October 24, 2020
EDMONTON - On October 24, 2020, Alberta Health Services (AHS) will launch Connect Care Wave 2 at several suburban locations in the Edmonton Zone.
Wave 2 includes acute care, long-term care, hospice, post-acute units and the related suburban pharmacies, diagnostic imaging and Alberta Precision Laboratory sites.
In addition to approximately 4,875 staff, and 1,100 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and dentists, the following hospitals, sites and programs are part of the Wave 2 launch:
The launch of Wave 2 comes a year after the successful launch of Wave 1, which saw Connect Care implemented at the Walter C Mackenzie Campus, East Edmonton Health Centre, Pharmacy and Diagnostic Imaging sites in the Edmonton Zone, Alberta Precision Labs sites in Edmonton and the North Zone, DynaLIFE sites across Alberta, labs at the Cross Cancer Institute, and hundreds of ambulatory clinics in the Edmonton Zone.
“Our patients have been our focus every step of the way. Connect Care will transform how patient information flows between patients and their healthcare providers, eventually creating a central access point for current and accurate patient information across AHS,” said Dr. Francois Belanger, Medical Director, AHS.
The full Connect Care launch will be deliberate and cautious, with nine implementation waves in total, happening between late 2019 and 2023. Patients, physicians, nurses, other frontline staff and technical teams have been instrumental in building the system and preparing for the launch.
The wave approach means we are able to fix issues as they appear, allowing us to learn and adapt the system before we roll it out in other areas.
We already know Connect Care adds value. As the COVID-19 pandemic demands increased, Wave 1 sites and programs were able to use Connect Care to support COVID-19 care.
Connect Care was adapted to meet the needs of staff and patients, including adding information to the system for telephone and virtual visits to Connect Care, helping patients access virtual visits with their care providers, adding travel screening and COVID-19 diagnosis to patient charts, and other key elements to support the pandemic response.
“Ultimately, Connect Care will help us ensure high-quality care is being delivered in the same way no matter where you are in Alberta. It will let us record and share our patients’ health information with them and their healthcare teams,” said Dr. Belanger.
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.
