President's update

Update on the Report of the Premier's Advisory Council On Health

In last month's column, I outlined the AARN's initial reaction to the Mazankowski Report, as the Report of the Premier's Advisory Council On Health is colloquially called, and indicated that subsequent analysis by the Association would result in further published reactions.

At its January 18, 2002 meeting, the Provincial Executive Committee determined that the AARN should respond in more detail to both Premier Klein and Health & Wellness Minister Mar prior to the January 23 meeting of provincial health ministers in Vancouver. In our subsequent letter, the Association expressed concern about new approaches to funding of health care and increased private, for-profit delivery of services. The AARN also identified three key recommendations that we viewed as essential first steps to achieving a sustainable health care system. These were: (1) making informed decisions about reforming and funding health care based on valid and reliable data; (2) removing obstacles to providing best health care by most appropriate provider in most appropriate setting; and (3) collecting standardized health care data to be used in evaluating delivery targets and developing criteria to plan, fund and deliver most needed health care at an affordable cost.

This issue of Alberta RN includes both the full text of the Association's January 21, 2002 letter to Premier Klein and Minister Mar and an article describing the nature and scope of all AARN responses to date to the Mazankowski Report. All of our responses have been posted on the Association's Web site. During its meeting on March 13-15, 2002, Provincial Council will be deliberating on further follow-up.

Clearly, debate about the Alberta Government's plans for implementing recommendations of the Mazankowski Report is just beginning, as evidenced by creation of a transition team to oversee the exercise and four subsidiary committees to formulate actual policy from the Report over the next four years.

Stay tuned for ongoing developments.

SHARON RICHARDSON, RN, PhD

E-mail: slrichar@telusplanet.net

Phone: (780) 453-0531 [office]

1-800-252-9392 [toll free]

Fax: (780) 452-3471

Copyright Alberta Association of Registered Nurses Mar 2002
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