“I am pleased to have received the final reports and recommendations from the MAPS Strategic Advisory Panel and Indigenous Panel. I want to thank the panel chairs and all the panelists for their tremendous work.
“Alberta’s government supports the vision that every Albertan be connected to their medical home, with timely access to connected health care services in their community.
“We recognize the need for all Albertans to have access to primary health care across the province and the need for team-based care and improved models and governance to support that type of care. We also recognize the need to ensure culturally appropriate care and to work with Indigenous Peoples to ensure we can address access to appropriate care.
“Improving access to primary health care is a step in the right direction for our health care system. The recommendations in these reports will provide the framework for how our current system can be adjusted to better meet the evolving needs of Albertans.
“I launched the MAPS initiative in September 2022 to identify immediate and long-term improvements to strengthen Alberta’s primary health care system. This work is vitally important to create a system where everyone has access to a family physician or primary health care provider, no matter where they live in the province. Modernizing primary health care will also help to ease pressures on the province’s hospitals and build a stronger health system overall.
“We will now review the recommendations in detail to determine next steps. While conducting that review, we will continue work on other primary health care improvements such as improving access in rural areas, providing more culturally appropriate care for Indigenous Peoples and recruiting more primary health care providers.
“The review from Alberta Health will include a detailed analysis of how the recommendations will change the system and a full costing. Officials will also develop a comprehensive implementation strategy with timelines for approval by the government for each recommendation the government accepts.
“We also recognize that Indigenous Peoples must be partners in this work and look forward to working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders on a path forward that respects the unique interests, needs and aspirations of their communities.
“MAPS is one part of a comprehensive plan to ensure Alberta’s primary health care system is strengthened both in the immediate term and for generations to come. Budget 2023 provides $125 million over the next three years to start implementing some of the MAPS recommendations while doing more consultations and engagement in other areas addressed by the report.
“Budget 2023 includes $243 million in new funding over three years to strengthen the primary health care system throughout the province, ensuring that all Albertans can access the care they need when and where they need it.”