Alberta’s Health Minister Adriana LaGrange announced the establishment of Primary Care Alberta. The announcement, made almost a year after the government outlined plans to refocus the health system, marks another major milestone in Alberta’s ongoing efforts to streamline healthcare services and improve care for its residents.
Minister LaGrange emphasized that Primary Care Alberta will play a critical role in ensuring Albertans have better access to primary care services. “Currently, only four out of 10 Albertans report being able to secure a same-day or next-day appointment with their primary health care provider,” she said, underscoring the existing challenges. This new agency will focus on addressing these gaps, coordinating services, and making interdisciplinary care—such as access to dietitians, physiotherapists, and other professionals—more readily available.
The creation of Primary Care Alberta is part of a broader initiative to establish four provincial health agencies focused on key sectors: primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction. Recovery Alberta, which oversees mental health and addiction services, was launched earlier, and now, with the establishment of Primary Care Alberta, the government aims to make foundational changes in the delivery of everyday health services.
One of the key objectives of Primary Care Alberta is to create an integrated system where primary health services are accessible, regardless of where individuals live in the province. LaGrange pointed out that the lack of a single entity accountable for primary care had led to inconsistencies in service delivery. “No one organization or authority currently represents the needs of the Primary Health Care sector,” she said, calling this a critical gap that the new agency aims to fill.
Primary Care Alberta will work towards introducing new models of care that encourage the formation of interdisciplinary teams of health professionals. These teams will collaborate to provide holistic care, which may include family doctors, nurse practitioners, and other health professionals working together to meet a patient’s needs. LaGrange emphasized that no Albertan should be forced to seek primary health care through emergency departments or acute care facilities—issues that the new agency seeks to mitigate.
One of the critical points raised during the announcement was the current shortfall in primary care practitioners across the province. Minister LaGrange acknowledged that while there has been progress in recruiting family doctors—287 have either moved to Alberta or are in the process of being licensed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons—the demand for healthcare providers remains high.
As the agency begins its work, Albertans might expect to see more integrated care models, greater access to after-hours services, and improved coordination between health professionals, all aimed at making primary care more efficient and effective across the province.