Alberta has invested an additional $9 million in rural primary care, including almost $8 million through the Rural Team Recruitment Grant to help rural clinics grow their care teams. Through the latest grant intake, $3.4 million was awarded to 23 clinics across Alberta, supporting 53 new full-time health care positions in rural and remote communities across the province.
“These grants are about making sure rural Albertans can get the care they need in their own communities. By helping clinics hire more health professionals and grow their teams, we’re making it easier for families to get timely, reliable care closer to home.”
This investment is helping rural clinics expand team-based care and improve access to services closer to home. The Barrhead Family Clinic, which received funding through a previous round of the Rural Team Recruitment Grant, increased the number of patients served by almost 30 per cent after recruiting patient care coordinators. The Crowsnest Medical Clinic, another previous grant recipient, reported that the social worker hired through this grant has served 98 patients with advocacy care coordination and connections to community resources that improve their care.
“These grants have helped us build much-needed capacity within the Consort Medical Clinic, strengthening our primary care team and expanding the care we can provide locally. This investment is helping create more sustainable access to primary care for our rural community.”
An additional $1 million has been awarded to seven municipalities through the Municipality Supported Clinics Grant program to strengthen local care clinics. The funding is supporting new staff, including medical office assistants, managers, navigators and virtual clinic coordinators, as well as medical equipment, staff training and technology.
Funding was provided to the towns of Picture Butte, Bruderheim and Bow Island, as well as to clinics in Lac La Biche County, Bashaw, Delburne and Consort, helping strengthen access to primary care in these communities. This funding has helped Bruderheim extended clinic hours, Bashaw expand from two to five clinic days a week and achieve same-day appointments, and Consort serve 36 per cent more patients.
“Communities across Alberta are benefiting from these investments as clinics bring on additional team members and enhance the high-quality, team-based care that rural families rely on.”
Quick facts
- The second intake for the Rural Team Recruitment Grant program was added after a strong response to the first intake in 2024.
- Through the Rural Team Recruitment Grant, Alberta’s government is helping fill 105 new health care positions to help clinics expand care teams and improve patient access.
- Both the Rural Team Recruitment Grant program and the Municipality Supported Clinics Grant program are a result of the Rural Health Action Plan and the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System (MAPS) report.
- Funding for the Rural Team Recruitment Grant program and the Municipality Supported Clinics Grant program is a result of the Canada-Alberta Agreement to Work Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians, including in rural and remote areas.
Related information
Related news
- Investing in health care for vulnerable Albertans (Aug. 4, 2026)
- More primary care on the way for rural Alberta (July 21, 2025)
- Strengthening primary health care across Alberta (Nov. 5, 2024)
- Improving health care in rural and remote Alberta (Oct. 3, 2024)