“Health Matters at the Legislature” for March 2026
Wait, Alberta announced what?
Let’s face it—change in Alberta’s health-care system is coming fast and furious. Many of these changes have a real impact on your work and workplaces. It can be hard to keep up!
As part of a new effort to keep members informed, HSAA is launching a monthly snapshot of key health system changes called “Health Matters at the Legislature” — highlighting the best (and worst?) of what is happening in health care. Here’s what happened in March 2026:
Acute Care Investment in Budget 2026
The Government of Alberta continued to highlight funding improvements in Budget 2026, committing $13.8 billion to hospital and surgical services, alongside funding for rural hospitals, diagnostics and emergency care. Investments in cardiac and intensive care capacity aim to reduce wait times and bring care closer to home. The government anticipates that a $525 million investment over three years will deliver 50,000 additional surgeries over the same period.
“Budget 2026 takes decisive action to relieve pressures on Alberta’s health care system, providing health professionals with the resources and infrastructure needed to deliver timely, high-quality care for all Albertans.”
Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services
Community-Based Mental Health and Addiction
The Government announced that the supervised consumption site at the Sheldon M. Chumir site in Calgary and the mobile unit site located outside the Lethbridge Shelter will close on June 30.
Alberta is instead reinvesting in expanded addiction treatment, medical detox, recovery supports and 24-hour outreach teams as well as adding community-based mental health and addiction beds to move patients out of hospitals and into recovery settings. This marks a shift toward a recovery-focused model and fundamentally changes how many services are delivered.
The Official Opposition raised concerns about the closure of supervised consumption services.
“A proper system doesn’t give up on anyone. It meets them where they are, and helps to both keep them alive and get better.”
Janet Eremenko, Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions
HSAA continues to work with employers to understand the scope of this transition and will work to ensure members are informed and protected within the scope of our Collective Agreements.
Ground Ambulance RFP
Acute Care Alberta is launching a competitive procurement process for existing ground ambulance service contracts under EHS-Alberta, with new contracts expected by 2027.
EHS-Alberta currently holds contract agreements with 30 ground ambulance service partners delivering emergency health services in communities across the province. The procurement process will seek partners for new 10-year service agreements.
“Our ground ambulance partners play a critical role in delivering timely, high-quality emergency care to Albertans every day. This procurement process recognizes the value of those partnerships while ensuring we continue to provide reliable, sustainable, and patient-focused services across the province.”
Les Fisher, Managing Director and Chief of EHS-Alberta
Officials say the process will support long-term stability. However, some rural municipal leaders have raised concerns about access to service and response times.
Oversight and Accountability
A quality assurance review into the death of 44-year-old Prashant Shreekumar, who died while waiting for care at Edmonton’s Grey Nuns Community Hospital, found 16 recommendations for implementation.
“The QAR process is designed to assess adverse events at a systemic level and identify actions that can be taken to improve the overall quality of care that patients receive and prevent similar outcomes in the future.”
David Diamond, ACA Interim CEO
One of the recommendations is for 24/7 coverage of electrocardiogram technicians and the conversion of existing temporary nursing positions to permanent positions to stabilize staffing and provide support to waiting room and triage areas.
In addition, the province has also released a final report into procurement practices at Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services, revealing some conflicts of interest.
MAID
Proposed legislation would restrict access to medical assistance in dying (MAID) for people with mental illness. The legislation faces opposition from some doctors and health-care professionals.
Indigenous Health Services
The province is investing in Indigenous health services to improve access to culturally appropriate care. The Government says these investments will strengthen community-based services to help close gaps in access and improve health outcomes for Indigenous patients and families.
It includes nearly $16 million to compensate more than 95 physicians, several of whom are Indigenous, to provide culturally safe and patient-centered care for Indigenous patients in 18 communities, as well as Edmonton and Calgary.
Opposition Motion Defeated
The Official Opposition urged the Government to support Motion 506, calling for urgent action on health-care worker shortages through recruitment and retention strategies to address growing gaps in care and system strain. Motion 506 was defeated.
Whistleblower Legislation Defeated
The Government voted against legislation to protect whistleblowers, rejecting proposals aimed at ensuring workers can safely raise concerns about patient care.
Last November, the Official Opposition introduced Bill 204, the Publicly Funded Health Entity Whistleblower Protection Act. The Opposition said the legislation would strengthen transparency and accountability by ensuring that any worker employed by a publicly funded health entity—whether in AHS, one of the new agencies, or a contracted facility—can report wrongdoing or misuse of public funds without fear of retaliation.