'I’m excited, and I'm anxious': Rural Alberta leaders react to health care changes

EMS response times have been an issue for years outside of Edmonton and Calgary, so Wednesday's news that Alberta is overhauling health care was mostly met with excitement and enthusiasm from rural leaders.

Mayors, reeves and councillors from across the province are in Edmonton for a conference this week, discussing community needs and what the province should be doing to help.

Pressing the government for improvements is one of a handful of health care-related resolutions up for discussion at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) convention.

"Healthcare is my number one topic I talk about on a regular basis," said RMA president Paul McLauchlin.

He believes most of his members are excited about the sweeping changes coming to Alberta Health Services.

"I do applaud this government. This is a big beast, it’s a monster, it’s one of the largest, it’s the fourth largest employer in Canada," he said.

The UCP formed government in large part because of seats won in rural Alberta. Now, those voters are looking to the AHS overhaul for solutions to their long-standing healthcare problems.

"The devil’s in the details…we have to try something because what we’ve done hasn’t worked," said James Nibourg, a County of Stettler councillor.

He says staffing has been an issue for years in his community.

"When you don’t have enough doctors, the doctors that are there are pushed more and more, and they’re working harder," Nibourg said.

There are similar struggles in Wood Buffalo in the north.

"I’m excited, and I'm anxious at the same time," said Funky Banjoko, a councillor in Fort McMurray.

She says her residents need better treatment options for addictions and consistent access to specialized surgeries.

"They have to fly or drive to Edmonton to do some simple procedure because we lack specialists," she explained.

As the plan moves forward, McLauchlin expects the government to measure results of the healthcare overhaul and be open to changes if an approach isn’t working.

"These are peoples’ lives. It’s a pretty significant conversation," he said.