Primary Health Care in Alberta

Shannon Berg, Executive Director

Alberta Health

June 16, 2016

What is Primary Health Care? “Primary health care is the first place people go for health or wellness

advice and programs, treatment of a health issue or injury, or to

diagnose or manage physical and mental health conditions.

Primary health care includes a range of services delivered by teams of

providers…including physicians, nurses, psychologists, dietitians,

pharmacists, social workers and many more.

Alberta’s Strategy for Primary Health Care (2014)

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

$4,000

$4,500

$5,000

$5,500

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 f 2015 f

Current State: Trends for Per Capita Provincial Government Expenditures

AB

SK

Canada

BC

ON

QC

In 2015, Alberta spent $4,862/per capita

Canadian average was $4,018

f = forecast

3

Source: National Health Expenditure Database, Canadian Institute for Health Information

Accessing Health Care services:

A game of Snakes and Ladders?

Players: Albertans with a health need, and without

attachment to a primary health care team

• Rolling the Dice

• Searching for a health care resource

• Moving ahead a few squares

• Continuing search for a

health care resource.

• Landing on a Ladder

• Correct health care resource

• Landing on a Snake

• Incorrect health care resource

• Dropped referral

Transforming

Primary Health Care

in Alberta

Alberta’s Primary Health Care Strategy

set out a vision for the future:

A primary health care system that

supports Albertans to be as healthy

as they can be.

Alberta’s Primary Health Care Vision

Primary Care Networks:

Partners in Primary Care Reform

Northern Alberta

Primary Care Networks

North Zone

Primary Care

Networks

Location

Wood Buffalo Fort McMurray

Grande Prairie Grande Prairie

Lakeland St. Paul

McLeod River Whitecourt

Peace Region Peace River

Grande Cache Grande Cache

Sexsmith/Spirit River Sexsmith

West Peace Beaverlodge

Northwest High Level

Aspen Westlock

Bonnyville Bonnyville

Cold Lake Cold Lake

Concerns raised by Rural and

Remote Communities across

Alberta

• Communities expect a basic level of

primary health care service that is

responsive to community health needs.

• Communities have expressed need for greater

home care supports for older rural Albertans.

• Most pressing PHC needs were often mental health

supports for children and youth, community-based public

health, health promotion and disease prevention

programs, integration of chronic disease management and

self-care supports

• Communities also expressed need for low-risk obstetrical

supports

• Communities expressed need for greater integration of

PCNs into the other health services provided by and in the

community

Transforming Primary Health Care

through 5 Strategic Directions

Bring About Cultural Change Changes in primary health care will require changes to

collective behaviours, attitudes and mindsets of all Albertans

and providers.

1

Enhance the Delivery Of Care The health system has resources and capacity but it is

inequitably distributed. PHC needs to be better integrated and

coordinated.

2

Establish Building Blocks for Change Structural components (such as effective governance, common information

management and effective evaluation) need to be enhanced or created to

continue moving towards a vision towards PHC

3

Increase Value and Return On Public Investment Albertans pay more for health care than other Canadians despite our young

population and our system ranks in the middle of the pack on performance

5

Health Services Design Based on Population Needs Communities have unique assets that influence overall health and wellbeing. These

assets address unique needs and must be supported to enable opportunities to

develop local solutions

4

Peace River

Enhanced Primary Health Care Project Scope

• Alberta Health has engaged in a project to enhance the delivery of primary

health care in the Peace River region.

• This primary health care enhancement project is being done in

collaboration with Alberta Health Services and the

Peace Region Primary Care Network to accomplish the following tasks:

– Opportunity development for current and new service delivery processes

– Review governance requirements to support delivery of care

– Population service needs analysis

– Consultations with local stakeholders to identify needs and service gaps

• The four key priority areas for service enhancement:

1. Maternal and Child Health 3. Addictions and Mental Health

2. Seniors Health 4. Access/ Continuity of Care for

Unattached Individuals

Key benefits of transformed Primary

Health Care

Participate in

planning for

services in

community

Health services

designed for the

community based

on its population

health needs

Access to

your own

health

information

Greater relationship

with trusted

provider who can

help you get care

from other

professionals

Increased

support for

managing own

health

Team-based

approach to

your care

Fewer visits to

emergency

departments and

greater connection

to health, social

and community

programs

Improved

coordination

across the

health system

“Our over-arching goal,

as a government, is to make sure

Albertans get the right care,

in the right place, at the right time,

by the right provider and…to do that,

we need the right information.”

- Honourable Sarah Hoffman,

Deputy Premier & Minister of Health

Future of Primary Health Care in Alberta