The 2019-20 AHS Annual Report was prepared in accordance with the Fiscal Planning and Transparency Act, Regional Health Authorities Act, and instructions as provided by Alberta Health. The 2019-20 fiscal year spanned from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. All material economic and fiscal implications known as of June 24, 2020 have been considered in preparing the Report. For more information about our programs and services, please visit www.ahs.ca or call HealthLink at 811. 2019-20 | Alberta Health Services Annual Report Table of Contents Message from the Board Chair and President & CEO .................................................................................................................... 2 Alberta Health Services Responds to COVID-19 ............................................................................................................................ 4 About Alberta Health Services ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Map ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Quick Facts ................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Bed Numbers ................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 South Zone Overview ................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Calgary Zone Overview ................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Central Zone Overview ................................................................................................................................................................. 14 Edmonton Zone Overview ............................................................................................................................................................ 15 North Zone Overview .................................................................................................................................................................... 16 AHS Performance ......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Leading in Health ...................................................................................................................................................................... 18 2019-20 Key Activities and Accomplishments ........................................................................................................................... 19 Performance Measure Results .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Financial Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 38 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements .............................................................................................................................. 56 Compensation Analysis and Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 109 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 111 Monitoring Measures ............................................................................................................................................................... 112 Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act (PIDA) ........................................................................................... 115 Chartered Surgical Facility Contracts ...................................................................................................................................... 115 Facilities and Beds .................................................................................................................................................................. 116 Alberta Precision Laboratories: Annual Report Summary ....................................................................................................... 140 2019-20 | Alberta Health Services Annual Report Message from the Board Chair and President & CEO The 2019-20 Alberta Health Services (AHS) Annual Report is being completed and delivered at a truly historic point in not only the evolution of AHS, but also in the lives of Albertans and the collective experience of our country and the world. The fiscal year concluded with Alberta on the verge of experiencing the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic – one of the most devastating healthcare crises to grip the globe in the past century. For many Albertans, the potential health risks posed by exposure to the coronavirus are compounded by the extreme economic and social impacts being experienced across the province. Unemployment is high, commodity prices are low, critical services have been restricted, and concepts like ‘physical distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ that were completely foreign to Albertans mere months ago are now common in our daily language. We are grateful to all Albertans who heeded the warnings, followed the advice of the Government of Alberta and medical experts, and reduced the spread of COVID-19. Without those actions, the devastating toll on Albertans would have been so much worse. It is not an exaggeration to say that the COVID-19 pandemic, its impacts on the physical and mental health of Albertans, and the demands it has placed on the AHS workforce, is the single-most significant event AHS has experienced since its formation in 2009. At the same time, AHS’ strong pandemic response and support provided to all Albertans is a testament to the benefits and importance of a single public provincial healthcare provider; the sharing of information, best practices, and purchasing power was crucial in the entire province battling the novel coronavirus. The backdrop to the pandemic is a sustained economic downturn in Alberta which has significantly impacted government revenue and spending. This has required a renewed focus on the part of the public sector to be responsible stewards of every tax dollar spent – all while the public healthcare system is under new and constantly changing pressures imposed by the pandemic. The pandemic has exacerbated an already challenging situation and it will be years before the health system can recover financially. Despite the strain placed on our system as the 2019-20 fiscal year concluded, we could not be more proud of the way our AHS teams have risen to the challenge. One of the most rewarding things we have seen since this pandemic reached Alberta in early March (2020) is that even in the face of an unprecedented public health crisis — where many healthcare services have been changed or paused or restricted — the overall quality of the care being offered remains very high. Even during a pandemic, our strong training and experience guided effective clinical decision-making, and commitment, compassion, and teamwork amplified the truly world-class care being provided to our patients. The COVID-19 pandemic — and the extraordinary efforts shown in response to it — became the primary focus of the healthcare system as 2019- 20 closed. However, in reflecting upon the past year, we must not overlook other key milestones and accomplishments: AHS was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the third year in a row and was also named one of Alberta’s Top 75 Employers, Canada’s Top Employers for Young People, and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. This is attributed to the dedication, collaboration, and hard work of our staff. In 2019, Accreditation Canada surveyors conducted more than 1,800 interviews at 28 locations across AHS. Surveyors highlighted our caring, compassionate people and the collaboration that occurs at all levels of the organization. Overall, AHS performed remarkably well on the five foundational standards that were assessed, including meeting all of the Required Organizational Practices (ROPs) in the Governance and Leadership standard sets. AHS launched the first wave of Connect Care, Alberta's new provincial electronic clinical information system, in November 2019. More than 17,000 users now have access to the system in Wave 1 sites across Edmonton Zone. In collaboration with municipal and provincial partners, AHS supported the northern wildfire response in May 2019 which displaced residents, clients, and patients from their homes, communities, and healthcare facilities. AHS received recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel Report on Alberta’s Finances (MacKinnon Report) and the AHS