Alberta’s ‘instability’ cited as doctor announces relocation
A Fort Mcmurray doctor is moving her practice out of Alberta at the end of July and says “instability” in the province’s health care system is the reason for her decision.
Dr. Melanie Young announced in a May 15 post on Signal Medical Clinic’s Facebook page that she is closing her practice as of July 20. In a Tuesday interview, she said the decision to relocate to Newfoundland was one she “agonized over” for weeks.
“In the end, the decision was less about overall income and more about the instability of the current direction of primary care delivery and physician remuneration in Alberta,” she said. “And the impact of both on the sustainability of my practice and small business model.”
In February, the Alberta government announced 11 changes to physician rules and fees after negotiations with the Alberta Medical Association collapsed.
The government and the AMA had been in negotiations since January. The contract with doctors expired at the end of March.
Starting April 1, doctors were prohibited from billing for overhead costs when seeing patients outside of their own clinics. The changes led to reports of practices closing and doctors leaving rural communities — including Cold Lake, Drayton Valley, Rocky Mountain House, Stettler, Sundre and Westlock.
Later that month, Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro repealed some of the changes for rural physicians, including the exemptions from overhead charges.
“Alberta is the best place in Canada for physicians to work and we’re committed to keeping it that way, most recently by making our rural/ remote/northern incentives the most generous in Canada,” Steve Buick, press secretary for Shandro, said in a statement Tuesday. “The Rural/remote/northern Program pays a premium of 20 per cent on all fees billed by physicians in Fort Mcmurray.”
Buick said the province saw a net three per cent increase in physicians during a 12-month period that ended on March 31. This includes a net gain of six physicians in Fort Mcmurray.
Young said there is too much uncertainty in Alberta’s system for her to continue working in Fort Mcmurray.
“In the end, I chose less for more. I chose a pay cut.” said Young. “I chose to practise in an environment that is committed, through binding contract, to its physicians, the stability of their practices and the delivery of quality, patient-centred family medicine and primary care.”