Reducing wait-times for ophthalmology surgeries

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is entering into negotiations with the four CSFs following a public request for proposal (RFP) process launched in April 2021. AHS expects these CSFs to be providing additional ophthalmological surgeries in Edmonton and Calgary Zones no later than January 2022.

Ophthalmology surgeries will also continue to be provided in regional sites such as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Grande Prairie, Red Deer Regional Hospital and Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge. AHS will continue to perform more complex ophthalmology surgeries in Calgary and Edmonton hospitals as well as these community settings. There is, for example, a history of research, innovation and excellence at the Eye Institute at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

To continue to expand surgical access for Albertans, an orthopedic CSF RFP is expected to be issued shortly. Additional RFP opportunities for CSF providers in other regional centres and for different types of surgeries are expected in the fall.

In addition to increasing capacity at CSFs, Alberta’s government has invested $120 million in capital funding over three-years in AHS-owned facilities under the Alberta Surgical Initiative to reduce wait times for more complex surgeries that cannot be performed in CSFs.

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