Alberta Health Services Performance Review
Summary Report
December 31, 2019
NOTICE
Ernst & Young LLP (EY) prepared the attached report only for Alberta Health (AH) pursuant to an agreement solely between EY and AH. EY did not perform its services on behalf of or to serve the needs of any other person or entity. Accordingly, EY expressly disclaims any duties or obligations to any other person or entity based on its use of the attached report. While EY undertook a thorough review of AH spending per the terms of agreement, EY did not perform an audit or review (as those terms are identified by the CPA Canada Handbook
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Assurance) or otherwise verify the completeness of any information provided to us of AH, the Government of Alberta, or any of its funded operations financial statements. Accordingly, EY did not express any form of assurance on accounting matters, financial statements, any financial or other information or internal controls. EY did not conclude on the appropriate accounting treatment based on specific facts or recommend which accounting policy/treatment AH, the Government of Alberta, or any funded operations should select or adopt. The observations relating to all matters that EY provided to AH were designed to assist AH in reaching its own conclusions and do
not constitute EY’s concurrence with or support of AH’s accounting or reporting or any
other matters.
Contents
Alberta Health Services Performance Review
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Executive summary
Alberta’s provincial health care model is one that deserves great praise. Through many years of
regionalization, restructuring and redesign, Alberta has established the largest integrated provincial health care system across Canada, with more than 125,000 staff and 10,000 physicians serving 4.3 million Albertans.
Alberta’s model has driven many successes. Integration has enabled Alberta Health Services (AHS) to
streamline governance and accountability, driving standardization through provincially-delivered programs. Organizational leadership and culture have strengthened through consolidation
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AHS is one of Canada’s top
100 employers and is consistently recognized as a great place to work. AHS also raises more than $250 million annually through its foundations, which are invested in the health care system. The transition from regional health authorities to AHS has also enabled greater integration, including through the consolidation of administrative systems like payroll, and through the current implementation of Connect Care, the largest province-wide clinical information system across Canada. The shift away from regionalization over the last 20 years has clearly begun to pay off while providing Albertans with a platform from which to continually modernize and improve health services delivery. However, a significant challenge remains in Alberta. Alberta spends more money on public services than any other Canadian province. Health care, which accounts for approximately 43% of the public spend in Alberta, continues to outpace provinces such as Ontario, BC and Quebec on a per-capita basis. Considering the structural growth pressures that exist in health care, notably negotiated wage increases and population
growth, Alberta’s spending on hea
lth would have to remain flat over the next four years to align with these provinces. This is a key component
of Premier Kenney’s Health
-Care Guarantee to Albertans, which included a performance review of AHS. In conducting this review, we aimed to provide clear answers on how health care dollars are being spent, what improvement opportunities exist across AHS when considering leading organizations and systems, and to provide recommendations on how long-term sustainability of the health care system can be achieved. In alignment with the Health-Care Guarantee, core to our review approach was hearing directly from Albertans, including patients, staff and physicians working in AHS. We also heard from key stakeholder groups including patient advocates, regulatory bodies and associations, as well as municipalities and universities. We received an overwhelming response from Albertans, AHS employees and physicians: over 30,000 responses were received through surveys, interviews and focus groups. This signals to us that Albertans recognize that change is needed and want to be part of it. At the commencement of our work we were given clear direction by the Minister to engage broadly, and to hear directly from Albertans. We have done so and have been guided by the thousands of Albertans
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from physicians and care providers to front line staff, managers and the organizations that work alongside AHS - who have shared their perspectives and ideas through this process.
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