Alberta 2023: Health System Challenges and Opportunities

Alberta is experiencing an accelerating loss of rural physicians, nurses and other health professionals with resulting loss of services and reduction in capacity to train the next rural health workforce generation.

Given the rapidly aging Alberta population, and despite important government policies promoting aging-in-place, increased facility-based continuing care capacity will be needed over the next 10 years. Systemic shortcomings in the current facility-based continuing care landscape have included sub-optimal living and working environments, which have led to reduced quality of care and life for residents.

Even though 70% of mental illness begins before age 18, only 20% of youth with early signs of mental illness will receive support. Mental illness in youth has impacts across the lifespan, reducing educational achievement, employment, income, marriage rates, and life expectancy. Governments and community organizations have invested in youth mental health services and committed efforts to develop mental health strategies. This issue brief outlines three priorities areas to develop and implement a 'Made in Alberta' youth mental health strategy.