A proposed one-stop healthcare shop in Airdrie has been given the green light by the province and sparked more concerns over privatization.
The first of its kind facility will address both primary and urgent care needs with the company behind it claiming it will be a prototype for a new for-profit, private delivery team method.
Dr. Julian Kyne is with One Health Associate Medical, the company behind the initiative, and calls the new one-stop approach and groundbreaking way to deal with Alberta’s health care crisis.
“There’s approximately 20,000 patients in Airdrie who do not have a family doctor, so we will endeavour to attach them to the practice,” says Kyne. “At the same time, when patients are accessing urgent care when they have no other options, we will provide that option.”
Critics contend the lack of transparency from the province is red flag. Last month, healthcare lobby group Friends of Medicare wondered if this is the start of privatization of hospitals in Alberta, also criticizing the province for giving the company $85,000 in tax money to come up with a business plan.
“If they are doing something up front, that’s in the public interest, why is there no public announcement? Why are there no public details?” says Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “What is really happening?”
Friends of Medicare claim the government told the Airdrie Health Foundation earlier this year that the expansion and renovation of the Airdrie Community Health Centre had been paused in order for it to consider a proposal to add a private partner to the facility.
Airdrie is the largest city in the province without a hospital, and Gallaway has said duplicating existing services under a private model doesn’t address real patient care.
Kyne says he doesn’t view the new facility as a step towards privatization and says concerned parties have had the opportunity to attend 10 separate public engagement sessions.
Premier Danielle Smith recently revealed plans to take some Alberta hospitals away from Alberta Health Services (AHS), turning them over to a private, Catholic healthcare provider.
She revealed the transfer of power has already taken place in the northern Alberta hamlet of La Crête — Covenant Health now runs that hospital.
Covenant Health already operates hospitals in Edmonton, Banff, Bonnyville, Camrose, Castor, Killam, and Vegreville as well as several continuing care facilities throughout the province.