Alberta Health Care Revamp Will Reduce Hospital Visits, Wait Times, Premier Says

Danielle Smith says Alberta’s health care system has been too complex and uncoordinated for too many years, leading to ‘unacceptable’ wait times.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith delivers the state of the province address in Edmonton on Oct. 25, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jason Fransson

Premier Danielle Smith has announced sweeping plans to restructure Alberta Health Services (AHS) into four high-level units that she says will address long wait times and inadequate staffing.

Under the reorganization, AHS’s single service provider model will be replaced with one where four organizations provide care in the areas of acute care, primary care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction care.