Health
In Pursuit of Providing World Class Healthcare

Originally published in the Red Deer Advocate January 17, 2018
By Iaian Park, CEO Red Deer Regional Health Foundation
The Government of Alberta recently released its healthcare priority spending list. Of note was that the Red Deer Regional Hospital was not included on that list.
Firstly, as a Central Albertan I am disappointed: I feel for the physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers looking for tools to do their jobs to their maximum potential. I feel for people facing wait times in excess of 10 hours while trying to access medical treatment. I feel for patients who must travel great distances to get the healthcare those in major cities already take for granted. I could go on.
However, as the Chief Executive Officer of the only major charity funding the Red Deer Hospital, I have another perspective. I see this as an opportunity…a responsibility… to step up the funding we provide to the Red Deer Regional Hospital. Our Board of Directors recently made a minor change to our vision so that it is now an action statement:
“Dedicated to the pursuit of providing world class healthcare”
These volunteer Board members, those who set the tone for our organization, have doubled down on their commitment. They chose to add “Dedicated to the pursuit of” to what was previously “World class healthcare for Central Albertans”. They are increasing their resolve to fulfill our mission to the hospital.
New equipment, services and programs need to be added to the hospital, of that there is no question. However, there are plenty of current programs, services and pieces of equipment that can be improved, modified or upgraded. Central Albertans can help to make sure that what we do have is the best it can be.
You, your family, your neighbors and fellow Central Albertans can ensure that healthcare workers in the Red Deer Regional Hospital have the best equipment for the programs and services they currently provide. You can make sure that our healthcare workers come to work knowing that the equipment they have is the best available so they can provide world class healthcare.
Here is a recent example of a system that works:
Dr. Horne of Laboratory Services at the Red Deer Regional Hospital said: “We would never be able to purchase this equipment without funding from the Festival of Trees and the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation.”
Laboratory Services was the recipient this year of Festival of Trees proceeds. Given Dr. Horne’s current department budget, there would not be enough money to purchase the equipment provided by Festival – not in the short term, and likely not in the long term.
So thanks to you, Central Alberta, you have funded equipment for the Red Deer Hospital that likely would have never otherwise been purchased. You have made an impact on the care Central Albertans receive – potentially saving lives! Your support has made it possible for staff in the lab to process samples more efficiently and provide results quicker to our physicians. This improved efficiency will save lives.
You can continue to ensure that the Red Deer Regional Hospital has access to the best equipment for the current services and programs they run. You can donate funds or time to the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation. Either way, you will be contributing to the pursuit of providing world class healthcare for Central Albertans.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Volunteers and Staff of the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation, I thank you for funding or volunteering with us in the past, and I thank you for considering our Foundation in the future. You can make an impact on the healthcare provided to Central Albertans.
Ian Park
For more information on how to donate or volunteer please call 403.343.4773, email [email protected], or visit www.rdrhfoundation.com.
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Alberta
Fourteen regional advisory councils will shape health care planning and delivery in Alberta

Regional health councils give Albertans a voice
Albertans want a health care system that reflects where they live and adapts to the unique needs of their communities. As part of the province’s health care refocus, Alberta’s government committed to strengthening community voices by providing more opportunities for Albertans to bring forward their local priorities and offer input on how to improve the system.
The regional advisory councils, made up of 150 members from 71 communities, will advise Alberta’s four health ministries and the newly refocused health agencies: Primary Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta and Recovery Alberta. Each council will explore solutions to local challenges and identify opportunities for the health system to better support community decision-making.
“By hearing first-hand community feedback directly, we can build a system that is more responsive, more inclusive and ultimately more effective for everyone. I am looking forward to hearing the councils’ insights, perspectives and solutions to improve health care in all corners of our province.”
“Regional advisory councils will strengthen acute care by giving communities a direct voice. Their insights will help us address local needs, improve patient outcomes and ensure timely access to hospital services.”
“A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach does not address unique regional needs when it comes to mental health and addiction challenges. These councils will help us hear directly from communities, allowing us to tailor supports and services to meet the needs of Albertans where they are.”
“Every community has unique needs, especially when it comes to seniors and vulnerable populations. These regional advisory councils will help us better understand those needs and ensure that assisted living services are shaped by the people who rely on them.”
Members include Albertans from all walks of life, health care workers, community leaders, Indigenous and municipal representatives, and others with a strong tie to their region. About one-third of members work in health care, and more than half of the council chairs are health professionals. Almost one-quarter are elected municipal officials, including 10 serving as chairs or vice-chairs. Ten councils also include a representative from a local health foundation.
Council members will share local and regional perspectives on health care services, planning and priorities to help ensure decisions reflect the realities of their communities. By engaging with residents, providers and organizations, they will gather feedback, identify challenges and bring forward ideas that may not otherwise reach government.
Through collaboration and community-informed solutions, members will help make the health system more responsive, accessible and better able to meet the needs of Albertans across the province.
“As Primary Care Alberta works to improve access to primary health care services and programs across Alberta, we are grateful to have the opportunity to tap into a dedicated group of community leaders and representatives. These people know their communities and local needs, and we look forward to learning from their experiences and knowledge as we shape the future of primary care in Alberta.”
“The regional advisory councils will help to bring forward the voices of patients, families and front-line providers from every corner of Alberta. Their insights will help us plan smarter and deliver care that’s timely, effective and truly local. We look forward to working closely with them to strengthen hospital and surgical services across the province.”
“Nobody understands the health care challenges unique to a community better than the people who live there. The regional health advisory councils are made up of those living and working on the front lines across the province, ensuring we are getting the perspective of Albertans most affected by our health care system.”
“Alongside Recovery Alberta’s staff and physician team, these regional advisory councils will build upon the high standard of mental health, addiction and correctional health services delivered in Alberta.”
Indigenous Advisory Council
Alberta’s government continues to work directly with Indigenous leaders across the province to establish the Indigenous Advisory Council to strengthen health care services for First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities.
With up to 22 members, including Indigenous health care workers, community leaders and individuals receiving health care services, the council will represent diverse perspectives across Alberta. Members will provide community perspectives about clinical service planning, capital projects, workforce development and cultural integration in health care.
Related information
Business
Cannabis Legalization Is Starting to Look Like a Really Dumb Idea

Back in March 2024, I wrote about some early indications that Canada’s legalization of cannabis was, on balance, causing more harm than good. Well it looks like we’ve now moved past “early indications” and entered the “nervously searching for the exit” stage.
The new concerns follow the recent release of a couple of groundbreaking Canadian studies: Cannabis Use Disorder Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations and 5-Year Mortality which found evidence relating cannabis use to early death, and Convergence of Cannabis and Psychosis on the Dopamine System which describes a possible biological mechanism linking cannabis use to psychosis.
Canadian governments had very little moral liability for the medical consequences of cannabis use before they legalized it in 2018. However, legalization predictably led to a near doubling of consumption. In 2012, according to Statistics Canada, just 12.2 percent of Canadians 15 and over had used cannabis in the previous 12 months. By 2022, that number had climbed to 22 percent – representing nearly seven million Canadians. Cases of cannabis use disorder (CUD) treated in Ontario hospitals increased from just 456 in 2006 to 3,263 in 2021.
The government’s decision to legalize the drug¹ has arguably placed millions of additional people at risk of serious health outcomes.
Let’s take a look at the new evidence. The mortality study used hospital care and mortality data for more than eleven million Ontario residents. The researchers were given meaningful access to raw data from multiple government sources and were apparently compliant with all appropriate privacy regulations. They tracked 107,103 individuals who, between 2006 and 2021, were treated in an Ontario hospital for cannabis use disorder.
The main control group used for statistical comparison was all Ontarians. And the secondary control group was made up of individuals with incident hospital-based care for other substance use disorders, like alcohol, opioids, stimulants.
The primary outcome tracked by the study was all-cause mortality. The secondary outcome was mortality subdivided into alcohol poisoning, opioid poisoning, poisoning by other drugs, trauma, intentional self-harm, cancer, infection, diseases of the circulatory system, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal system.
The researchers adjusted for age, sex, neighborhood income quintile, immigrant status, and rurality (urban vs rural residence). They also controlled for comorbid mental health and care for substance use during the previous 3 years.
In other words, this looks like a well-constructed retrospective study based on excellent data resources.
What did they discover? People who received hospital-based care for cannabis use disorder were six times more likely to die early than the general population. And those CUD-related deaths lead to an average 1.8 life-years lost. After adjusting for demographic factors and other conditions, the added risk of early death was still three times greater than the general population. (Although people with CUD incidents were less likely to die young than those with other substance abuse disorders.)
CUD incidents were associated with increased risks for suicide (9.7 times higher), trauma (4.6 times higher), opioid poisoning (5.3 times higher), and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases (2 times higher).
The Convergence of Cannabis and Psychosis study was performed in and around London, Ontario. This one is a bit beyond my technical range, but they claim that:
Elevated dopamine function in a critical SN/VTA subregion may be associated with psychosis risk in people with CUD. Cannabis was associated with the hypothesized final common pathway for the clinical expression of psychotic symptoms.
Which does indicate that there may be more connecting cannabis to overall harm than just social or economic influences.
I’m not suggesting that the government should restore the original ban on cannabis. Like alcohol prohibition, the moment when that might have been possible is now long past. But I am wondering why politicians find it so difficult to wait for even minimal scientific evidence before driving the country over the cliff?
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