December 19, 2002

New health region boundaries

Edmonton...The boundaries of Alberta's nine new health regions are finalized. The new boundaries come into effect April 1, 2003. A plan is being developed to ensure a smooth transition. The boundaries are based on factors that include patient flow patterns and community trade patterns. Other goals were achieving larger regional populations, and taking advantage of local centres of expertise in patient care and administration, especially in rural areas. MLAs brought their constituents' comments and questions to the discussions and boundary decisions. The final boundaries aim to achieve a balance of all these considerations. Fewer regions will reduce the flow of patients and money out of the smaller regions, giving them the resources to better meet patient needs. Larger regions will provide the population size, facilities, and resources to meet a wider range of health care needs, and to help attract and retain health professionals. Regions can take advantage of more opportunities to collaborate, innovate and achieve cost efficiencies. "This change allows us to move forward with health reform initiatives, especially those that support greater regional collaboration and new ways of delivering services," said Gary Mar, Minister of Health and Wellness. "As a result, Albertans will see improved services as regions find it easier to implement health reforms such as multi-disciplinary teams in community-based facilities. In the new year, I will visit communities in the new regions and meet with staff, regional health authorities, and local community leaders." Budgets for the new regions will be based on the same population-based funding formula now used to allocate funding to the regional health authorities. A transition plan is being developed to address the structure, membership, and role of the new health authority boards. It will also provide for continuity of health care service delivery and fiscal responsibility throughout the transition period. Every effort will be made to maintain a stable work environment for health care workers. Details of the new regional governance structure will be available early in 2003. A map showing the new boundaries is attached. Click here to download a pdf copy of this news release. - 30 - For further information, contact:

Howard May - Communications, Alberta Health and Wellness - (780) 427-7164 Dial 310-0000 for toll free access outside Edmonton Access is available on-line at http://www.health.gov.ab.ca

Backgrounder Backgrounder

Edmonton, December 19, 2002

Major Communities by Regional Health Authority Effective April 1, 2003 Region 1 Region 2 Region 3

AETNA ACADIA VALLEY BARNWELL ADEN AIRDRIE BARONS BASSANO ALDERSYDE BELLEVUE BIG STONE ARROWWOOD BLAIRMORE BINDLOSS BALZAC BROCKET BOW ISLAND BANFF CARDSTON BROOKS BEISEKER COALDALE BUFFALO BLACK DIAMOND COALHURST BURDETT BLACKIE COLEMAN CEREAL BRAGG CREEK COUTTS CESSFORD BRANT COWLEY CHINOOK CALGARY CRANFORD DUCHESS CANMORE DEL BONITA DUNMORE CARMANGAY DIAMOND CITY ELKWATER CARSELAND ENCHANT EMPRESS CAYLEY FORT MACLEOD ESTHER CHAMPION GLENWOOD ETZIKOM CHESTERMERE GRANUM FINNEGAN CHESTERMERE LAKE GRASSY LAKE FOREMOST CLARESHOLM HAYS GEM CLUNY HILL SPRING HILDA COCHRANE HILLCREST MINES IDDESLEIGH CROSSFIELD IRON SPRINGS IRVINE DALEMEAD LETHBRIDGE JENNER DE WINTON LUNDBRECK MALEB DEAD MAN'S FLATS MAGRATH MANYBERRIES DELACOUR MILK RIVER MEDICINE HAT ENSIGN MONARCH MILLICENT EXSHAW MOUNTAIN VIEW NEW BRIGDEN GLEICHEN NEW DAYTON ONEFOUR HARVIE HEIGHTS NOBLEFORD ORION HIGH RIVER PICTURE BUTTE OYEN HUSSAR PINCHER CREEK PATRICIA IRRICANA PURPLE SPRINGS POLLOCKVILLE KANANASKIS RAYMOND RAINIER KATHYRN SHAUGHNESSY RALSTON KEOMA SPRING COULEE REDCLIFF LAC DES ARCS STAND OFF ROLLING HILLS LAKE LOUISE STAND OFF ROLLING HILLS STIRLING ROSEMARY LANGDON TABER SCANDIA LOMOND TURIN SCHULER LONGVIEW TWIN BUTTE SEDALIA LYALTA VAUXHALL SEVEN PERSONS MADDEN WARNER SIBBALD MILLARVILLE WATERTON PARK SKIFF MILO WELLING TILLEY MORLEY WRENTHAM WALSH MOSSLEIGH WARDLOW NANTON YOUNGSTOWN OKOTOKS PARKLAND PRIDDIS REDWOOD MEADOWS ROCKYFORD ROSEBUD SEEBE SIKSIKA STANDARD STAVELY STRATHMORE TSUU T'INA TURNER VALLEY VULCAN

Region 4 Region 5 Region 6

ACME ALLIANCE ALCOMDALE ALDER FLATS AMISK ARDROSSAN ALHAMBRA ANDREW BEAUMONT ALIX ARMENA BON ACCORD ALSIKE BASHAW CALAHOO ALTARIO BAWLF CALMAR BENALTO BEAUVALLON CARVEL BENTLEY BITTERN LAKE COOKING LAKE BIG VALLEY BLACKFOOT DEVON BIRCHCLIFF BODO DUFFIELD BLACKFALDS BROSSEAU EDMONTON BLUFFTON BRUCE ENOCH BOTHA BRUDERHEIM ENTWISTLE BOWDEN CADOGAN EVANSBURG BRETON CAMROSE FALLIS BROWNFIELD CHAUVIN FORT SASKATCHEWAN BUCK CREEK CHIPMAN GAINFORD BUCK LAKE CLANDONALD GIBBONS BYEMOOR CZAR KAPASIWIN CARBON DAYSLAND LANCASTER PARK CARNWOOD DENWOOD LEDUC CAROLINE DERWENT LEGAL CARSTAIRS DEWBERRY MORINVILLE CASTOR EDBERG NAMAO CLIVE EDGERTON NEW SAREPTA COLLEGE HEIGHTS FERINTOSH NISKU COMPEER FORESTBURG NORTH COOKING LAKE CONDOR GALAHAD REDWATER CONSORT HAIRY HILL RIVIERE QUI BARRE CORONATION HARDISTY ROLLY VIEW CRAIGMYLE HAY LAKES SEBA BEACH CREMONA HAYTER SHERWOOD PARK CYNTHIA HEATH SPRUCE GROVE DELBURNE HEISLER SPRUCE GROVE/ASPEN DELIA HILLIARD ST ALBERT DIDSBURY HOLDEN STONY PLAIN DONALDA HUGHENDEN SUNNYBROOK DOROTHY INNISFREE THORSBY DRAYTON VALLEY IRMA TOMAHAWK DRUMHELLER ISLAY WABAMUN EAST COULEE KELSEY WARBURG ECKVILLE KILLAM WINTERBURN ELNORA KINGMAN

ENDIANG KINSELLA ERSKINE KITSCOTY FALUN LAMONT FENN LAVOY GADSBY LLOYDMINSTER GWYNNE LOUGHEED HALFMOON BAY MANNVILLE HALKIRK MARWAYNE HANNA MCLAUGHLIN HOBBEMA MEETING CREEK HUXLEY METISKOW INNISFAIL MINBURN JAMES RIVER BRIDGE MUNDARE JARVIS BAY MUSIDORA KIRRIEMUIR MYRNAM LACOMBE NEW NORWAY LACOMBE COUNTY OHATON LESLIEVILLE PARADISE VALLEY LINDALE PROVOST LINDEN RANFURLY

LODGEPOLE RIVERCOURSE LOUSANA ROSALIND MA-ME-O BEACH ROUND HILL

MARKERVILLE RYLEY MILLET SEDGEWICK MIRROR ST MICHAEL MONITOR STAR MORRIN STREAMSTOWN MULHURST BAY STROME MUNSON TOFIELD MYNARSKI PARK TULLIBY LAKE NACMINE TWO HILLS NEVIS VEGREVILLE NORDEGG VERMILION NORGLENWOLD VIKING OLDS WAINWRIGHT PENHOLD WILLINGDON PINE LAKE WOSTOK PONOKA RED DEER RED WILLOW RIMBEY ROCKY MOUNTAIN

HOUSE ROCKY RAPIDS ROSEDALE STATION

ROSEDALE VALLEY ROWLEY RUMSEY SPRINGBROOK SPRUCE VIEW STAUFFER STETTLER SUNDRE SUNNYNOOK Region 7 Region 8 SWALWELL Region 9

SYLVAN LAKE TEES ABEE ATIKAMEG ALBERTA BEACH BAY TREE ANZAC THREE HILLS BUFFALO HEAD THRONE ARDMORE BEAR CANYON ASHMONT BEAVERLODGE PRAIRIE TORRINGTON CHARD TROCHU ATHABASCA BERWYN ATMORE BEZANSON CHATEH VETERAN CONKLIN WATER VALLEY BARRHEAD BLUEBERRY BELLIS MOUNTAIN FORT CHIPEWYAN WESTEROSE FORT MACKAY WETASKIWIN BLOOMSBURY BLUESKY BLUE RIDGE BONANZA FORT MCMURRAY WIMBORNE FORT VERMILION WINFIELD BONNYVILLE BROWNVALE BOYLE CADOTTE LAKE FOX LAKE BOYNE LAKE CALAIS GARDEN RIVER BREYNAT CARCAJOU HIGH LEVEL BRULE CHERRY POINT JOHN D'OR PRAIRIE BUSBY CLAIRMONT LA CRETE CADOMIN CLEARDALE MEANDER RIVER CALLING LAKE CROOKED CREEK PADDLE PRAIRIE CAMP CREEK DEADWOOD RAINBOW LAKE CANYON CREEK DEBOLT ZAMA CITY CANYON CREEK DEBOLT CARROT CREEK DEMMITT CASLAN DIXONVILLE CHERHILL DONNELLY CHERRY GROVE DRIFTPILE CHISHOLM MILLS EAGLESHAM CLYDE ELMWORTH COLD LAKE ENILDA COLINTON EUREKA RIVER DAPP FAIRVIEW DARWELL FALHER DESMARAIS FAUST EDSON FOX CREEK EGREMONT GIFT LAKE ELK POINT GIROUXVILLE ELLSCOTT GOODFARE FAWCETT GORDONDALE

FLATBUSH GRANDE CACHE FOISY GRANDE PRAIRIE FORT ASSINIBOINE GRIMSHAW

FORT KENT GROUARD FROG LAKE GROVEDALE GLENDON GUNDY GLENEVIS GUY GOODFISH LAKE HIGH PRAIRIE GOODRIDGE HINES CREEK GRAND CENTRE HOTCHKISS GRASSLAND HYTHE GUNN JEAN COTE GURNEYVILLE JOUSSARD HEINSBURG KEG RIVER HINTON KINUSO HONDO LA GLACE HOSELAW LITTLE SMOKY HYLO MANNING IRON RIVER MARIE REINE ISLAND LAKE MCLENNAN ISLAND LAKE SOUTH NAMPA JARVIE NORTH STAR JASPER NOTIKEWIN

KEHEWIN PEACE RIVER KIKINO RYCROFT LA COREY SEXSMITH

LAC LA BICHE SILVER VALLEY LAC STE. ANNE SPIRIT RIVER COUNTY ST ISIDORE LAFOND SUNSET HOUSE LAKE ISLE TANGENT LINDBERGH VALHALLA CENTRE LONE PINE VALLEYVIEW MALLAIG WANHAM MALLAIG WANHAM MAYERTHORPE WATINO MCRAE WEMBLEY MEDLEY WHITELAW NEERLANDIA WOKING NESTOW WORSLEY NEWBROOK NITON JUNCTION ONOWAY OPAL PEERLESS LAKE PEERS PERRYVALE

PICKARDVILLE PLAMONDON RADWAY

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