Healthcare 'partners' needed to bring down costs, minister says

Health Minister Sarah Hoffman plans to seek help from "partners" in the healthcare system and redirect some funding from acute care hospitals to contain healthcare spending in 2017.

In a year end interview with CBC, Hoffman said an agreement to amend physician compensation will hopefully be replicated with other healthcare workers. It could be a key to bending costs.

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"We're still in tough times, and we're going to need our partners, the workers who are supporting public services, to step up and help us make sure that growth is sustainable."

Tough times

Hoffman says it was critical to contain physician compensation, which was rising by eight per centa year.

With the agreement, Hoffman says taxpayers could see costs drop by up to half a million dollars over two years.

While not attaching a dollar figure to future contracts with other healthcare employees, Hoffman is settinga tone.

Alberta's health minister Sarah Hoffman on costs of physicians

8 years ago

Duration 2:24

Alberta's health minister Sarah Hoffman talks about the collaborative effort between the government and Alberta's physicians in order to keep costs down.

"We are heading into bargaining very soon with many of our staff groups," says Hoffman.

"And I imagine they've all been watching the economy with the same attention that most Albertans have. We all know somebody who has either had their hours cut or lost their job, and it's a tough time in our province."

The appeal to public servants comes as no surprise to the president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), who says the provincial government has been telegraphing that message for a while.

Nothing new for AUPE

"It's going to be challenging, but that's nothing new to us," saidpresident GuySmith.

About40,000 healthcare workers will be bargaining for a new collective agreement in 2017, saidSmith, whosees the bargaining round as an opportunity to broaden the scope of negotiations.

"We're open to having discussions on all sort of issues, some of which have never been discussed before in negotiations so it's not just about salary. It's about working conditions and health and safety issues."

Hoffman says while the new physician agreement has helped to contain spending, a targeted three percent spending increase still isn't within grasp.

"We haven't quite got there yet," saidHoffman, but adds that, "it'swell below six per cent, though, so that's good news."

The government initially set an aggressive target to slow the increase in healthcare spending from six per cent annuallyto three per cent.

Another area the Minister is looking at to bring down costs and improve care, is to draw patient care closer to the community level.

Bringing healthcare closer to home

This was previously attempted through the creation of primarycare networks (PCNs), however a department review in July 2016 revealed some problems.

Hoffman on new technology in the health care system

8 years ago

Duration 1:14

Sarah Hoffman, Alberta's health minister, talks about new technologies that can help Alberta patients get the help and care they need.

PCNs are groups of family doctors whether in one clinic or spread out over several and other health care professionals who work with Alberta Health to coordinate the delivery of primary care.

The review exposed cases of inappropriate spendingand double payments to some physicians.

Hoffman said it's time to bring each patient a "health home," where they can receive a range of services in their community without going to a hospital.

"Some of that's going to mean shifting some resources away from acute care from hospital settings and moving more into homecare, more mental health supports, and to clinic-like settings."