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Preamble:
WHEREAS on November 8, 2023, the Government of Alberta announced the “Refocusing Alberta’s Health Care System Initiative” to improve health outcomes and empower health care workers to deliver quality care across the province; and
WHEREAS Ministerial Order 300/2024 established the Integration Council and its terms of reference; and
WHEREAS the terms of reference states that the Integration Council will be chaired by the Minister of Health, with support from the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, the Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, and will have members from each new sector-specific provincial health agency; and
WHEREAS in October 2024, the Government of Alberta released the Rural Health Action Plan 2024-2027 , which states that “The discrepancies between the health care available to Albertans in and around urban centres and those who live in more rural and remote communities has been a growing concern for many years. These communities face unique health care challenges that call for creative solutions that create more equitable access to health care that they want and deserve;”
Operative Clause:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Government of Alberta immediately appoint a separate and dedicated rural generalist as a voting member to the Health System Integration Council and within the new health board leadership structure to ensure that rural Albertans have an appropriate and continuous voice for their health care.
Member Background:
Rural Albertans face healthcare challenges that are distinct from those faced by urban regions, including limited access to specialists, lengthy travel times for care, and fewer resources to address mental health, continuing care, and addiction services. Additionally, key decision-making bodies lack adequate rural representation which perpetuates systemic inefficiencies and disparities in care for rural communities while failing to acknowledge the distinct needs of rural patients.
The province’s shift to a new integrated healthcare system—organized into four divisions: Primary Care, Acute Care, Continuing Care, and Mental Health and Addictions—offers an opportunity to address these issues. However, the current structure of the Integration Council does not include a designated rural generalist who can provide critical insight into the realities of rural healthcare.
RMA members have been advocating that the Government of Alberta consider the “rural lens” before making all decisions.
The Integration Council’s purpose, as defined by M.O 300/2024 is:
The current structure of this committee is listed below:
| VOTING MEMBERS | NON-VOTING MEMBERS |
| Minister Health | Minister Technology and Innovation |
| Minister Mental Health | Deputy Minister Technology and Innovation |
| Minister Seniors, Community and Social Services | Chair Health Quality Council Board |
| Deputy Minister Health | CEO Health Quality Council |
| Deputy Minister Mental Health | CEO Canadian Center Recovery Excellence |
| Deputy Minister Seniors, Community and Social Services | |
| Chair Alberta Health Services Board | |
| CEO Recovery Alberta | |
| CEO Primary Care Alberta | |
| Managing Director Procurement and Optimization (Health) |
A rural presence on the Integration Council and the new Health Care Leadership Board would provide an invaluable perspective on the challenges faced by rural patients, from effective communication in referrals to navigating broader social determinants of health. It is crucial that rural communities, which often rely heavily on team-based care models, have a voice in shaping healthcare policies and systems that affect them. Appointing a dedicated rural generalist to the Integration Council and new Health Care Leadership Board will help ensure that Alberta’s healthcare system delivers equitable and effective care for all Albertans, regardless of geography.
hlth-refocusing-albertas-health-care-session-handout.pdf
RMA Background:
1-24F: Attraction and Retention Strategy for Rural Health Care Professionals
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate for the Government of Alberta to urgently prioritize a commitment to long-term sustainable funding to accelerate implementation of the Rural Health Action Plan 2024-2027 and the work of the Rural Health Professions Action Plan that focuses on increasing the total number of health care professionals in rural and remote Alberta.
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Alberta Health
Alberta Health shares your desire to address health care challenges in rural Alberta, including those impacting access to services and the recruitment and retention of health care professionals. As you may know, the Integration Council is an advisory body that supports the alignment of health system strategic goals, identifies efficiencies, removes barriers to the health system, and helps ensure the system is working to deliver better health outcomes for Albertans. While we are not expanding its membership at this time, please be assured that rural communities will have stronger voices in the new system through Regional Advisory Councils across the province. These councils will bring forward local priorities and improve local decision-making to help build a stronger, more unified health care system that responds to the needs of the communities it serves.
Further, as part of the Government of Alberta’s ongoing commitment to build and maintain equitable access to high quality care for all Albertans, the Rural Health Action Plan will guide actions that improve outcomes in rural and remote communities. The plan focuses on key areas, such as workforce, access, models of care, community care, and prevention and wellness. These efforts align with broader health system initiatives, including Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System, the Health Workforce Strategy, and the Refocusing Alberta’s Health Care System.
We have also consulted tens of thousands of Albertans to inform health system refocusing efforts. The summary of our public engagement between January and June 2024 includes what we heard regarding the needs of rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. A second round of engagement sessions began in January 2025 with 64 in-person sessions in 49 rural communities to gather more input from Albertans.
Development:
Rural municipalities are concerned by the discrepancies in healthcare access and quality between rural Alberta and larger urban centres and want to ensure these concerns and the rural perspective are considered as Alberta Health restructures healthcare in Alberta. To accomplish this, rural municipalities asked the Minister of Health to include a rural generalist, a physician who is engaged in providing a diverse array of primary care services in rural Alberta, on the Integration Council. The Government of Alberta introduced the Integration Council in Bill 22 to guide the creation and activation of new healthcare pillars, and the deactivation of components in the previous model. At present, the council consists of:
Voting members: the Minister and Deputy Minister of Health, the Minister and Deputy Minister of Mental Health, the Minister and Deputy Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, the Chair of the AHS Board, the CEOs of Recovery Alberta and Primary Care Alberta, and the Managing Director of Procurement and Optimization (Health)
Non-voting members: the Minister and Deputy Minister of Technology and Innovation, the Chair of the Health Quality Council Board, and the CEOs of the Health Quality Council and Canadian Center of Recovery Excellence.
Alberta Health’s response indicates that they are not planning to expand the Integration Council to include a rural generalist. RMA will continue to advocate for a rural perspective on the Integration Council and other entities overseeing or involved in the health system reorganization. This resolution is assigned a status of Intent Not Met.
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