Health Minister Adriana Lagrange and President of the Alberta Medical Association, Dr. Paul Parks, join Premier Rachel Notley to highlight the need for more family doctors in Alberta. They also discuss the government's commitment to a new family physician payment model, including $200 million in stabilization funding through the Canada-Alberta Health Fund agreement.
00:13:59.400This is going to be the stabilization step.
00:14:01.180Today's announcement is an essential first step and the Minister has assured me that there will be more to come.
00:14:08.180Today's funding is an unprecedented infusion of financial support for the clinics and practices where most Albertans obtain the healthcare in both urban and rural settings.
00:14:19.180It is consistent with recommendations of Alberta doctors for a three-phase approach.
00:14:25.180step one immediate funding as announced today designed to stabilize family physicians and
00:14:31.580rural general practices while the following steps are also achieved step two we need to
00:14:37.820provide further stabilization so that family and rural generalist physicians who are providing
00:14:42.780comprehensive lifelong care for patients today can afford to keep doing it into the future
00:14:48.460This phase is a bridge to the gap until we can move on to a new funding model that will actually incentivize longitudinal, comprehensive, cradle-to-grave type family medicine that Albertans know and deserve.
00:15:05.120Step three, as quickly as possible, implement a physician comprehensive care model to provide an option for physicians to move away from the older fee-for-service models.
00:15:15.880This model recognizes the unique requirements on physicians when they provide comprehensive care for patients.
00:15:21.380This includes actual visits and patient care time, plus all the hours of work that is spent on behalf of the patients when the patient's not there in the room with the physician.
00:15:32.780Finally, it recognizes the administrative and management requirements that a doctor has to take on when they're responsible for a large group of patients.
00:15:42.120uh in other words a panel that's that's what we described that um but it's actually having
00:15:48.240patients that are connected to that physician this is a wonderful way to end our discussions
00:15:53.940in 2023 i look forward to working with the minister and her team to move forward in 2024
00:15:59.740to retain the physicians that we have and to recruit new talent into this province
00:16:04.780and to ensure that comprehensive lifelong care is available for albertans when they need it
00:16:10.580family and rural generous generalist physicians are the foundation of primary care it's time we
00:16:18.140invest in the full potential of comprehensive care and all that we know from around the world
00:16:23.240about what it can accomplish to help Albertans stay healthy to stay well and to stay out of the
00:16:29.660hospitals thank you very much thank you we'll now go into the media Q&A portion of this announcement
00:16:37.220We'll start off here in person. We'll go with one question, one follow-up. Please make your way to the mic and state your name and outlet before asking your question. Go ahead, Alana.
00:16:45.180Hi there, Alana Smith with the Globe and Mail.
00:16:47.260So we published a story this morning after obtaining documents that show the Alberta government directed AHS to remove mention of COVID and influenza in advertisements for this season's immunization campaign,
00:16:58.020in addition to limit information about the new COVID vaccine and its benefits from some communication materials.
00:17:03.520Currently, Alberta has a very, very low vax rate compared to previous years.
00:17:07.160And there's also hospitals that are overflowing with patients.
00:17:10.140Knowing this, Premier Smith, do you stand by your government's approach to the immunization campaign?
00:17:14.040Well, first of all, I'll say that we have essentially the same vaccination rate as the rest of the country.
00:17:23.980And based on that, Alberta has a higher vaccination rate than New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario.
00:17:28.880So just wanted to correct your information there.
00:17:30.520What I would say is when we came through the respiratory virus season last year, we saw that COVID, influenza, RSV, adenovirus, rhinovirus, various other viruses surge and ebb through the course of respiratory virus season.
00:17:47.860So this respiratory virus season, we want to make sure people knew that they should be going and looking for immunizations.
00:17:53.220There's vaccines for all three, RSV, COVID, and influenza.
00:17:57.200it was in our press release that we mentioned that people should talk to their family doctor
00:18:01.940about it and it seems to and we're also spending almost the same amount of money this year on the
00:18:07.300campaign as we did last year sure so we spoke to public health experts for this story who said
00:18:12.540successful immunization campaigns make clear recommendations on whether or not to get a
00:18:16.380vaccine the more information the better the more specific the information the better they also
00:18:20.220spoke about the importance of government officials ideally conveying a consistent strong message in
00:18:25.460favor of vaccination. The vaccines which are backed by science should be recommended unequivocally.
00:18:30.200So what evidence did the government have that suggested your approach would be effective
00:18:33.100or was the point to not be effective? So our press release says eligible Albertans are able
00:18:38.440to book their appointment for influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at an AHS clinic or pharmacy
00:18:43.240by directly contacting community health clinics. Please speak to your primary care provider for
00:18:50.260guidance on immunizations and what options are best for you and your family. We have
00:18:54.640adriana lagrange quoted saying keeping up to date on your immunizations is an excellent way
00:18:59.280to protect yourself against the coming respiratory illness season doing so uh doing what you can to
00:19:04.000prevent severe illness will also help you secure our health care system for those who need it most
00:19:08.640dr mark joffey is quoted saying being immunized for influenza and covet 19 can help protect you
00:19:14.480and your loved ones particularly those most at risk for severe disease taking steps to prevent
00:19:19.040viral infections will also improve an individual's overall health i think that the message was pretty
00:19:22.800clear. I think that's the press release though. Sorry, I was asking about the advertising campaign.
00:19:27.040That's our messaging of our government. I'm asking about the advertising campaign
00:19:30.240specifically that has immunizations and not COVID-19. Because there's multiple immunizations
00:19:35.280that people need to get in respiratory virus season. But was there evidence that suggested
00:19:38.800that was the wording you should use for this campaign? Look, there's multiple and people need
00:19:43.280to understand that all of these viruses put people at risk and so people need to talk to
00:19:48.320their doctor about what vaccinations they need and how to best protect themselves. That was the
00:19:52.080message in the campaign uh that is the message in the advertising that was our message as a
00:19:55.920government and we've been spending the same amount of money as previous years in advertising that
00:20:00.240message but do you have a mandate not to mention covid in any of your messaging it's right in
00:20:06.400it's right in our press release we we have to mention all immunizations i mean look we've got
00:20:12.480mumps that is a re-emerged we've got measles that has re-emerged uh people need to make sure that
00:20:17.920their vaccinations are up to date and they need to talk to their family doctor about it
00:20:20.800Jamie Dahl from Global News. Dr. Parks, can you explain a little more about who's going to get
00:20:28.280this funding and how does that break down? And is this enough to tackle the enormous
00:20:35.480mountain that some of these physicians are facing daily? And how is it going to be distributed?
00:20:41.360Thanks. So a couple of pieces. I think it's fair to say that this has been building probably for
00:20:47.640five or ten years and so there is a significant investment that's going to be needed for our
00:20:52.160family physicians and our rural generalists so this is a first step this is a stabilization so
00:20:57.000the key part is discuss with the minister that times of the essence that in order to stabilize
00:21:01.960and keep the practices we have open right now that are running and serving Albertans we need
00:21:06.640to get that money out to them so we can deal with the inflationary challenges deal with some of the
00:21:11.980issues that have happened in the past that have made comprehensive care not viable so first step
00:21:16.980is stabilization. I think $200 million, getting it to physicians, family physicians with a panel
00:21:22.580that do comprehensive care. And when we say comprehensive care, so Albertans understand that
00:21:27.300that's what you would think of normally in a family physician that knows you and your family
00:21:32.780throughout a long period of your lifespan. We need to incent that. So this is just to stabilize.
00:21:39.000The next piece is to work really collaboratively and quickly. And again, times of the essence that
00:21:44.500it's urgent that we get this right, that we move towards transitioning to a new funding model.
00:21:49.580So I think $200 million is an excellent first step. And the key feedback I've had from my
00:21:54.960colleagues of family physicians out there that are really, truly struggling is they need this
00:21:59.820money as quick as we can get to them, get it to them in stabilization. And then this evolution
00:22:04.480to the new model is critical. We get that done quickly. So it's to keep the lights on or?
00:22:10.100correct like to put it in the the true the way that things have changed in the last three four
00:22:15.540years in some practices around how the comprehensive bill like some of the fee-for-service codes that
00:22:20.660changed two three years ago made it so it's it's very difficult to actually keep your lights on
00:22:26.020keep your offices pay your staff family physicians are small business business owners and the way
00:22:31.380inflationary pressures have gone up and the way the billing system hasn't kept up and got changed
00:22:36.020three four years ago has made it so many many of my colleagues out there are actually trying to
00:22:41.300decide do they keep doing comprehensive care and re-sign that lease and still keep doing the care
00:22:47.140that i know the premier and the minister want our our primary care family specialists to be doing
00:22:52.820that's the decisions they're faced with right now so this is stabilization money to keep those
00:22:57.460practices going and then the transition is so we can go to a new model so that we can then get the
00:23:02.740the Alberta Advantage back again, that we can recruit. We can have new learners want to stay
00:23:07.820here, study here, and then plant their roots and stay in Alberta. Those are the things we need to
00:23:12.880evolve to. And again, I'll just stress, we need to do it urgently. But do you have a list of who
00:23:16.940gets it? So those specific details right now around, yes, so we've provided to the Minister
00:23:22.720what we would suggest and to the Premier what we would suggest as who would qualify for that.
00:23:28.700And right now it would be physicians that have a panel of a certain size.
00:23:33.000What we need to do now in the next couple of weeks is work with the minister to say,
00:23:37.080do we agree to that and can we get that out?
00:23:39.500And my hope is to get it out like as quick as we can in the new year.
00:23:54.160Hey, it's Aaron Collins with CBC National News.
00:23:56.120I want to turn back to the flu question just briefly, and this is a question for the Premier and for Dr. Parks.
00:24:02.880You know, moving away a little bit from the campaign, but the fact is that Alberta has its lowest flu vaccination numbers this year in over a decade.
00:24:10.880And I'm curious, you know, what you think the reason behind that is, and if you think it's a problem, is it concerning?
00:24:19.260So I'll start by saying it's absolutely a problem and a concern.
00:24:22.320And so I'm a physician. Vaccines work. They really, truly work. I want to put this in perspective out there that what we need is more Albertans being vaccinated because it works and it helps to protect those people, but it helps to protect the system.
00:24:38.480I'll give some examples. We're seeing two-year-olds out there now that are getting
00:24:42.820influenza and having encephalitis, which is an infection of the brain that may actually be
00:24:47.900life-threatening. And if they survive, they may never be normal again. We're seeing adults that
00:24:52.900are going to have maybe need heart transplants from influenza because they've done so much
00:24:58.380damage to their heart. I want to just say, I'm not a politician. I'm a physician. So if Albertans
00:25:04.800can get their vaccine. There's two pieces. It'll protect them. But our system right now,
00:25:10.100our hospitals are overflowing with sick people with all respiratory viruses, but influenza is
00:25:15.680one of the highest right now. So I just want to use this opportunity to urge Albertans and all
00:25:20.980Canadians. I don't want to debate which province has better influenza or immunization rates. I
00:25:27.040would just love to urge everybody to go out there. And I'll just say, I got it. My family got it.
00:25:31.680it's protecting you but it's also protecting other people that are going to get sick and
00:25:36.040protecting our health care system so we can take care of people so i i just strongly urge and use
00:25:41.080this opportunity that we just need more vaccination for sure i'm not a doctor so as i've said everybody
00:25:50.080should talk to their family doctor about the choice that's right for them yeah just curious
00:25:53.020what the initial part of the question was what do you think that is causing that downturn i mean
00:25:57.260why do you think people are more skeptical now than they have been in a decade i don't know
00:26:00.900okay so i guess i'll take my follow-up then i mean is what can you do
00:26:06.020dr parks is obviously advocating there but what can what can you do if it is a problem for our
00:26:11.760system to try to turn that trend around if it's a problem he is a doctor well let me put it to
00:26:17.120to adriana well we have a campaign going uh right now we're spending over half a million dollars to
00:26:26.360to get it out to to every albertan in the province to to look at the immunization that's available
00:26:33.160to them to to have that discussion with their primary care providers one of the reasons for
00:26:38.680this very announcement is the fact that we have roughly about 700 000 people in the province
00:26:43.800that do not have a primary care provider so that makes that conversation about immunization and
00:26:49.400about other health issues that they may be facing a difficult conversation so we need to get health
00:26:55.480providers, you know, stabilize the primary care doctors first and foremost, also increase
00:27:03.380the number of primary care providers we have across the province and continue to make use
00:27:07.900of all of the programs that we have available, including that campaign that we have going.
00:27:13.660It's in print, it's in media, and we will have to look at that, but it's not working
00:27:19.900just in Alberta, it's not working across the country because I think there is a bit
00:27:24.760of fatigue around the issue and we have to counteract that and i know that um also the
00:27:31.640fact that we continue to have the programs within our school systems that are available all of these
00:27:36.840it's going to have to be a multi-pronged approach until people feel comfortable once again to um
00:27:42.920to to go to their provider and get that immunization that's so required but again
00:27:48.200you're hearing firsthand from a doctor who's seeing it live in his hospital what the results
00:27:53.080are so of course we're going to do everything possible that we can thank you and yeah tim brook
00:27:59.000ctv further to that for the premier there's an argument to be made here that public officials
00:28:04.760should be setting an example right so when it comes to these low immunization rates
00:28:09.240do you think it's your duty to maybe set an example maybe disclose your vaccination status
00:28:13.400and really encourage albertans to to really bump up that rate no i think that a private medical
00:28:18.920decisions should be kept private and i think this is the reason why we have doctors who are giving
00:28:23.320the advice you heard dr paul park's advice and it's why we're doing an advertising campaign
00:28:28.600so i think that we're doing exactly what we've done in previous years and we're going to continue
00:28:32.840doing that so your advice from from i think september has been it's a personal conversation
00:28:39.240ever with your family doctor we're here today talking about how 700 000 plus albertans don't
00:28:44.520have that family doctor so who should those people consult with uh when when deciding whether to get
00:28:49.720that vaccine i think dr paul parks made some uh some some good comments we have information
00:28:54.520on our website uh there are public health officials who are making public commentary
00:28:59.400there's walking clinics i think that there's lots of avenues for people to be able to get
00:29:03.800good medical advice i don't think they go to politicians to get medical advice and i'm
00:29:06.840certainly not going to give it thanks tim and we're just going to go to the phones here for
00:29:11.880our next question we have time for maybe one more question or maybe two and operator could you put
00:31:42.920So, yeah, she would be quite involved in making sure that our public statements are accurate
00:31:49.100and that they're in alignment in making sure that people are getting the best information.
00:31:53.200The best information now is that there are a multitude of respiratory viruses that are of concern.
00:31:59.360It's the reason why we updated our dashboard to say respiratory viruses and give the information on influenza, COVID, and RSV.
00:32:07.420If other viruses emerge that are equally problematic, causing hospitalization and ICU and death,
00:32:13.740then we will add them to the respiratory virus dashboard as well.
00:32:17.020And as immunizations become available for all types of respiratory viruses, we will continue making sure that people are aware of that.
00:32:25.260So that's the approach that we're taking.
00:32:27.660It's just making sure that people understand that all of these, that when you get into respiratory viruses, all of these viruses are risky.