Albertans deserve access to the care they need, when they need it.

Across Alberta, health care is still too hard to access. People wait too long in emergency departments, too long for specialist referrals and too long for appointments with family doctors. The  AMA’s State of Health 2026 Report showed that:

  • Only 53% of Albertans say they can usually get an appointment when needed.
  • 16% describe their access as poor or very poor.
  • Among Albertans waiting to see a specialist, 84% say they have waited too long.

Government knows Albertans are facing real challenges accessing care and they’re working to find solutions, including looking internationally for ideas and lessons that could strengthen our health care system. Learning from others is an important part of reform. So is drawing on the experience of Alberta’s own physicians and frontline teams to understand how those approaches could be adapted to improve the patient experience right here at home.

Alberta's physicians know firsthand where access breaks down, what patients experience as they move through the system and which changes can make care better. They are ready to work with government to assess promising ideas and develop practical, made-in-Alberta solutions.

Start with the patient experience.

The test of any health care reform should be straightforward: will it make it easier for patients to get the right care, in the right place, at the right time?

Listen to Alberta physicians describe the access challenges facing their patients and why physicians and health care staff need to be involved in Informed Reform.

Dr. Shandra Doran

Dr. Darryl LaBuick

Explore physician-led solutions.

Alberta has health care experts right here at home. Alberta’s physicians know what works and what doesn’t, and have ideas on how to:

  • Improve timely access to care.
  • Reduce unnecessary delays and bottlenecks.
  • Improve how patients move through the system.
  • Direct resources where patients need them most.
  • Test and adapt promising ideas before broad implementation.
  • Prevent costly or disruptive policy mistakes.
  • Measure reform by whether it improves the patient experience.

Alberta has been a place other provinces and countries looked to for health care success stories. By working with our own physicians and frontline teams, we can build on international lessons, create solutions that fit Alberta and become a leader again.

Stay Informed

Informed Reform is what makes sense.

Improving access requires practical, evidence-based solutions shaped by the physicians who understand patient care best. Government has demonstrated that it can listen and work with physicians.

Government and physicians can work together to make sure Albertans get the care they need, when and where they need it. That’s something everyone wants.