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Liepert is a crisis

From http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Liepert+tweaks+style/2088843/story.html



Liepert tweaks style





By Archie McLean, Edmonton JournalOctober 10, 2009 7:06 AM







Alberta health policy? Full steam ahead.



Minister Ron Liepert's personal style?Well, maybe that needs a little tweak. "I'm constantly being told by certain people that I need to put a more human face on things," Liepert said in an interview on Friday. "And if that's what's required, I'm quite prepared to try to do that."



Liepert has come under criticism this week as the face of health reform in the province. Former Tory cabinet minister Ernie Isley called for him to be fired, and a CBC poll suggested 54 per cent of Albertans believe he is doing a poor or very poor job.



But Liepert stressed that the government's health policies are not his alone, and said he stands by even the most controversial decisions taken since the last election, including the decision not to redevelop Alberta Hospital.



Alberta Health Services said in August they would not redevelop the hospital for the mentally ill and would close roughly one-third of the 400 acute-care beds. The news release was issued late Friday afternoon and was vague about future plans.



Stakeholders, including physicians at the hospital, were furious and said they weren't consulted. Dr. P.J. White, the physician originally promoting the plan, later expressed concern that AHS was "rushing at breakneck speed" to close the beds, which had jumped to 246.



After weeks of public outcry, the government struck a panel that will look at implementing the plan. Liepert said the problems were the result of poor communications.



"Hindsight is great. I think at the time what Alberta Health Services was doing was saying, 'Look, here's the three-year plan ... no patient is going to be moved until the appropriate care is in the community. The forensic unit is not going to be closed, there will still be an Alberta Hospital, those who need institutional treatment will still receive it at Alberta Hospital.' But those messages didn't get through."



Liepert is embarking on a six-week tour around the province to talk to people about the government's health-care reform. One notion he wants to dispel is that the changes involve more private health care.



"I don't know how much more clear I can be, how many more times I have to say it, we are clearly standing behind a publicly funded health-care system," he said.



But Liepert said that privately funded is different than privately delivered, which is already common in the province.



Liepert said he wants to talk with as many people as possible.



"When I have the opportunity to meet with groups, there's generally a much better understanding about what we're trying to do."



amclean@thejournal.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal



2 options : Have Liepert ejected from caucus or have a byelection in Calgary West

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