Jason Herring - Yesterday
A deal that will see a private company take over most of Alberta’s community laboratory services has been finalized.
© Provided by Calgary Herald
Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping provided an update on changes to lab services at Alberta Precision Laboratories in Calgary on Thursday, June 2, 2022.
Edmonton-based DynaLIFE Medical Labs is set to take over community and non-urgent lab work from Alberta Precision Laboratories beginning Dec. 5, after the parties signed a new service agreement Wednesday.
DynaLIFE, which already provides lab services in and around Edmonton and in much of northern and central Alberta, was previously set to take over community lab operations in July prior to a delay.
Addressing reporters in Calgary on Thursday, Health Minister Jason Copping said the move creates “efficiencies” within Alberta’s lab system, which will save the province $18 million to $36 million per year.
“This change really sums up the rationale for contracting: enhanced services at a lower cost,” Copping said. “First and foremost, it will give Albertans more and better services.”
Copping said there will be no job losses in the privatization, but said it would be “a process of change” for Alberta Precision Laboratories staff. He said all unionized, non-unionized and medical scientific staff will be employed under “the same or similar” terms.
The head of the union representing 1,200 Alberta Precision workers said it’s vital lab workers maintain their current terms of employment.
“HSAA will work relentlessly to ensure all APL members being moved to DynaLIFE will keep their salaries, seniority, workplace benefits and pensions,” Mike Parker, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, said in a statement.
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“DynaLIFE members must then also be offered the same benefits, salaries and pensions as their APL counterparts.”
Job losses aren’t on the table in large part because of industry-wide worker shortages, said Jason Pincock, DynaLIFE president and CEO.
Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping toured Alberta Precision Laboratories in Calgary with Dr. Dylan Pillai, south sector medical director with Alberta Precision Laboratories (left), and Jason Pincock, president and CEO, DynaLIFE Medical Labs (right) on Thursday, June 2, 2022.
“We need everybody and we’re taking everybody. And everyone has a role and everyone has a job,” Pincock said. “The reality is that lab systems across Canada are challenged with capacity and staffing.”
Under the new deal, Alberta Precision Laboratories will continue to operate labs in acute-care hospitals, as well as provide services to rural and remote communities and offer some other specialized testing, like COVID-19 tests.
DynaLIFE is set to expand its patient service facilities in Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Okotoks, Strathmore and Cochrane as part of the takeover.
The Friends of Medicare advocacy group slammed the privatization plans, charging challenges in Alberta’s community lab system are the product of the UCP government.
“The government did nothing to help public laboratories the past few years, yet they’re claiming they have no choice but to do this to get better service and save money, but there’s no evidence that’s true,” said Friends of Medicare executive director Chris Galloway.
NDP Opposition health critic David Shepherd also criticized the announcement, asserting in a news release the UCP “continue to undermine (public health care) by diverting public dollars to profitable companies and their shareholders.”
Edmonton-based DynaLIFE Medical Labs is set to take over community and non-urgent lab work from Alberta Precision Laboratories beginning Dec. 5, after the parties signed a new service agreement Wednesday.
DynaLIFE, which already provides lab services in and around Edmonton and in much of northern and central Alberta, was previously set to take over community lab operations in July prior to a delay.
Addressing reporters in Calgary on Thursday, Health Minister Jason Copping said the move creates “efficiencies” within Alberta’s lab system, which will save the province $18 million to $36 million per year.
“This change really sums up the rationale for contracting: enhanced services at a lower cost,” Copping said. “First and foremost, it will give Albertans more and better services.”
Copping said there will be no job losses in the privatization, but said it would be “a process of change” for Alberta Precision Laboratories staff. He said all unionized, non-unionized and medical scientific staff will be employed under “the same or similar” terms.
The head of the union representing 1,200 Alberta Precision workers said it’s vital lab workers maintain their current terms of employment.
“HSAA will work relentlessly to ensure all APL members being moved to DynaLIFE will keep their salaries, seniority, workplace benefits and pensions,” Mike Parker, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, said in a statement.
“DynaLIFE members must then also be offered the same benefits, salaries and pensions as their APL counterparts.”
Job losses aren’t on the table in large part because of industry-wide worker shortages, said Jason Pincock, DynaLIFE president and CEO.
Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping toured Alberta Precision Laboratories in Calgary with Dr. Dylan Pillai, south sector medical director with Alberta Precision Laboratories (left), and Jason Pincock, president and CEO, DynaLIFE Medical Labs (right) on Thursday, June 2, 2022.
“We need everybody and we’re taking everybody. And everyone has a role and everyone has a job,” Pincock said. “The reality is that lab systems across Canada are challenged with capacity and staffing.”
Under the new deal, Alberta Precision Laboratories will continue to operate labs in acute-care hospitals, as well as provide services to rural and remote communities and offer some other specialized testing, like COVID-19 tests.
DynaLIFE is set to expand its patient service facilities in Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Okotoks, Strathmore and Cochrane as part of the takeover.
The Friends of Medicare advocacy group slammed the privatization plans, charging challenges in Alberta’s community lab system are the product of the UCP government.
“The government did nothing to help public laboratories the past few years, yet they’re claiming they have no choice but to do this to get better service and save money, but there’s no evidence that’s true,” said Friends of Medicare executive director Chris Galloway.
NDP Opposition health critic David Shepherd also criticized the announcement, asserting in a news release the UCP “continue to undermine (public health care) by diverting public dollars to profitable companies and their shareholders.”
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