A new $15-million payment model for nurse practitioners was announced by the province on Thursday.
Last November the UPC said it would be expanding opportunities for nurse practitioners to help address the doctor shortage and funding was the next step.
Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said while it’s nice to see the details, and that the province is working collaboratively with the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta, it was another one-off announcement.
“This is being presented as a solution to primary care to give more people access, but it’s being done without any connection to a wider strategy,” Gallaway said.
“It all just seems very ad hoc. How does this fit into their bigger plans for health care, this new primary care agency that will be coming?”
He said limited access to health care for Albertans, and not enough health care staff, remain huge issues.
Related:
RDP creates accelerated Practical Nurse Diploma route for health care professionals
According to the new Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program, nurse practitioners must have at least 900 patients, provide after-hours access on weekends, evenings or holidays, and accept walk-in appointments as they build their patient panel to 900.
They can operate their own practices, or practise autonomously in existing primary care clinics.
Since nurse practitioners can do about 80 per cent of the medical services a family physician provides, they will receive about 80 per cent of the compensation of doctors who provide comprehensive primary care.
Related:
Nurses need more financial support to become practitioners and set up their own clinics: RDP dean
The Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta will receive a $2-million grant over three years to help nurse practitioners throughout the application process, recruit nurse practitioners to participate in the program, and support them as they plan to work independently in an existing practice or set up their own clinics.
“Many Albertans are still without access to a primary care provider. With 900 nurse practitioners in Alberta, there is an opportunity to significantly improve access to primary care services,” said Jennifer Mador, president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta.
“This is the right next step in a marathon of change that is necessary for our primary care system.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter