HINTON – The Alberta government is launching a three-year action plan devoted to improving health care in rural and remote areas.
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange made the announcement Thursday (Oct. 3) in Hinton, which has been suffering temporary disruptions at its healthcare centre over the past year.
“Rural residents continue to face challenges such as securing healthcare providers, longer wait times and the need to travel long distances for care,” LaGrange said. “These barriers underscore the urgent need for a more equitable healthcare system across the province, and we are actively working on solutions to address this issue.”
Under the action plan, the government will introduce a $16-million Rural and Remote Family Medicine Resident Physician Bursary Pilot Program, which will provide up to $8 million annually for the next two years.
Medical students will be able to get bursaries of either $125,000 for rural stream applications or $200,000 for remote stream applications.
“In return, bursary recipients will commit to delivering comprehensive patient care in eligible communities for three years after completing their residency,” LaGrange said.
The action plan also includes an $800,000 grant program to help establish new medical first responder agencies, and a $600,000 grant program for communities with existing emergency medical services stations to recruit and train a local workforce.
“We are establishing the foundation for a sustainable, accessible and equitable healthcare system,” LaGrange said. “And by adopting the Rural Health Care Action Plan as our guiding framework, we are bringing together the crucial components needed to improve healthcare for all Albertans and provide opportunities for future physicians and other critical healthcare workers to live and work closer to home.”
The health minister added that they were close to finalizing a compensation model for primary care physicians.
West Yellowhead MLA Martin Long, who also serves as parliamentary secretary for rural health, described Alberta’s healthcare system as being under “immense stress.” He attributed this to rapid population growth and a lack of access to physicians.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand the difficulties rural areas encounter in accessing essential healthcare services,” Long said. “Challenges such as geographic isolation, having fewer health-care workers, limited resources and longer travel times to specialized care are ongoing issues that need specific solutions. That's why we've developed the Rural Health Action Plan to focus on this important work.”
Hinton Mayor Nicholas Nissen said the announcement brings hope to his community, which has been suffering from a physician shortage.
“In Hinton, the number of doctors serving our community has fallen to the point of being unsustainable,” Nissen said. “Primary care services are at a critical breaking point, and this problem is not unique to Hinton. Many communities in rural and remote Alberta are facing the same challenges.”
In June, Hinton council declared a local health care crisis and provided the Hinton Health Care Foundation with $1 million, spread over two payments of $500,000 over a two-year span.
According to Alberta Health Services (AHS), Hinton currently has 12 primary care physicians who support the Hinton Healthcare Centre, as well as two general surgeons, one radiologist and one recently hired orthopedic surgeon.
AHS is recruiting an additional five family medicine physicians and is now reviewing all eligible applicants.
The Rural Health Care Action Plan will be reviewed and updated every three years. Focus areas of the action plan include workforce, access, models of care, community care, and prevention and wellness.
Sarah Hoffman, Alberta NDP Shadow Minister for Health, said in a statement the announcement won't address immediate issues facing rural hospitals, such as lack of family doctors and frequent staff shortages, which often led to closures of emergency departments and medical clinics.
“The current environment of chaos, disrespect and mismanagement created by Danielle Smith and her UCP government continues to put the health and well-being of rural Albertans in jeopardy,” Hoffman said. “Doctors across the province are on the verge of closing more local practices because the UCP government is failing to take action and sign a new agreement.”
Nissen said the town essentially had six full-time equivalent family physicians since that was what they could fill out for shifts.
“Healthcare is an essential service for all Albertans, and we will continue to do our part to ensure that hidden residents have access to reliable, consistent healthcare at all times,” he said. “This new initiative announced today and funding commitment from the province of Alberta is extremely welcome news, and we believe it will help solve some of the unique challenges that rural Albertans face when it comes to encouraging healthcare practitioners to practice in their communities.”
