Health advocates are concerned that Airdrie's urgent care expansion has been halted

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Concerns about private health care are being raised in Airdrie after the Alberta government suspended an $8.4 million plan to expand the city's main health center to consider a third-party proposal that could change the facility's service model.

While little is known about the proposal, which involves a local doctor and developer, health officials say they have heard the idea of ​​introducing a publicly funded, private service model.

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Airdrie Health Foundation executive director Michelle Bates said she was notified Jan. 11 that the $8.4 million expansion of the Airdrie Community Health Center has been delayed while the province evaluates a new joint proposal involving One Health Partnership Medical and Qualico Association.

“We've done a lot to improve health care and access to care in Airdrie, from advocating for 24-hour health care to fundraising for various equipment and programs, even staff education,” Bates said.

“We have always demanded a new facility because it is necessary. We would like to see it in the form of a hospital, but if it doesn't happen, we really need this renovation in a way that the government may not know.”

With over 80,000 residents, Airdrie is the largest municipality in Alberta without its own hospital. The Airdrie Community Health Center is the city's primary health care facility, offering a range of services including a 24-hour urgent care centre, x-rays and some laboratory tests.

Bates said the center serves more than 40,000 patients each year — a quarter of them from Calgary. He said the facility was not serving the area's growing population and was in need of expansion for a long time.

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The Alberta government has announced $8.4 million to renovate the center in 2023. Plans include doubling the size of the waiting room and triage areas, as well as increasing the size of treatment rooms to expand patient capacity.

But those upgrades are now on hold as the province evaluates a joint proposal from developer Qualico Communities and Airdrie physician Dr. Julian Cain of One Health Associate Medical.

Bates said the proposal has raised questions among Airdrie residents.

“We don't have a lot of information and we don't think a lot of information has been released,” he said. “It's really sad.”

“We have to study this”: MLA

A statement from the Ministry of Health confirmed that the center's expansion is on hold as the province investigates a new proposal.

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“The Government of Alberta is committed to this publicly funded capital project and the provision of publicly funded health services once the site is operational,” said Andrea Smith, spokeswoman for Health Minister Adriana LaGrange.

“Health care delivery is a priority in Airdrie and the Government of Alberta will ensure that any health project in the community provides high quality care.”

While some have raised the alarm over the delay in repairs, Airdrie East MP Angela Pitt said those concerns were overblown. He said the province has an obligation to look into what could be a better model of service to the people of Airdrie.

Pitt said he couldn't talk about the specifics of the proposal, but said he would “prefer” if the province doesn't explore the idea.

“It's very surprising to some, and while I understand it's frustrating to see this renovation put on hold, at the end of the day we can get better value for taxpayers' money,” he said.

“We'll have to look into that.”

“We have many questions”: Lawyers call for transparency

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On Tuesday, Friends of Medicare — an Edmonton-based organization that advocates for universal health care — criticized the province for halting the overhaul without any formal notification or explanation.

The organisation's chief executive, Chris Galloway, said they were concerned about the government's lack of transparency, as well as the proposal to offer publicly funded services delivered privately.

“We have a lot of questions because the government hasn't said what's going on,” he said.

“If they're looking at other options, privatization schemes, they need to tell people what they're looking at, and people in the community and elsewhere can talk about whether it's a really good plan or not.”

Airdrie doctor suggests new 'campus', says renovations not enough

Cain said he has been involved in health care in the city for more than 35 years.

Kaine said she and others were “horrified” when they learned the province planned to spend millions of dollars renovating the Airdrie Community Health Centre, adding that the facility was never intended to house an acute care centre.

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Renovating it is “not enough” to meet Airdrie's growing health care needs, he said, adding that Qualico is proposing to build a new “campus” that would integrate primary and emergency care services.

“We think it's very innovative and will address a number of issues not just for Airdrie, but for the entire province as well as nationally,” he said.

Cain said in the coming weeks, he will submit a completed proposal to Alberta Health to review its benefits.

He added that his proposal includes the same budget and timeline as the province's original plan to renovate the health centre.

“I think it's going to be a great benefit to the community and the citizens of Airdrie,” he said. “I can't wait to make announcements or engage with the public – pending approval from Alberta Health.”

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