Volunteers sought for health, provincial advisory councils

EDMONTON – Alberta Health Services (AHS) is recruiting new volunteer members to Health Advisory Councils across Alberta, and to the Cancer Provincial Advisory Council and the Addiction and Mental Health Provincial Advisory Council.

Membership offers an opportunity to provide a local perspective on area and provincewide healthcare services over the course of a three-year term. Membership on the Cancer and Addiction and Mental Health Provincial Advisory Councils is ideally suited to people who have lived experience with cancer or addiction and mental health matters.

“We are committed to ensuring all Albertans have access to the best public healthcare available, when and where they need it,” says Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman. “We want to hear from you – our neighbours, friends and family members across Alberta – so that we can improve the care and services in our communities and homes. Your stories and experiences are important to shape our health system and to make sure we continue to provide timely, compassionate, high-quality, life-saving services to all in need.”

Colleen Turner, Vice President, Community Engagement and Communications, says the efforts of council members make a positive difference in people’s lives every day. “They are our partners, and their feedback has helped AHS make informed decisions on how we care for Albertans and how we deliver healthcare services across the province,” says Turner.

Health Advisory Councils consist of a maximum of 15 volunteer members, all of whom are:

• Passionate about healthcare services.
• Big-picture thinkers.
• Eager to engage members of their community to learn what healthcare services are working well, and where improvements can be made.
• Interested in participating in dialogue with AHS that will lead to creative solutions to healthcare services across Alberta.

All advisory councils report to the AHS Board of Directors and meet four to five times per year with AHS leadership. Members learn of AHS initiatives and discuss information gathered from communities about healthcare priorities that impact them. Interested Albertans over the age of 18 are asked to submit an expression of interest form, available online at ahs.ca/ac. For further enquiries, please call 1-877-275-8830, or email community.engagement@ahs.ca. Deadline for submissions is Feb. 1.

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.