New Alberta health board holds first meeting in Red Deer

Alberta's new health "superboard" held its first meeting in the central Alberta city of Red Deer Friday in part to assure rural residents they won't be forgotten in the amalgamation, interim-CEO Ken Hughes said.

The board, which was announced May 15, will consolidate the province's nine regional health agencies into one. The new body also integrates the Alberta Cancer Board, the Alberta Mental Health Board and the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission.

For now, the new Alberta Health Services Board is made up of interim members, but the government is expected to announce a full-time, 15-member board by the end of the year.

Hughes told reporters he had scheduled the meeting in Red Deer because of concerns expressed by some rural leaders that they would lose their voice and their facilities once the changes are made.

"Red Deer represents a community that is not one of the two large communities in Alberta, and we are very concerned that we send the message that we will pay attention to services throughout Alberta in the rural and small communities as well."

Premier Ed Stelmach has promised that all Albertans will benefit from the move by streamlining the administration of health care and redirecting the savings to front-line services.

Hughes said the board would continue to hold many of its meeting outside the major cities to allow rural Albertans to have a say in the health care system.

Most of the day-long session was held behind closed doors, including a briefing of senior staff of the nine health regions being dissolved.

The board did provide some time at the end of the meeting for questions from the public and the media.