Health care dominated the lobbying agendas of Alberta’s influencers this year after the provincial government promised to dismantle and decentralize the public health system.
Alberta Health was the target of 135 new lobbying registrations this year, more than any other provincial ministry.
Questions about the promised system restructuring have prompted associations of nurses, doctors and other health care workers to lobby the government as their members worry about job security, modernization of health care and the threat of privatization.
The provincial government first shared its plans to decentralize Alberta Health Services (AHS) in November 2023, saying that the restructuring would help ease pressures on a health care system that is already struggling to keep up.
Under the plan, the existing health authority will focus primarily on acute care, while other delivery functions in primary care, continuing care and mental health and addiction care will move to new divisions.
“We believe …