Provincial healthcare pressure a ‘top priority’

Posted on September 12, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Cal Braid
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

During the COVID pandemic, everyone became aware of the distinction between essential and non-essential services. Even under the tightest restrictions, necessities like food, water, fuel, utilities, and even those elusive rolls of toilet paper remained available. Those essentials demanded the availability of workers who could get the necessities from the distributor to the consumer, and those workers kept most of us supplied while locked down. But leading the charge of frontline workers were doctors, nurses, health care aides, lab techs, paramedics, and hospital staff serving numerous critical functions. Virologists and immunologists went full-tilt in pursuit of a vaccine. Unfortunately, the relentless pressure took its toll, and many in the healthcare sector crashed and burned out. Reports and surveys noted the trend of healthcare workers either leaving the profession or stating their desire to do so.

 After the pandemic, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) was introduced. The program enabled municipalities to nominate international citizens for status as working residents in Alberta. In April 2023, the provincial government created a dedicated healthcare pathway through the AAIP. The pathway helps fast-track international healthcare professionals to Alberta to help address gaps in the workforce.

 Many southern municipalities have become active participants in the AAIP, and the Province is intent on bringing more workers in to address the perpetual labour shortages, particularly in the trades and healthcare professions. The AAIP dedicates 30 per cent of its express entry stream to drawing professionals into Alberta with a job offer from a healthcare sector employer. Once nominated, the individual then applies for permanent residence through the federal government as a provincial nominee.

 In July 2022, Taber became a designated community in the Rural Renewal Stream of the program and officially began processing applicants in September. Amy Allred, Taber’s economic development manager, said since then the Town has endorsed 208 candidates for full-time job positions and has drawn in 439 new residents with their families. Currently, 15 different nationalities are represented and 73 businesses employ active candidates. Regional partners in the M.D., Lethbridge County, Coaldale, Picture Butte, Raymond, Milk River, Vauxhall and Cardston are also onboard.

 On Aug. 8, the Province reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the province’s health care system, calling it a “top priority.” Nine professions are eligible under the pathway, including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and psychologists.

 Adriana LaGrange, minister of health, said, “We are committed to recruiting and retaining health care workers in Alberta by reducing barriers and improving opportunities for them.” The program is not intended to draw temporary workers; LaGrange said the ministry is looking for professionals who will come here to work and stay to build a life here.

 Athana Mentzelopoulos, the president and CEO of Alberta Health Services said, “The dedicated health care pathway has made a significant impact on our ability to attract international applicants to AHS, particularly trained nurses who bring the knowledge and experience that we currently need.”

 The results so far are promising. In 2023, Alberta nominated 122 health professionals in the pathway and 59 of those were destined for locations outside Calgary and Edmonton, including 19 physicians and 25 registered nurses.

 As of July 2024, the province had nominated 258 health professionals, with 93 destined for communities outside Calgary and Edmonton, including 14 physicians and 61 registered nurses. To be eligible, applicants must have received authorization to practice in Alberta by the relevant regulatory college and have a job offer in Alberta’s health care sector.

 It’s been reported that in 2023, emergency departments across the province closed for 38,000 hours, or 4.3 years combined. In the past three years, Southern Alberta Newspapers received multiple alerts warning that the Milk River ER would be closed for the weekend or longer. Fort Macleod had a brief closure this year. The closures here in the south are problematic but only get worse the farther north you go. Most of those can be chalked up to understaffing.

 The healthcare system –pre, mid, or post-pandemic– is an essential service, obviously. Programs like the AAIP are necessary, but can they meet the demand? Sprinkling 39 physicians and 86 RNs across the massive provincial land mass surrounding Calgary and Edmonton is a start, but by no means a finished work.