Alberta
Sun setting on AHS as first of four provincial health agencies, Primary Care Alberta set to launch

Primary Care Alberta, the new provincial health agency overseeing and coordinating the delivery of primary health care services, will become operational later this fall.
Alberta’s government is taking action to refocus the health care system so that every Albertan has access to a primary health care provider and timely, high-quality primary health care, no matter where they live.
Alberta’s new primary care provincial health agency, Primary Care Alberta, will create a modern, more responsive and unified health care system that prioritizes patients, empowers front-line health care professionals and helps reduce pressures on the entire health system.
The immediate priority of Primary Care Alberta is to ensure every Albertan has access to high-quality primary care services in all areas of the province, so all Albertans and their families are supported in their day-to-day health needs through every stage of life. The new primary care agency will focus on supporting integrated teams of family physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists to provide patients with the best care possible.
“Standing up Primary Care Alberta is an important milestone in refocusing the health care system to put patients first and give our front-line experts the support they need to ensure Albertans are receiving the care they deserve.”
Kim Simmonds, the current assistant deputy minister of strategic planning and performance at Alberta Health, will be appointed as chief executive officer of Primary Care Alberta. Simmonds brings a wealth of public and private sector experience to the role and has extensive experience working with stakeholders across the health care system. She has experience working with clinicians and understands the need for data and evidence-based decision-making when it comes to delivering primary care services to Albertans, no matter where they live.
“If primary care is to be the foundation on which the entire health system stands, every Albertan must have an ongoing connection and trusting relationship with a family doctor or health care team. They must belong to a health home where they are known and where they don’t have to tell their health story over and over again. There is much work to do in Alberta to achieve these goals, and I’m eager to get going to help make it happen.”
Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Care System (MAPS)
In 2022, the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Care System (MAPS) initiative was launched to recommend ways to strengthen Alberta’s primary health care system. Alberta’s government undertook extensive engagement with its primary care providers and stakeholders to develop a guide to strengthen primary health care in Alberta. The MAPS final report recommended creating a single governance structure that supports an integrated team of health care professionals with data sharing within and across sectors.
Improving the coordination and delivery of primary care was also something Alberta’s government heard during provincewide engagement sessions held earlier this year as part of efforts to engage with Albertans and health care professionals on how to refocus the health care system. This made-in-Alberta solution is the first of its kind to be established in a provincial health care system. The agency is a dedicated organization to support governance, oversight, delivery, operation and coordination, a significant step being taken to improve the quality of health care delivery in the province.
Quick facts
- The Provincial Health Agencies Act enables the transition from one regional health authority, Alberta Health Services (AHS), to an integrated system of four sector-based provincial health agencies: primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction.
- The agencies will be responsible for delivering integrated health services, ensuring Albertans receive timely access to care regardless of where they live.
- Some of Primary Care Alberta’s longer-term priorities include:
- Engaging physicians and providing leadership opportunities to lead their peers through the change process.
- Incentivizing care models that improve health outcomes and patient experience.
- Providing tools to primary care providers, such as enhancing the current Find a Doctor website and e-Referral, that benefit both providers and patients.
- Setting standards for primary care so Albertans have consistent services.
- Funding primary care networks that bring practitioners together to implement provincial initiatives and address regional needs.
- Developing chronic disease care models to reduce the burden of chronic disease on patients and the health care system.
- More than 30,000 Albertans have had the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas directly on the refocusing through in-person engagement sessions, online feedback forms and telephone townhalls.
- In addition to public engagement sessions, dedicated engagements were held with Indigenous communities, the francophone community and other key health partners.
Related information
Alberta
Big win for Alberta and Canada: Statement from Premier Smith

Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:
“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.
“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.
“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.
“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.
“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.
“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”
Alberta
Energy sector will fuel Alberta economy and Canada’s exports for many years to come

From the Fraser Institute
By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouse—within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canada’s oil and three-fifths of the country’s natural gas. Most of Canada’s oil reserves are in Alberta, along with a majority of natural gas reserves. Alberta is the beating heart of the Canadian energy economy. And energy, in turn, accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s international exports.
Consider some key facts about the province’s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) 2023 annual report. Oil and natural gas production continued to rise (on a volume basis) in 2023, on the heels of steady increases over the preceding half decade. However, the dollar value of Alberta’s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the province’s energy sector reached $30 billion in 2023, making it the leading driver of private-sector investment. And completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has opened new offshore export avenues for Canada’s oil industry and should boost Alberta’s energy production and exports going forward.
In a world striving to address climate change, Alberta’s hydrocarbon-heavy energy sector faces challenges. At some point, the world may start to consume less oil and, later, less natural gas (in absolute terms). But such “peak” consumption hasn’t arrived yet, nor does it appear imminent. While the demand for certain refined petroleum products is trending down in some advanced economies, particularly in Europe, we should take a broader global perspective when assessing energy demand and supply trends.
Looking at the worldwide picture, Goldman Sachs’ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that “oil usage will increase through 2034” thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principal feedstock. Global demand for natural gas (including LNG) will also continue to increase, particularly since natural gas is the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel and more of it is being traded in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for Alberta’s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy and climate policies adopted by the last government. According to the AER’s “base case” forecast, overall energy output will expand over the next 10 years. Oilsands output is projected to grow modestly; natural gas production will also rise, in part due to greater demand for Alberta’s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.
The AER’s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the province’s energy sector. The agency sees annual investment rising from almost $30 billion to $40 billion by 2033. Most of this takes place in the oil and gas industry, but “emerging” energy resources and projects aimed at climate mitigation are expected to represent a bigger slice of energy-related capital spending going forward.
Like many other oil and gas producing jurisdictions, Alberta must navigate the bumpy journey to a lower-carbon future. But the world is set to remain dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. This suggests the energy sector will continue to underpin not only the Alberta economy but also Canada’s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.
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