Dear Neighbours,
Time flies! I can’t believe that we are in February already! January was a wonderful month of connecting in the community and celebrating Chinese New Year with all of you! Stay tuned on social media for more fun events coming this month.
Healthcare Action Plan
Help is on the way for Albertans calling 911 and for those needing emergency health care. As part of the Healthcare Action Plan, Alberta’s government is working with Alberta Health Services to improve EMS response times and open acute care beds in emergency departments faster.
Paramedics are highly skilled health professionals who are trained to respond in times of crisis. Our government wants to ensure their skills are being used in the best way possible, while also ensuring Albertans are not left waiting after a call to 911. Instead of using ambulances for patients who do not require medical support during transport, AHS will arrange for alternative transportation. This would utilize options like community shuttles and wheelchair accessible taxis for patients who need to be transported back home. Using EMS more efficiently means that they will be on the road and available for emergency calls instead of being needlessly tied-up when medical care is not needed.
This new program is one of several actions underway designed to better serve Albertans. AHS has an aggressive plan to improve four priority areas and is taking steps to reduce pressures and improve system performance. This includes improving EMS response times, decreasing emergency department wait times, reducing wait times for surgeries, and improving overall patient flow and capacity.
Our government is also working with AHS to take further action, including adding a triage physician to emergency department waiting rooms to support patient offloads, and allowing paramedics to assess and treat patients without having to transport them to a hospital.
Our United Conservative government is taking action to address areas that need improvement in our healthcare system so that Albertans can get emergency care when and where they need it.
Sincerely,
Josephine Pon
MLA Calgary-Beddington
MLA – Calgary Beddington Josephine Pon proudly serves the following Communities: Beddington Heights, Country Hills, Huntington Hills, MacEwan Glen, Sandstone Valley
