Speaking Notes

Investing in Quality Health Care

April 14, 2015
Check Against Delivery

Good afternoon. Its a pleasure to be here with you today thank

you to my friend and our Health Minister, Stephen Mandel for the
introduction.

There is no question he has one of the most challenging jobs in

all of government. He is such a strong leader, with so much
passion for this province and for getting a job done right.

And thank you to all of our candidates for being here with us
today.

We have recruited an excellent team from all across this region

and around Alberta and I am so proud to be able to stand here
with them today.

It has been an honour to be traveling our province and meeting

with Albertans as together we prepare to choose our future on
May 5th.

This campaign comes down to a choice:

.A choice between leaders.

.A choice between parties.

.A choice between teams.

.A choice between plans.

Your choice will shape the years to come and determine which
path we follow together in search of greater prosperity.

Alberta faces a turning point.

This is a tough time for our province. The severe drop in oil prices
represents a serious problem. We all know that.

Were a week into the campaign, and on the doors we are hearing
that Albertans understand the problem, and they want solutions.

My team and I have built a realistic plan that will allow us to

confront the immediate challenges.

It will also guide our efforts to plan for the longer-term for a full
decade ahead to ensure that we are never again hit this hard by
forces beyond our control.

Our plan is clear and realistic and we encourage all Albertans to

judge it for themselves.

Its important that Albertans know whats at stake and where we

stand.

Yesterday, we talked about the need to keep investing in public

infrastructure. Taking advantage of lower market prices to build
the schools, roads, health facilities and seniors care needed,
while protecting and creating good jobs for Albertans.

Today, we will talk about our plan to improve health care services
in Alberta with 4 realistic measures.

This is one of the truly critical tasks of government both in terms

of managing the health budget and ensuring the best possible
access and services for patients.

As a province, we devote more than $18 billion every year of our

operational budget to health.

We spend more on health than any other province.

Our health costs have increased an average of 5.8% over the last
ten years and its not sustainable.

We spend the most but our outcomes and results for patients
could be better. Wait times need to go down, and cost efficiencies
need to go up.

And its not a problem you can blindly cut your way out of like
one party believes the services we offer are too important to
take so little care and frankly the numbers on this side. just
dont add up.

And you cant just keep increasing how much we spend like
another party believes - growing an even larger bureaucracy
without any regard for the bottom line. The costs on this path
just keep adding up.

And in truth, its not something we can treat as we have in the

past by making too much radical change in our top-line
structure.

The impacts on morale and effectiveness on our front lines have

been too severe and Albertans have been disappointed in the
results.

So have we.

So was Stephen Mandel and every member of our team that

is why these women and men have stepped forward to be part of
our team.

We have a strong plan to address the challenges in our health

system that includes four realistic and practical areas of change.

First, we will bring decision making closer to the front lines.

Stephen Mandel and Richard Starke have just reported back on

the first phases of their rural health review.

It is so clear that Albertans have a strong stake in their system

and they want more say.

Local decision-making.

Local voices.

Local ideas about how to respond to local conditions.

..these are all essential components of a system that

responds to the people it serves.

This is why a Progressive Conservative government will establish

8 to 10 operational health districts across the province, bringing
frontline staff from within communities back to the forefront of the
system.

We will put the focus squarely on regional decision-making and

place the needs of the patient first.

The second way well improve the system is by getting better

value for the money we spend on health.

That means closely monitoring our health care system to ensure

targets for both patient outcomes and efficiency are met.

It means expanding programs that have the potential to do the

most good like making sure we open up more restorative care
beds to free up acute care beds.

It means investing resources into childrens mental health

programs, to ensure their needs are met and challenges are
addressed sooner.

Or using the full skills of all our health professionals by enabling

paramedics, nurses and optometrists to do more.

Third, we will move forward with a clear and responsible plan to

invest in the infrastructure that supports quality health care in
Alberta.

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I outlined this plan yesterday in Calgary, and the necessity to

continue to keep building.

Projects like the redevelopment of the Royal Alexandra Hospital,

and the modernization and emergency room upgrades at the
Misericordia. These are crucial projects that cannot be delayed
no matter the economic circumstance.

We are expanding the critical care unit and surgical suite at the
Stollery Childrens Hospital, developing a new Brain Centre at the
U of A and building new urgent care centres in Airdrie,
Beaverlodge and Sylvan Lake.

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And we will continue to fund ongoing health projects in Edson,

Grande Prairie, High Prairie and Fort McMurray where in fact,
one of the first things this government did was end a dispute with
Ottawa that got land freed up for an important new Long-term
care centre.

Overall, our budget ensures that ongoing construction and

maintenance of health facilities in communities across Alberta
keeps pace with needs and growth even in tough times.

The fourth way well improve the health system is by reducing

wait times in hospitals and emergency rooms.

We have a growing and aging population, and we need to

increase capacity in our system thats the bottom line.

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We are a growing province and we need to keep pace to address

waiting times all across the system.

And we are responding

With additional surgical capacity.

With additional emergency room capacity in our major urban

centres.

More continuing care and restorative care spaces opened up

for those who are waiting too long in our hospitals.

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Weve targeted opening up 700 new spaces this year which will
supplement the growing number of continuing care spaces
including spaces for seniors and others with complex needs to
free up more acute care spaces.

Through our Primary Care Networks, we will meet the

expectations of Albertans for after hours care so that Albertans
dont have to see emergency rooms as their only option.

This team has a clear plan and achievable outcomes.

In health care, as in education, our results are what matter.

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The job of government is to ensure they are properly funded and

properly run - so they can deliver the greatest benefits to the
widest number of people.

Under a Progressive Conservative team, they will be.

We will take action to reduce waste and duplication in Alberta

Health Services to ensure the money we spend reaches the
front lines of health care.

Taken together, these four specific initiatives will improve both the
quality and the cost-effectiveness of our health care initiatives
that will ensure the health system is sustainable for the long-term.

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Our publicly funded health system will always make up the largest
component of our budget. It will also forever represent one of the
most essential duties of government.

We will make good on our duty to improve quality of care in a way

that is fiscally responsible and gets the best results for Albertans.

I am proud to be leader of the Progressive Conservative Party

that will bring these changes.

Alberta is at a decision point.

And this team, the Progressive Conservative team here in

Edmonton and around the province, is the team that is going to
carry us through and bring us out on the other side as a
stronger, more stable and prosperous province than ever before.

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We are working hard to get our plan in front of all Albertans and
asking them to choose Albertas Future.

In this election campaign, we seek a mandate to confront our

challenges head-on and to help fulfill the promise of Alberta.

Thank you.

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