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By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

takes effect dec. 5

UCP finalize contract for new lab services provider

Jun 2, 2022 | 3:54 PM

The Alberta government has put pen to paper on the contract that will see a private laboratory service which collects blood and other samples for medical testing expand its operations.

Health Minister Jason Copping announced in January that DynaLIFE Medical Labs, which already operates in Edmonton and some northern communities, would upgrade its facilities and open more service centres.

The original effective date was July 1, however, it was confirmed in April that the new start date would be Dec. 5, 2022. Communities which can expect to see new labs this summer include Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Okotoks, Strathmore and Cochrane.

AHS said in April that the delay is caused by “significant operational work,” assuring that it wouldn’t affect patient outcomes or the jobs of medical staff.

“DynaLIFE is planning to open its second patient service centre in Red Deer at Bower Plaza by the end of June. A second site for community lab service will provide greater capacity and added convenience for routine lab work for Red Deer residents,” AHS says in a new statement. “It will also reduce patient volumes at the Red Deer Regional Hospital, allowing the hospital lab to focus on serving the acute care lab testing needs of the hospital.”

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Meantime, Minister Copping calls partnering with DynaLIFE an innovative solution

“This will advance laboratory medicine over the long term and build on the success of our current lab system, which is recognized as one of the best in North America,” the minister said. “This agreement expands capacity and saves Albertans money while securing the existing jobs of all our lab workers.”

Alberta Health Services will continue providing lab services in small rural and remote communities.

The government says nearly 80 million lab tests are completed in the province every year, with 65 per cent, or 50 million, is generated within the community.

Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL), a subsidiary of Alberta Health Services, the province says, will continue to provide lab services in small rural and remote communities, operate labs in acute care hospitals and offer specialized provincial testing.

“Further contracting community lab service will allow us to be more efficient and make the best use of the limited pool of qualified lab staff we have in the province – in both the public and private sectors – as well as providing much-needed infrastructure investment to expand and support the province’s ever-growing demand for lab testing,” says Tammy Hofer, APL COO.

However, lobby group Friends of Medicare don’t see this announcement quite as rosily as the UCP.

“This government has continuously demonstrated that they will always prioritize profits over patients, and today’s non-announcement was no different,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director. “Albertans have had enough of empty promises. Health care policy decisions must be made based on what’s best for patients, not what’s most lucrative for private, for-profit providers and their stakeholders.”

It’s estimated this change will save the government about $18 million to $36 million annually.

(with files from The Canadian Press)