EDMONTON - A public battle between the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and the PCs is brewing, as the two sides exchanged words through letters on Thursday.
AMA president Dr. Linda Slocombe dealt the first blow, criticizing a major component of the Tories' election platform - calling Redford's multi-million dollar health care promise "erractic," "impulsive," and "unnecessary." Dr. Slocombe was referring specifically to the PC pledge of opening 140 new family care clinics over the next three years. The FCCs are meant to be a kind of one-stop family health care shop, but the AMA president is expressing concern over how those clinics would work in conjunction with existing primary care networks.
"We don't want a system that will potentially be in competition. That will duplicate what we already have," she says.
In her letter, Dr. Slocombe adds that opening the 140 new clinics "flies in the face of the No. 1 recommendation from the recent report of the Health Quality Council of Alberta. Moreover, there is no evidence to support this explosion in the number of FCCs from the three pilot-project clinics which just opened."
"They haven't been tested at all. The day that the first one opened, the announcement was made of 140 new ones, and there was supposed to be an evaluation process which hasn't even started because they'd only been open a day," she says.
Opposition leaders are adding to the chorus of criticism. On Thursday, Liberal leader Raj Sherman said this is an example of Premier Redford not understanding health care, and accused her of not respecting health care staff.
The Tories are standing by their promise, though, with Alison Redford sending out a letter to Dr. Slocombe "to clarify" some of the AMA president's claims.
In it, the Premier writes "there has been a substantial misunderstanding about the role and purpose of the Family Care Clinics in our province...(and that her) government is committed to continuous improvement of the health care system," as well as the "'well-being of front line providers.'"
When it comes to the issue of FCCs and primary care networks, Redford tells Dr. Slocombe, "As I have personally advised you, my government will be pleased to work with doctors in developing the new Family Care Clinic model while respecting existing Primary Care Networks."
Health Minister and PC candidate Fred Horne was also quick to defend the health plan.
"What our Premier is committed to and what we're committed to as a party is expanding team based care right across the province," he says. "We're obviously not going to create 140 in the first six months. This is a long term project. There will be close consultation with the communities where these are going to be located."
"This is an initiative that is designed to bring health care back to the community to address the needs on a local level," Horne adds. "They are designed to work in tandem with primary care networks. So we will see FCCs and PCNs working together and sharing resources."
Premier Redford closed her letter by pointing to the Wildrose party's health platform and suggesting the AMA write future letters questioning that party's health platform.
Dr. Slocombe also mentioned in her letter that the AMA will continue with its non-partisan advertising for the remainder of the current provincial election campaign - something Alberta's chief electoral officer has warned the organization about.
You can read both of the letters in full below:
AMA President's Letter
Redford's Response
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