Making the Health Care of Children a Priority in Alberta
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT AUMA advocate for the Government of Alberta to support enhancements to existing infrastructure and programming in regional hospitals outside of Edmonton and Calgary in order to provide an increased level of care to children, while recognizing that the Stollery Children’s Hospital and the Alberta Children’s Hospital serve as critical hubs to this growing network of care for children’s health across the province.
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED THAT AUMA advocate for the Government of Alberta to recognize children’s mental and physical health as a priority by making advanced, specialized pediatric care accessible to all Alberta children, regardless of where they live.
WHEREAS the Government of Alberta is spending $22.1 billion this year on health care, representing almost 40 percent of total budget expenditures and an increase of 2.2 percent compared to the health budget last fiscal year;
WHEREAS Alberta’s population is experiencing a high natural growth rate and twenty-five percent of the province’s population is below the age of 18, and by 2041 the annual number of births in Alberta is expected to grow by 26 percent;
WHEREAS it is forecast that communities outside Edmonton and Calgary will see significant growth in the number of young people by 2046;
WHEREAS children’s health care is unique and requires a different approach than adult care given that children are particularly vulnerable to illness and infection, many of which can have lifelong ramifications if not properly treated;
WHEREAS only two out of 106 acute care hospitals in Alberta are dedicated to children’s health;
WHEREAS treating children close to home has proven health benefits and can help bend the cost-curve on the overall health expenditures for the Government of Alberta; and
WHEREAS the Stollery Children’s Hospital and Alberta Children’s Hospital treat children from across the province (and beyond) and are able to leverage world-class physicians and technology to support treatment of children in health facilities across Alberta.
Alberta continues to have the youngest population in Canada with nearly 20 per cent of its population between the ages of 0 and 14. 1 Between 2017 and 2025, the population aged 5 to 17 years is expected to increase at an average annual rate of 2.1%.2
Alberta’s 2018-2046 population projection shows that many regions outside of the Edmonton and Calgary Metro areas will see significant growth in the 0-14-year-old cohort of their population. Specifically; Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge will all see greater than 30 per cent growth in this demographic; Camrose, Drumheller, and Slave Lake will see 20 per cent and; Wood Buffalo, Rocky Mountain House, Grande Cache, Pincher Creek and Cold Lake will all see greater than 10 per cent growth in this youngest portion of their population.3
Last year, 44 per cent of Stollery patients came from outside the Edmonton area, while 24 per cent of The Alberta Children’s Hospital came from outside the Calgary area.4
Sources:
Statistics Canada. (2018, May 30). Census Profile, 2016 Census Alberta and Canada. Retrieved June 4, 2019, from https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/…
Government of Alberta, Office of Statistics and Information. (n.d.). Population statistics. Retrieved June 4, 2019, from https://www.alberta.ca/population-statistics.aspx
Government of Alberta, Treasury Board and Finance, Office of Statistics and Information. (2018, July 3). Population Projection Alberta and Census Divisions, 2018–2046. Retrieved from https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/90a09f08-c52c-43bd-b48a-fda5187273b9/re…
Provided by Katherine Sweet, Director of Strategic Partnerships with the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The Minister of Health’s response to the resolution states that the province “is committed to improving the lives of children in Alberta” and recognizes that “children have diverse health needs, and that specialized services are needed to support their mental and physical well-being.”
Budget 2019 increased health care spending by $200 million, or approximately 1%; however, a 1% increase in health care spending amounts to an estimated 17% cut in real terms when population growth and inflation are taken into account. This is reflected in 2019 budget documents, which show decreased spending on administration, research and education, ambulance services, and health support services in 2019-20 compared to 2018-2019. Budget 2019 also reduced capital spending by 14% from $7 billion per year to an average of $6.05 billion per year over four years. While $2.9 billion was allocated for health facilities, including the redevelopment of the Red Deer Regional hospital; the proposed Brain Centre at the University of Alberta; the Calgary Cancer Centre; the Norwood continuing care facility in Edmonton; and the Grande Prairie hospital, delays were announced for the south Edmonton hospital and the proposed child and adolescent mental health building at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
In considering AUMA’s advocacy prioritization framework, this resolution was deemed a low priority as: