lead the creation and governance of the province’s new integrated laboratory organization,” says AHS President and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu.

“Guided by Dr. Tyrrell’s experience, expertise and leadership, we are confident APL will be successful in providing the high-quality, timely lab services Alberta patients deserve.”

In his role as Chair, Dr. Tyrrell will work closely with AHS as well as with Craig Ivany, President and CEO of APL, to provide financial stewardship, change management and strategic planning for the new organization.

“I am excited by this opportunity to help guide transformational, sustainable change in Alberta’s healthcare system,” says Dr. Tyrrell. “The move to a consolidated lab model is a game-changer. It will improve patient outcomes and experiences, and raise the bar for innovation and research.”

For more than 30 years, Dr. Tyrrell’s research has contributed to leading-edge advances in the treatment of viral hepatitis, including the development and licensing of lamivudine, the first oral anti-viral agent to treat chronic hepatitis B. He is a member of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Multiple organizations currently perform 75 million lab tests annually in Alberta. APL was established in July as a wholly-owned, independently-governed subsidiary of AHS responsible for all laboratory services across the province. A consolidated model will enable optimal lab integration into the health system, providing Alberta patients with more timely, consistent results. Integration into a single system will reduce variation in testing, and improve healthcare provider and patient access to their laboratory information – all of which contribute to improved patient outcomes.

Complete amalgamation of the province’s laboratory system is scheduled to be complete by 2022.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.