Retaining health care workers

By Chantelle de Jonge Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

In 2023, Alberta’s government launched the Health Workforce Strategy to help attract and retain health care workers across the province. I’m pleased to report that this initiative is working to attract doctors and medical professionals to our province, particularly in rural Alberta.

According to the latest quarterly statistics from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, the number of doctors in our province increased by nearly 500 since the second quarter of 2023. This represents a 4.4 per cent increase from the same period last year and it is the highest growth rate in the second quarter over the past decade. As a result, Alberta now boasts 11,756 physicians, the most doctors our province has ever seen.

I’m especially pleased to report that there has been substantial year-over-year growth in the number of practicing physicians in rural Alberta. The Central Zone, for instance, is experiencing the fastest growth in the province, with an increase of 59 physicians from the same period last year, representing a 7.5 per cent increase. The Central Zone is followed closely by the South Zone, which has seen an increase of 31 physicians from last year, a 5.4 per cent increase.

While this progress is incredibly positive, our efforts to attract more doctors are far from over. As part of the Health Workforce Strategy, we are committed to expanding the number of spaces in our province’s medical schools, increasing residency positions, and providing more training opportunities for international medical graduates. Additionally, we are working closely with the Alberta Medical Association to finalize the family physician compensation model. This model aims to encourage more physicians to practice in Alberta. Once fully implemented, we anticipate that it will position Alberta as a national leader in attracting and retaining primary care physicians.

In addition to these initiatives, we are working to refocus Alberta’s health care system around patients and Alberta’s world-class front-line workers. We are rolling up our sleeves and addressing the problems facing our system head-on, and we are starting to see positive results.

Alberta has the best doctors, nurses, and support staff in the world – and I am grateful that more medical professionals are coming to our province to support them in their work. The progress we have seen so far is a testament to the effectiveness of our Health Workforce Strategy and our commitment to addressing the health care worker shortage in Alberta.

While we have much further to go, it’s clear our province is heading in the right direction. As we move forward, we will continue to build on this momentum and ensure that our health care system remains strong and capable of meeting the needs of all Albertans for generations to come.

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office with your feedback and suggestions via email (chestermere.strathmore@assembly.ab.ca).

(Chantelle de Jonge is the MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore and the Parliamentary Secretary for Affordability and Utilities)