With millions in targeted funding and enhanced support programs, rural doctors hope the newly public 314-page agreement will turn the tide on recruitment and retention.
Some Alberta medical clinics are taking a wait-and-see approach to the province's new program that lets patients bypass their doctor and privately book diagnostic imaging tests.
New administrative bodies based on regional travel patterns will strengthen primary care networks, said Justin Wright, the minister of primary and preventative health services.
As Prime Minister Mark Carney pushes to eliminate internal trade barriers, incremental groundwork by medical regulators might finally make ‘multi-jurisdictional licensure’ a reality.
Despite the potential of at-home palliative care to reduce costs and relieve the pressure on emergency rooms, the provincial government is making little progress in expanding it, she says.
Alberta's plan to allow unreferred, private diagnostic testing is a costly mistake that will increase public wait times and expose patients to unnecessary harm.
This disparity in wait time has been the case for decades, experts say, and it’s only getting worse as demand outpaces funding across the spectrum of mental healthcare.
