Alberta
Province piling on the prizes to push people towards covid vaccination
Win NHL and CFL prizes for getting vaccinated
A new Open for Summer Lottery draw will reward Albertans who have received their first COVID-19 vaccine with prize packages from the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampeders.
More than 1.6 million Albertans have already entered the Open for Summer Lottery, which currently includes three draws for $1 million, travel prizes from Air Canada and WestJet, and prizes from the Calgary Stampede.
The new draw will give every Albertan with their first dose who registers for the Open for Summer Lottery by July 22 the chance to win season tickets for football, VIP hockey packages and rounds of golf in Kananaskis. Winners will be announced on July 29.
To date, more than 71.7 per cent of eligible Albertans have stepped up for their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, including 38.6 per cent who are now fully vaccinated with two doses.
“We’ve all missed the thrill of watching our favourite teams play to the roar of a cheering crowd. Thanks to Albertans’ hard work at getting vaccinated, we can get back to many of our favourite pastimes and sports as we safely open for summer. These prizes will help welcome fans back to their seats and are yet another incentive to get vaccinated as soon as you can.”
“I encourage Albertans to continue to book their doses if they have not already done so. Getting vaccinated will help Albertans protect themselves and their communities, and provides a chance to win one of these incredible prizes.”
“The Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club is pleased to support this very important effort to get Albertans vaccinated. While we were fortunate to have had the opportunity to play hockey this season, Rogers Place is not the same without our amazing fans. Getting vaccinated is a vital step to welcoming fans back this fall.”
“We all agree that getting vaccinated is a critical step to defeat what has been facing us all. Awareness about being a part of getting vaccinated is also vital and the new Edmonton Elks are pleased to join with our other provincial sports team colleagues to help.”
“Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation is happy to support the Alberta government in encouraging Albertans to get vaccinated. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives for more than a year. Getting your shot will help end the pandemic and allow each of us to get back to who and what we love. We can’t wait to welcome you back to McMahon Stadium and the Scotiabank Saddledome. Let’s get back together!”
Edmonton Oilers
- One winner will receive a prize package to host 20 people at an Oilers 2021-22 regular season home game in the food-inclusive Sky Lounge at Rogers Place, with a visit from an Oilers alumnus.
- One winner will receive an Oilers VIP Package, which includes a pair of lower bowl tickets for an Oilers 2021-22 regular season home game, Oilers jerseys, a VIP tour with an Oilers alumnus and dinner at Studio 99.
- One winner will receive four Loge Ledge Tickets to a 2021-22 Battle of Alberta Game at Rogers Place, dinner at Studio 99, Oilers jerseys and a visit from an Oilers alumnus.
Calgary Flames
- One winner will receive a prize package to host 20 people in a Terrace Suite at the Scotiabank Saddledome with food and beverage and a visit from a Flames alumnus.
- One winner will receive a Flames VIP package, which includes a pair of Telus Club seats for a Flames regular season game, dinner at the Telus Club, Flames jerseys and a visit with a Flames alumnus.
- One winner will receive a Battle of Alberta package, which includes four tickets in the Telus Club for Flames versus Oilers, dinner, Flames jerseys and visit with a Flames Alumnus.
Edmonton Elks
- Three winners will receive one pair of Season Seats with merchandise packages.
- One winner will receive one Luxury Suite package for one game in Edmonton for 10 people, with food provided.
Calgary Stampeders
- Three winners will receive one pair of Season Seats with merchandise packages.
- One winner will receive one Luxury Suite package for one game in Calgary for 10 people, with food provided.
Kananaskis Country Golf Course
- One tee time for 18 holes for four people. Valid until Oct. 10.
Book your shot and enter to win
Anyone who has already entered the Open for Summer Lottery does not need to re-register for this new sports prize draw.
More than $3 million in cash and prizes is available through the Open for Summer Lottery. All Albertans aged 18-plus are eligible to register for the remaining lottery draws once they’ve received both doses of their COVID-19 vaccine.
Winners will be required to confirm their immunization status. A complete list of rules is available online at alberta.ca/lottery.
Albertans can book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through AHS online, participating pharmacies or by calling 811. Select clinic locations across the province continue to offer first doses on a walk-in basis.
Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.
Quick facts
- Alberta’s Open for Summer Plan safely eases restrictions in three stages as vaccination targets are reached and hospitalizations decline.
- To be eligible for the lottery, you must:
- Opt in by registering at alberta.ca/lottery.
- Reside in Alberta at the time of entry and draw.
- Be 18 years of age and older.
- Be able to provide proof of your immunization status.
- Please visit alberta.ca/lottery for a complete list of rules.
- Any Albertan 18 or older who received approved vaccines out of province is also eligible, provided they have submitted proof of vaccination to AHS and meet all other eligibility criteria.
Alberta
Medical regulator stops short of revoking license of Alberta doctor skeptic of COVID vaccine
From LifeSiteNews
The Democracy Fund has announced that COVID-skeptic Dr. Roger Hodkinson will retain his medical license after a successful appeal against allegations of ‘unprofessional conduct’ by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.
A doctor who called for officials to be jailed for being complicit in the “big kill” caused by COVID measures will get to keep his medical license thanks to a ruling by a Canadian medical regulator.
The Democracy Fund (TDF) announced in an April 4 press release that one of its clients, Dr. Roger Hodkinson, will retain his medical license after filing an appeal with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) over allegations of “unprofessional conduct regarding 17 public statements made in November 2020 and April 2021.”
Hodkinson had routinely argued against the dictates of public health and elected officials and “presented an alternative perspective on COVID-19, including the efficacy of masking and vaccines,” TDF noted.
In 2021, Hodkinson and Dr. Dennis Modry publicly blasted the then-provincial government of Alberta under Premier Jason Kenney for “intimidating” people “into compliance” with COVID-19 lockdowns.
In 2022, Hodkinson said that leaders in Canada and throughout the world have perpetrated the “biggest kill ever in medicine’s history” by coercing people into taking the experimental COVID injections and subjecting them to lengthy lockdowns.
These statements, among others, led the CPSA to claim that Hodkinson had promoted inaccurate or misleading information. “However, following negotiations with lawyers for The Democracy Fund, the CPSA limited its claims to arguing that Dr. Hodkinson’s comments violated the ethical code and extended beyond the scope of a general pathologist.”
Thus, Hodkinson did not “concede that any of his statements were false,” but “acknowledged that his criticisms of other physicians technically breached the Code of Ethics and Professionalism,” the group explained. “He also admitted that he should have clarified that his views were outside the scope of a general pathologist.”
Instead of having his license revoked, TDF stated that Dr. Hodkinson received a “caution” and will have to “complete an online course on influence and advocacy.”
“However, he did not concede that any of his statements were misinformation, nor did the tribunal make such a determination,” noted lawyer Alan Honner.
While Hodkinson received a slap on the wrist, a number of Canadian doctors have faced much harsher sanctions for warning about the experimental vaccines or other COVID protocols such as lockdowns, including the revocation of their medical licenses, as was the case with Dr. Mark Trozzi and others.
Some of Hodkinson’s warnings seem to have been vindicated by the current Alberta government under Premier Danielle Smith, who commissioned Dr. Gary Davidson to investigate the previous administration’s handling of COVID-19.
Davidson’s report, which was made public earlier this year, recommended the immediately halt of the experimental jabs for healthy children and teenagers, citing the risks the shots pose.
Alberta’s government is introducing a new acute care funding model, increasing the accountability, efficiency and volume of high-quality surgical delivery.
Currently, the health care system is primarily funded by a single grant made to Alberta Health Services to deliver health care across the province. This grant has grown by $3.4 billion since 2018-19, and although Alberta performed about 20,000 more surgeries this past year than at that time, this is not good enough. Albertans deserve surgical wait times that don’t just marginally improve but meet the medically recommended wait times for every single patient.
With Acute Care Alberta now fully operational, Alberta’s government is implementing reforms to acute care funding through a patient-focused funding (PFF) model, also known as activity-based funding, which pays hospitals based on the services they provide.
“The current global budgeting model has no incentives to increase volume, no accountability and no cost predictability for taxpayers. By switching to an activity-based funding model, our health care system will have built-in incentives to increase volume with high quality, cost predictability for taxpayers and accountability for all providers. This approach will increase transparency, lower wait times and attract more surgeons – helping deliver better health care for all Albertans, when and where they need it.”
Activity-based funding is based on the number and type of patients treated and the complexity of their care, incentivizing efficiency and ensuring that funding is tied to the actual care provided to patients. This funding model improves transparency, ensuring care is delivered at the right time and place as multiple organizations begin providing health services across the province.
“Exploring innovative ways to allocate funding within our health care system will ensure that Albertans receive the care they need, when they need it most. I am excited to see how this new approach will enhance the delivery of health care in Alberta.”
Patient-focused, or activity-based, funding has been successfully implemented in Australia and many European nations, including Sweden and Norway, to address wait times and access to health care services, and is currently used in both British Columbia and Ontario in various ways.
“It is clear that we need a new approach to manage the costs of delivering health care while ensuring Albertans receive the care they expect and deserve. Patient-focused funding will bring greater accountability to how health care dollars are being spent while also providing an incentive for quality care.”
This transition is part of Acute Care Alberta’s mandate to oversee and arrange for the delivery of acute care services such as surgeries, a role that was historically performed by AHS. With Alberta’s government funding more surgeries than ever, setting a record with 304,595 surgeries completed in 2023-24 and with 310,000 surgeries expected to have been completed in 2024-25, it is crucial that funding models evolve to keep pace with the growing demand and complexity of services.
“With AHS transitioning to a hospital-based services provider, it’s time we are bold and begin to explore how to make our health care system more efficient and manage the cost of care on a per patient basis. The transition to a PFF model will align funding with patient care needs, based on actual service demand and patient needs, reflecting the communities they serve.”
“Covenant Health welcomes a patient-focused approach to acute care funding that drives efficiency, accountability and performance while delivering the highest quality of care and services for all Albertans. As a trusted acute care provider, this model better aligns funding with outcomes and supports our unwavering commitment to patients.”
“Patient-focused hospital financing ties funding to activity. Hospitals are paid for the services they deliver. Efficiency may improve and surgical wait times may decrease. Further, hospital managers may be more accountable towards hospital spending patterns. These features ensure that patients receive quality care of the highest value.”
Leadership at Alberta Health and Acute Care Alberta will review relevant research and the experience of other jurisdictions, engage stakeholders and define and customize patient-focused funding in the Alberta context. This working group will also identify and run a pilot to determine where and how this approach can best be applied and implemented this fiscal year.
Final recommendations will be provided to the minister of health later this year, with implementation of patient-focused funding for select procedures across the system in 2026.
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