For many people living far from Alberta's big cities, going to the doctor used to mean hours of driving. But Alberta's government is betting that $9 million can change that, one rural clinic at a time.
Justin Wright, Alberta's minister of primary and preventative health services, put it plainly: "My vision for health care is that you're not having to drive three hours to meet with the people you need to see to diagnose you." The idea is simple — bring doctors, nurses and care teams closer to the people who need them.
The money comes from the federal government through a bilateral health care agreement, and it's being spent in two big ways. The largest chunk, almost $8 million, goes through the Rural Team Recruitment Grant. In its latest round, the province handed out $3.4 million to 23 clinics, which will support 53 brand-new full-time health-care positions in rural and remote corners of Alberta.
The winning clinics are scattered across the province. There's Consort, about 220 kilometres east of Red Deer near the Saskatchewan border, and Vermilion, 190 km east of Edmonton. In the deep southwest, 145 km west of Lethbridge, a Crowsnest Pass clinic got a thumbs up too. In all, clinics in 23 communities made the list — places like Stettler, Ponoka, Grande Prairie, Crossfield, Sundre, Langdon and Stirling.
The other $1 million flows through the Municipality Supported Clinics Grants, which will help seven municipalities hire medical office assistants, managers, navigators and virtual clinic coordinators. The money also covers medical equipment, staff training and technology.
Wright says the goal is to take pressure off family doctors and emergency rooms, so people only head to the hospital when they truly need to. "This is designed to take pressure off acute care," he said.
And there's proof the approach works. Barrhead Family Clinic, northwest of Edmonton, received funding in an earlier round of the recruitment grant. After bringing on patient care coordinators, it boosted the number of patients it serves by almost 30 per cent. Down in Crowsnest Pass, the medical clinic reported that hiring a single social worker made it possible to serve 98 patients by coordinating their care and connecting them to community resources.
The new roles go well beyond doctors — think athletic therapists, physician assistants, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, patient navigators and social workers. Wright believes that when local clinics are well supported, health-care professionals will actually want to work in rural Alberta. "The rural recruitment grant should help attract physicians to some of our more beautiful areas of the province," he said.
For the people of rural Alberta, the promise is a future where expert care is a short drive away, not a full day's journey. "It's absolutely vital that we do what we can to support our rural and remote communities," Wright said.