Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
National

Alberta to pay nurse practitioners up to 80 per cent of what family doctors make

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Apr, 2024 02:51 PM
  • Alberta to pay nurse practitioners up to 80 per cent of what family doctors make

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said nurses eligible for the payment plan must commit to caring for 900 patients and operate their clinics on weekends, evenings and holidays. They also must accept walk-ins.

She said compensation will depend on how many patients are being served, with pay being higher for nurses with more patients. 

"Roughly 80 per cent of what a physician can do is roughly what a nurse practitioner will be doing," LaGrange said.

"We want this program to be successful, so we are providing numerous incentives and supports for nurse practitioners to take part."

She said one of those supports is providing nurse practitioners an additional $75 per patient once they reach the 900-patient mark.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Albertans have struggled to access primary care services and the program should help address the problem. 

"This is an exciting step forward in our journey to refocus the health-care system and expand primary health care," Smith said.

"Certainly there's much more work to be done. But make no mistake, we're on our way."

LaGrange said the program is to be made available to 50 nurse practitioners this year. Those practitioners have two years to get 900 patients.

"Once the program is fully implemented, they will be able to serve at minimum approximately 45,000 patients, which is an amazing number and will go a long way to address current access issues," LaGrange said.

The province is to review the program in five years to ensure it's meeting primary care needs. There will also be an audit process for accountability reasons, LaGrange said.

Jennifer Mador, president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta, said the plan offers an opportunity to remove obstacles.

She said there aren't enough family doctors in the province to offer primary care, and nurse practitioners can help.

"There will be some growing pains, but I'm excited for the potential this model provides," Mador said. 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. e-bike company shares evidence on social media after brazen container theft

B.C. e-bike company shares evidence on social media after brazen container theft
Police in Delta say they're investigating a theft of a shipping container that contained thousands of dollars worth of electric bicycles.  Delta Police say a pair of suspects showed up at a warehouse lot on Annacis Island March 19 around 1 a.m. in a semi-trailer, connecting the container to the truck and driving away "within minutes."   

B.C. e-bike company shares evidence on social media after brazen container theft

Darpan 10 with The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Of Canada

Darpan 10 with The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Of Canada
Immigration Minister Marc Miller sheds light on the cap put on international students and the housing crisis. 

Darpan 10 with The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Of Canada

Motion on Israel-Hamas war will have consequences for asylum seekers in Gaza: Miller

Motion on Israel-Hamas war will have consequences for asylum seekers in Gaza: Miller
A  parliamentary motion on the Israel-Hamas war the House of Commons passed Monday could make it harder for people seeking asylum in Canada to get out of Gaza, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday.  He said it could make the situation worse for a Canadian program that has already been, in his words, a "failure."  

Motion on Israel-Hamas war will have consequences for asylum seekers in Gaza: Miller

One arrested in Vancouver stabbing

One arrested in Vancouver stabbing
Police in Vancouver say one man has been arrested and another has been released from hospital after a stabbing in the city's Yaletown neighbourhood this morning. They say a member of the public called 9-1-1 to report that a man was allegedly chasing people with a knife, and another man had been stabbed.

One arrested in Vancouver stabbing

Former police board member claims Victoria police face 'crisis of integrity'

Former police board member claims Victoria police face 'crisis of integrity'
Paul Schachter told a police board meeting Tuesday that policing in Victoria is facing a "crisis of integrity" as he pointed to concerns set out by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who criticized officers for "intentionally lying" to prosecutors and the court, derailing a major drug investigation. 

Former police board member claims Victoria police face 'crisis of integrity'

B.C. funds project to extract minerals, metals while reducing environmental impacts

B.C. funds project to extract minerals, metals while reducing environmental impacts
The British Columbia government is funding a pilot project that it says offers the mining industry a path to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of extracting critical minerals. A statement from the province says Vancouver-based PH7 Technologies Inc. has developed a "closed-loop" process using chemistry to extract and refine critical minerals and help the industry transition to renewable energy.

B.C. funds project to extract minerals, metals while reducing environmental impacts