Expanded nurse practitioner role 'a game-changer' for health care, says Livingstone-Macleod MLA

An exam room is seen at a health clinic in Calgary, Friday, July 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Tens of thousands of rural Albertans are already benefiting from improved health care access thanks to an expanded role for nurse practitioners, Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsae Petrovic told the legislature.

"This program is a game-changer for our health care system," said Petrovic, the UCP's parliamentary secretary for health workforce engagement.

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Petrovic said rural and remote areas like Coaldale, Consort and Two Hills have seen 33 nurse practitioners accepted since Alberta first sought applications for the program. So far, it's provided access to "vital primary health care" for 30,000 Albertans.

Speaking to the legislative assembly Nov. 21, Petrovic estimated another 21,000 Albertans would benefit soon. Of 67 applications received since the program launched in April, 56 have been approved.

The nurse practitioner care program increases the compensation of successful applicants, requires that they're available for after-hours work and allows them to see patients independently. They can operate their own practices or work in teams, offering services based on their scopes of practice, training and expertise. The province first announced the program and $15 million in funding late last year.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with extra education and experience, enabling them to diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications and perform some procedures.

In April, the province estimated that 700,000 Albertans were not attached to a primary health care provider.

Participants in the program may also be eligible for support under Alberta's rural, remote and northern program, which incentivizes medical practices in underserved areas.

The practitioner program also reserves spots for participants serving First Nations or Métis settlements.

Petrovic's comments come as the UCP continues to face criticism in the legislature over the delivery of health care, midway through a major restructuring of Alberta Health Services into "four fully integrated" provincial health agencies.

Two agencies are established so far — Recovery Alberta and Primary Care Alberta.

The two sides of the house clash regularly over wait times, shortages of physicians and surgeons, the decision to restructure, reduced-hours access to emergency rooms, and the number of Albertans without a family doctor. The NDP sometimes puts the estimate of doctorless Albertans at nearly one million.

The province recently announced three telephone town halls for Albertans.

One has already happened, but the second takes place today – that's Wednesday, Nov. 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Register by 1 p.m. today at alberta.ca/lead-the-way.

The third town hall takes place tomorrow morning — that's Thursday, Nov. 28, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Register by 8 p.m. today at alberta.ca/lead-the-way.

Albertans can also simply listen to the town halls in real time via the same website without registering.

Meanwhile, the UCP continues to highlight as a major success story the nurse practitioner care program and the professionals who have taken advantage of it.

"This government is grateful for the dedication of our nurse practitioners, who are playing a critical role in strengthening health care for Albertans," said Petrovic, who worked in health care as a licensed practical nurse before entering provincial politics.

"I am proud to say the nurse practitioner primary care program is the right step to ensuring all Albertans can receive the care when and where they need it."