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A foundation for Alberta's health system : report of the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health

Description

The Minister's Advisory Committee on Health was established in September 2009 to provide input on the legislative reforms necessary to update health legislation in Alberta. The Minister of Health... More ≫

Description

The Minister's Advisory Committee on Health was established in September 2009 to provide input on the legislative reforms necessary to update health legislation in Alberta. The Minister of Health and Wellness asked the Committee to establish a new legislative framework that would enable Alberta's heath system to: remove barriers to accessing health care, promote wellness, promote ambulatory and community-based care, enable the public health system to respond to emerging issues on a timely basis, encourage evidence-informed innovation, and establish clear lines of accountability. This report of the Committee presents a new focus and architecture for health care legislation in Alberta that will reframe the way Albertans, health policy makers and the health system view health and health care in the years ahead. The new legislation would move the system from an overemphasis on the needs of institutions and providers to one that better recognizes and responds to people and families...

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Alberta healthy school community wellness fund : interim report, 2010 project reporting results

Description

This report begins with an overview of 102 projects funded since the inception of the Wellness Fund in 2007. Both financial growth and reach within Albertan school communities is described. A... More ≫

Description

This report begins with an overview of 102 projects funded since the inception of the Wellness Fund in 2007. Both financial growth and reach within Albertan school communities is described. A grant from Alberta Education enabled a more detailed examination of data collected from Wellness Fund projects funded during the 2009/10 reporting year as well as supported additional projects during 2010/11. Results from 2009/10 pertain to 61 projects that span 395 schools and 139,781 students ranging from kindergarten to Grade 12. The results of projects funded in 2010/11 will be collected by July 2011 and included in a subsequent final report.

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Comparison of Alberta population counts between the AHCIP registry and the 2006 Census

Description

Two main data sources for population counts of Alberta are the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) Registry and the Census of Canada (Census). The collection and reporting methods used by... More ≫

Description

Two main data sources for population counts of Alberta are the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) Registry and the Census of Canada (Census). The collection and reporting methods used by these two counts differ greatly, and it is important that these methods are fully understood to help in determining which population estimate is appropriate for use in a particular circumstance. Comparison of the data shows that at the provincial level, the total population for the AHCIP Registry and the 2006 Census are very similar. However, variations are much more distinct when looking at variations in difference by age, sex and geographic area. Generally, the smaller the population of a particular category, the greater the difference.

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Swan Hills Treatment Center : wild game and fish monitoring 1997-2007

Description

The Swan Hills Treatment Centre is a facility for the safe disposal of special wastes located approximately 12 kilometers northeast of the town of Swan Hills. A furnace malfunction in October 1996... More ≫

Description

The Swan Hills Treatment Centre is a facility for the safe disposal of special wastes located approximately 12 kilometers northeast of the town of Swan Hills. A furnace malfunction in October 1996 caused the release of a portion of process gases containing toxic substances into the ambient air. A 1997 Alberta Health human health risk assessment study led to the establishment of several food consumption advisories and the establishment of a long-term environmental monitoring and human exposure assessment program. This report discusses the results from several ongoing studies and reviews current food consumption advisories

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Mercury in fish : Pine Coulee and Twin Valley water management projects, southern Alberta

Description

This report looks at the mercury levels of fish in two Water Management Operations projects within Southern Alberta: the Pine Coulee Reservoir project and the Twin Valley Reservoir project. The... More ≫

Description

This report looks at the mercury levels of fish in two Water Management Operations projects within Southern Alberta: the Pine Coulee Reservoir project and the Twin Valley Reservoir project. The monitoring of mercury levels in fish were conducted between 1997 and 2007. This report deals with: concentrations of total mercury levels in various fish species; estimation of exposures; fish consumption limits; fish consumption advisories, and the health benefits of fish consumption.

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Mercury in fish : rivers and lakes, southern Alberta

Description

Based on the results of surveys of mercury levels in fish in rivers and lakes of Alberta in 1982 and 1983, fish consumption advisories were issued in the early 1990s, and have been published in... More ≫

Description

Based on the results of surveys of mercury levels in fish in rivers and lakes of Alberta in 1982 and 1983, fish consumption advisories were issued in the early 1990s, and have been published in the Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulation annually. In 2006, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource and Development conducted a new survey of contaminant levels including mercury in various fish species from some rivers and lakes in Southern Alberta. Alberta Health and Wellness performed a human health risk assessment based on this new set of data to review existing fish consumption advisories. This report deals with: the concentrations of total mercury levels in various fish species and the trends of mercury levels in fish over the past 25 years; the estimation of exposures; fish consumption limits; fish consumption advisories; and health benefits of fish consumption.

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Mercury in fish : the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP)

Description

Initiated in 1997, the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) is a joint environmental monitoring program that assesses the health of rivers and lakes in the Oil Sands Region of northeastern... More ≫

Description

Initiated in 1997, the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) is a joint environmental monitoring program that assesses the health of rivers and lakes in the Oil Sands Region of northeastern Alberta. The program is designed to identify and address potential impacts of oil sands development. The monitoring of mercury concentrations in some fish species was part of the components of the RAMP program. In 2008, the RAMP committee submitted the monitoring results to Alberta Health and Wellness for human health risk assessment. This report deals with: concentrations of total mercury levels in various fish species; estimation of exposures; fish consumption limits; fish consumption advisories, and the health benefits of fish consumption.

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Pandemic response governance framework

Description

Following the declaration by the World Health Organization of the spread of the H1N1 virus as a global pandemic in the first half of 2009, Alberta Health and Wellness contracted a consulting firm... More ≫

Description

Following the declaration by the World Health Organization of the spread of the H1N1 virus as a global pandemic in the first half of 2009, Alberta Health and Wellness contracted a consulting firm to assist in the development of a governance model to enable timely cross-ministry decision-making during a pandemic response. A number of stakeholders were interviewed and two governance models were reviewed. This report presents a recommended pandemic response governance model which is adapted from the strengths of the two models under review.

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Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of Barrett’s esophagus : a systematic review and economic evaluation

Description

Barrett's esophagus is a benign condition, usually caused by long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease. In some individuals the abnormal Barrett's tissue develops precancerous cells. Barrett's... More ≫

Description

Barrett's esophagus is a benign condition, usually caused by long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease. In some individuals the abnormal Barrett's tissue develops precancerous cells. Barrett's esophagus with high grade dysplasia is associated with a higher risk of developing one type of esophageal cancer. Interventions to remove the dysplastic tissue are intended to reduce this risk. Photodynamic therapy is one of several less invasive, endoscopic treatment options for Barrett’s esophagus that offer an alternative to surgical removal of the esophagus. This review assesses the evidence on the safety and effectiveness of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of Barrett's esophagus with high grade dysplasia in comparison to esophagectomy and other endoscopic treatments for this condition. It also examines the social and economic considerations for the provision of PDT in comparison to alternate treatments.

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After-action review of Alberta Health and Wellness response to H1N1 influenza

Description

This report outlines the lessons learned from the response to H1N1 Influenza and contains recommendations for improvements to the response capability of Alberta Health and Wellness and the... More ≫

Description

This report outlines the lessons learned from the response to H1N1 Influenza and contains recommendations for improvements to the response capability of Alberta Health and Wellness and the province as a whole. The report does not comment upon the merit of the public health system response itself, but rather provides recommendations for the improvement of the emergency management capability of Alberta Health and Wellness. The recommendations were based upon the findings of over 16 after-action reviews conducted with more than 70 individuals who were involved in Alberta’s response to the H1N1 Influenza virus.

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