Given that several recent opinions have come under fire for the authors' affiliations and conflicts of interest, I would like to disclose my own and encourage others to do the same... calgaryherald.com/opinion/column…
My only sources of income this year have been 1) my salary at the UofC, and 2) book royalties likely totaling less than $1000. The only contact that I have ever had with any politicians of any party has been after the publication of my opinions on bill 30 and privatization....
In fact, I only moved to Alberta three years ago and published pieces that were critical of privatization well before ever coming to Alberta.
Possible ghost-writing of opinions has also been raised. To be clear, I've written every single word of any of the opinions I've written and @UbakaOgbogu and I have written every single word of the ones that we've co-authored.
The nature of that contact was 1) emails to schedule my appearance on a publicly-available facebook live and podcast, and 2) a zoom call to briefly discuss bill 30 in advance of a press release that quoted me and a meeting where members of the press could ask me about bill 30.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Watching the press conference on "refocusing" the health system (ie breaking it up into 4 organizations).
Primary Care Alberta will start its work today. AHS replacement called Acute Care Alberta will begin work in early spring (later than originally announced). /1
She says Albertan's deserve improved access. Unclear how this will improve access, as they have not presented any evidence for this model and new bureaucratic structures don't tend to speed things up.
AHS & other acute care providers will be accountable to Acute Care AB. /2
Transition team comprised of AHS execs & Dr. Chris Eagle ("external special advisor").
Primary Care AB's initial work will be to implement corporate policies and processes, develop operational plans and set vision, mission & performance targets./3
Bill amending the Alberta Bill of Rights introduced. New provisions:
Right for individual with capacity not to be subjected to or coerced into receiving medical care, treatment, or procedures without consent unless likely to cause substantial harm to themselves or others. /1
Right to freedom of expression, broadening the scope of Albertans’ rights protected beyond written and spoken language to include other expressive activities.
Right to acquire, keep and use firearms in accordance with the law.
Expanded property rights. /2
Currently applies to laws but would now apply to all provincial gov action, including policies and programs, and to organizations that operate under extensive government control, such as municipalities, police services, and some activities of hospitals. /3
Bill 22 (Health Statutes Amendment Act) now tabled. Broadly, will enable transition from Alberta Health Services to 4 new organizations, each responsible for a different silo of the health system (it remains unclear why gov is moving away from an integrated model) /1
4 agencies (primary, acute, continuing, mental health & addiction) will deliver or arrange delivery (contract out?) services, evaluate & adjust to meet needs, implement ministerial plans, ensure integrated transfers within & between sectors (will be a huge job!). /2
Minister of Health will be "oversight minister" and set strategic direction and sector ministers will be responsible for each of the 4 sectors /3
Manning report on covid has dropped. Notably, the panel's mandate wasn't to look broadly into the management of covid, but more narrowly to look at governance in a public health emergency. /1
I'm not going to disparage any specific person, but it is fair to say that the panel's composition seems designed to reach particular conclusions on the issues. /2
Report immediately mischaracterizes who makes decisions in a pub health emergency by putting Cabinet at the top of the list and saying cmoh is merely "highly relevant". Although that's what happened during covid, the law is quite different (for now...see bill 6). /3
Watching the presser on changes to the health system...
Smith highlights challenges with staffing and surgical wait times, but unclear how their proposed reforms will fix any of this. Says that current system lacks accountability and falls short on putting patients 1st /1
Delivery system will now focus on 4 areas, each with their own organization: primary care, acute care, continuing care, mental health & addiction. Calls current AHS structure "scattered" and "rigid". Will apply province-wide to avoid pre-AHS regional fragmentation. /2
Smith says this new model will be more responsive to issues, better able to mange performance, more accountable, more adaptable to innovation, and responsive to make space for local input. Unclear how the new model will facilitate these goals. /3
Gov announced forthcoming changes to the Public Health Act today that will give cabinet greater power over decisions during a public health emergency. Some thoughts... /1
First, clarity over the role of the CMOH was much needed. This should have been fixed much, much sooner when it became clear that what was happening during covid (i.e. cabinet making decisions) was out of step with the law (i.e. CMOH making decisions). /2
Two questions required attention. First, who ought to make decisions during a health emergency (CMOH, cabinet, combo)? And second, how much independence should the CMOH have (e.g. a bureaucrat reporting to the Minister of Health or able to disclose recommendations publicly)? /3