SPEECHES

Dr. Don Dick, Vice Chair
Launch of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute
Friday, March 26, 2004

Good morning. I am delighted to be part of the new Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute. This is an initiative with a central focus on health care reform. As Dr. Frank noted, this could only happen in Alberta. We are fortunate to live in a province where change is embraced.

I am excited about the collaborative approach we have taken. With the Institute at the center of our efforts, we are ready to effect a great and positive change in this health care system.

The Institute is the crucial link that we need to encourage health care to evolve into something better for all Albertans. Through the Institute, we (and by we I mean bone and joint health providers, regional health authorities, the provincial government, researchers, and educators), will be able to share ideas, develop health care innovations and, most importantly, implement solutions that will benefit all Albertans.

Our system is now plagued by long waiting times for patients. It lacks consistency with approaches to care, and services often overlap. In many ways, today's system is inefficient and we are anxious to change that.

We envision care delivered by agreed-upon standards based on a combination of evidence and medical judgment. We see service guarantees and a strong team approach to bone and joint heath care.

To bring this vision to life, the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Initiative was launched approximately twelve months ago. It began with orthopaedic surgeons and has evolved to include all bone and joint providers. It is closely linked to the Primary Care Initiative.

We began with a process of redesigning the system from a patient perspective based on world-class standards and evidence. This is true reform. We have designed new methods, new provider models, and new services in bone and joint health. Out of this reform, the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute was born. This is the umbrella organization for all bone and joint health activities in this province.

Let me give you four brief examples of how a joint replacement patient will be cared for under this model. This is different from the present system.

First, patients will be assigned to a team of health care providers, including nurses, therapists, and physicians. The team will manage the access and care across the continuum. Each patient will be assigned a case manager who will monitor their progress, and communicate closely with the patient.

Second, waiting times to see an orthopaedic team will be reduced from the present six to ten months down to three weeks.

Third, access to surgery will be reduced from the present twelve months to less than four months.

Fourth, we will produce more benefit from the resources we currently have and only seek new resources if it is justified from a health care perspective.

In-patient length of stay will be reduced by one or two days, with each day resulting in a provincial gain of $4 million or an additional 250 cases.

Lastly, we will also encourage patients to partner with us and take responsibility for achieving desired outcomes by actively participating in their care.

As well as joint replacement (or arthroplasty), we currently have five new patient care continuums in the design process. These continuums are patient pathways from referral to recovery. This includes spine and back, trauma, pediatric, orthopaedic, and sports medicine. We intend the Institute to be both the generator and the holder of expert knowledge on all these key areas of bone and joint health.

The Institute will be working with the two larger health regions and Alberta Health and Wellness to roll out the joint replacement continuum this fall. This will be part of a staged implementation of our new model for health service delivery. As each stage is completed, we will be one step closer to our goals of shorter patient wait times, more efficient surgical preparation, and faster recovery.

Once the initial phase has been completed for arthroplasty in the two major regions, we will fine-tune the design and quickly implement the continuum throughout the province. Each new bone and joint health care continuum will go through this process of implementation, fine-tuning and expanded implementation.

One of the other projects we are working on is a province-wide phone line similar to Health Link. This will connect primary care and other referring physicians to bone and joint specialists focused on providing expert advice. It is one more example of how the Institute is working to streamline the way health services will be delivered to this province.

Of course, change is not going to happen overnight, but today, we are making an important step toward better health care for all Albertans. Through the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, we stand together - partners committed to a common goal.