This article was updated 15 April 2024.
As part of their efforts to balance the budget in time for the next election year, especially after cutting corporate income taxes, the UCP government cut over $6 billion from health care funding.
As well, Tyler Shandro, the health minister, refused to negotiate with the Alberta Medical Association to develop a new contract with doctors in the province. Then he unilaterally cancelled their contract and all negotiations, forcing them to take significant wage cuts.
And now the AMA is suing the government.
However, not all doctors are responding to the disrespect with a lawsuit. Some are reducing the services they provide. Some are even leaving Alberta entirely.
According to the AMA, 400 clinics in Alberta are laying off support staff or considering closing. Here are some of them.
Airdrie
Someone messaged me on Twitter to tell me that their family doctor in Airdrie left her practice in April 2021.
Another Airdrie family physician said she’s shutting down her practice in November because she’s moving to BC.
A family doctor at La Vita Medical Centre in Airdrie announced in an email that they will be closing their practice there and moving out of province.
Athabasca
In Athabasca, 9 doctors have indicated that they’re withdrawing hospital services.
Barrhead
A doctor in Barrhead announced that he’s closing down his practice in December 2023.
Boyle
A doctor in the community of Boyle is leaving in June 2021, returning to South Africa, which is where he is originally from.
Bragg Creek
At least 1 doctor in Bragg Creek is closing her practice. She will be leaving the province, citing a lack of feeling valued and supported by the government.
Calgary
In a letter to the health minister, 85 emergency room doctors in Calgary expressed concern about the effect clinic closures will have on demand in their ERs.
This doctor reported on Twitter that she was moving to BC to practice:
Kate Bisby, a family physician in Calgary, sent me the following message:
A walk-in clinic in Calgary is losing a family doctor:
This family doctor closed his practice in June and is moving to Ontario in September. He specifically cites the environment created by the provincial government.
A doctor in Calgary has resigned from the South Health Campus in Calgary. He was working in obstetrics.
Two more family doctors have announced they’ve resigned and are leaving Alberta.
A family doctor in Calgary is leaving for BC (this physician maybe one of the two mentioned in the entry immediately above this one):
Another family doctor in Calgary announced she’s leaving Alberta, and specifically mentioned the government’s actions as the reason why:
A doctor in the Glenbrook Medical Clinic in Calgary is shutting down his family medicine practice with over 1,400 patients, citing the UCP government as the cause.
A family doctor at the Riley Park Primary Care Centre is closing her practice and moving to BC, citing the current government as a reason for the closure. Another family doctor at Riley Park, pictured below, closed his practice in March 2021.
A family doctor at the Innovations Health Clinic in Calgary gave his resignation at the clinic in early November and plans to move to Victoria to practice.
A family doctor at the Britannia Medical Clinic announced on Twitter that he has filed his resignation.
A family doctor shut down her Calgary practice in early 2021 and moved to Toronto, according to the following tweet. You can also read more here.
A family physician shut down his practice in April 2021.
A Calgary family doctor at the Bowmont Medical and Travel Clinic announced last month that she’s closing her practice at the end of August 2021. She will be moving to Ontario. In her announcement, she noted that the clinic has last 7 physicians in the last 12 months.
A family doctor in Calgary announced that he will be shutting down his practice at the end of July 2021. He is retiring but was unable to find another doctor to take over his practice.
A paediatrician in Calgary moved to BC in the spring in 2021. She’ll be migrating her practice to BC by September 2021.
Another doctor at the Bowmont Clinic is closing her practice, as of August 2021.
A doctor in Calgary said in June 2021 that she’s stepping down soon as a primary care physician and that trying to be a family doctor in Alberta isn’t sustainable unless you see dozens of patients a day.
The Bowmont Medical Clinic posted on their website that they have 8 doctors who recently stopped practicing at their clinic or scaled back their practice. Four of their doctors have left Alberta to practice elsewhere, one is on maternity leave but won’t be returning, another retired, a seventh doctor has reduced her scope of practice, and a eighth reduced her hours at the clinic. Keep in mind that some of these doctors were listed above.
A family doctor at the Strathcona Family Medicine Centre announced the closure of her practice as of December 2021.
In April 2023, a family doctor practicing at the Family Health Clinic in Market Mall passed away. According to one of his patients, who had reached out to me, “well over 100 patients have lost their doctor”.
In June 2023, a family doctor at the Northmount Medical Centre in Calgary said they’re closing their practice in September 2023.
The founder of the Oak Bay Medical Clinic announced on Facebook that the clinic will be closing its doors in November 2023.
A doctor in Calgary plans to close their practice in January 2024.
Canmore
A doctor in Canmore announced that she was relocating her medical practice to Calgary. She claimed fee cuts could run as high as 40% for some doctors in Alberta, which made it hard for her to manage her high overhead and deal with recruitment challenges.
Chestermere
A doctor in Chestermere is closing her practice October 2020.
Claresholm
A family doctor in Claresholm gave notice in May 2020 that she’d be closing her practice in July 2020, citing bot recent government cuts and family commitments for her decision.
Coaldale
A family doctor at the Campbell Clinic in Coaldale said he’s closing his practice in September 2023.
Cochrane
One clinic in Cochrane is closing down. At least one doctor from that clinic may be leaving the province, and the others will work out of other clinics in the short term.
On 15 April 2021, two more family doctors in Cochrane announced they’re shutting down their practice. They cite increased costs of running a clinical office.
5 days later, a letter was posted on Twitter from another Cochrane doctor, saying she plans to close her practice in the town as of 1 July 2021. She plans to explore practice opportunities outside of the province and specifically cited the “policies, hostilities, and destabilization of primary care by the Alberta UCP” as her reason.
Two doctors at Maple Leaf Health Centre in Cochrane are closing their practices: one in November 2022 and one in January 2023. Technically a third will also close practice at the clinic but will still be practicing in Cochrane.
Cold Lake
Three doctors in Cold Lake will be leaving Alberta by the end of 2020.
Someone sent me this DM on Twitter to let me know that their family doctor in Cold Lake left in May 2020 to go to BC.
Another family doctor announced that he’s closing his practice effective September 2021. He had been practicing at Caleo Health.
Crossfield
The only medical office in Crossfield will close its doors on 1 September 2020. They cited budget cuts as the reason.
Crowsnest Pass
Crowsnest Pass apparently lost 4 doctors.
Drayton Valley
A family doctor in Drayton Valley will be closing his practice in December 2020 and moving to BC.
In May 2023, the Malone Medical Clinic announced that it was closing its doors at the end of June 2023. According to the announcement, 4 of its 5 doctors were retiring, and the 5th was relocating to Edmonton.
Drumheller
Someone sent me this DM on Twitter to let me know of a family doctor in Drumheller who closed his practice on 21 April 2021 to move to BC.
A few months later, the same person sent me another DM to tell me that another family doctor in Drumheller is leaving in October 2021, but this time for Saskatchewan.
Edmonton
A surgeon and his colleagues in Edmonton will be shutting down the clinic they run at Grey Nuns Community Hospital.
A paediatric clinic in Edmonton claims that newly introduced patient caps means that they will need to send some patients to the emergency room—instead of the clinic—for service.
A doctor at an Edmonton clinic is closing her practice and leaving Alberta.
Another Edmonton doctor is retiring early (as of July 2020) from the Ermineskin Medical Clinic.
A family doctor in Edmonton moved to the Yukon.
Two anesthetists and two doctors in Edmonton are moving to BC in 2021.
Two specialists who work at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton are taking a paycut to move to BC.
A family doctor at the Southside primary Care Network is retiring.
A family doctor at the Lessard Medical Clinic is moving to Ontario.
An Edmonton doctor shut down his family and sports medicine practice in downtown Edmonton at the end of 2020.
A reader passed along a message that indicated their Edmonton family doctor will be closing her practice in October 2021.
A family doctor in Edmonton announced that she will be leaving her practice to move to BC in June 2021. In her announcement, she claimed to have found another doctor to cover her patients.
According to this DM I received from a reader, a clinic in the Millwoods neighbourhood of Edmonton has a voicemail recording that states a doctor there is retiring at the end of June 2021.
According to a Twitter user, a neurologist in Edmonton is retiring by the end of 2021 then leaving Alberta. She cites the UCP as the reason.
Doctors at the Glenora Medical Clinic indicated in letters to their patients that the entire clinic will shut down in December 2021. They cited their inability to recruit new doctors, underfunding, and rising costs as the primary reasons for the decision.
A family doctor in Edmonton told her clients in November 2022 that she was closing down her practice effectively immediately. She also mentioned that the other physicians at the clinic where she practiced would be unable to take on her patients.
Fairview
According to a reader, the community of Fairview lost a doctor in the autumn of 2020 and another doctor will be retiring soon, which will leave the community with only 2 doctors.
Fort Macleod
A reader sent me a copy of a letter sent out by a family physician to his patients. He intents to close his practice effective February 2022. He provided no reason for the closure.
Fort McMurray
A family physician in Fort McMurray is reviewing recruitment materials from other provinces. Another announced that she’s closing her practice.
Grande Cache
In November 2021, 5 family physicians in Grande Cache sent the following letter to their patients informing them that they’ll be shutting down their practice as of February 2022. This will effectively close the town’s only medical clinic; although the town still has a hospital.
Grande Prairie
A family physician in Grande Prairie says she’s leaving Alberta after 31 August.
Heritage Pointe
A family doctor closed her practice in Heritage Pointe on 15 July.
Innisfail
A reader contacted me to let me know that their family doctor in Innisfail recently closed his clinic. The old other clinic in the community had a waiting list, requiring people needing care to travel nearly an hour to see another doctor.
Lac La Biche
In Lac La Biche, 10 of the 11 doctors there filed a letter of resignation with provincial and local healthcare officials saying that they wouldn’t be practicing at the local hospital after 31 July 2020. One of the doctors is the hospital’s chief of staff and managing doctor. They cited government funding changes as the cause for their resignation, saying that the cuts amount to eliminating a third of their salary.
A CBC article reported that as of February 2023, there were only 5 doctors left in Lac La Biche.
Lacombe
A rural family practice in Lacombe laid off 13 employees, citing government cuts to health care. This clinic had a partner resign, and lost two locums who were going to fill in for sabbaticals next year. The locums, recent Alberta residency grads, have decided to move to BC instead.
Leduc
A family doctor in Leduc is shutting down her family medicine clinic and opening a geriatrics practice, citing the “dynamics of healthcare delivery” as the reason.
Lethbridge
In a letter to the health minister, 22 emergency room doctors in Lethbridge expressed concern about the effect clinic closures will have on demand in their ERs. After-hours walk-in clinics in Lethbridge have closed.
In another letter to the health minister, 4 palliative care physicians in Lethbridge wrote that recent cuts will hinder their ability to travel to rural communities and will limit home visits.
A family doctor announced that he’s retiring in February 2021.
A family doctor in Lethbridge is shutting down her practice in July 2021. Someone on Twitter claims that she is opening up a new clinic in Cochrane.
Another family doctor in Lethbridge is also closing his practice in July 2021 and moving to Cochrane.
In September 2021, the Bigelow Fowler Clinic announced that it was shutting down effective November 2021 after losing 11 physicians and being unable to fill those vacancies.
I got an anonymous DM no Twitter that claimed an Ob-Gyn closed her practice here in June 2022 and another was shutting down here in September 2022.
A child psychologist in Lethbridge announced that she’s closing down her practice because she’s moving. This follows the retirement of another child psychologist in 2020.
A family physician at the Palliser Medical Clinic in Lethbridge is closing his practice in Lethbridge at the end of December 2022 to move to Calgary.
Medicine Hat
A maternity clinic may lose some of their 10 physicians. They cite fee changes as the reason they’re considering not practising at this clinic anymore.
In a letter to the health minister, 22 emergency room doctors in Medicine Hat expressed concern about the effect clinic closures will have on demand in their ERs.
In another letter to the health minister, 8 palliative care physicians in Medicine Hat wrote that recent cuts will hinder their ability to travel to rural communities and will limit home visits.
A family physician announced that he’s retiring early and cited the government’s treatment of doctors as the primary reason.
A journalist with the Medicine Hat News shared an announcement that a gynaecologist in Medicine Hat closed her practice in May 2021. The closure is scheduled to become permanent as of August 2021.
Okotoks
A family physician left Okotoks, citing unsustainable overhead costs. Two others are considering leaving Alberta.
An oby/gyn in Okotoks is resigning 1 December 2020 and moving to BC.
Three doctors at the Westmount Medical Clinic in Okotoks announced that they were closing their practices in the summer of 2023.
Peace River
A clinic in Peace River has stopped providing family medicine. The other clinic in the town has a waiting list of over 800 patients.
Pincher Creek
The Associate Clinic in Pincher Creek announced that 9 doctors there were discontinuing hospital-based services as of July.
Ponoka
A doctor at the Battle River Medical Clinic in Ponoka announced yesterday that she’s leaving her practice at the end of June. She didn’t cite the recent cuts as the reason for her leaving—saying that “an opportunity came up to do this training and the timing felt right”—however, she was one of hundreds of doctors last month who signed a letter asking for Jason Kenney to reverse funding cuts.
A second doctor announced that he’s shutting down his practice to move out of province.
Another family doctor at Battle River Medical Clinic announced he’s closing his practice December 2020.
A doctor who was going to move to Ponoka from the US changed his mind, specifically blaming the UCP.
Another family doctor at Battle River announced in December that he’s closing his practice.
Red Deer
A Red Deer doctor is leaving his practice to work in British Columbia. He also cited the provincial cuts.
A Red Deer surgeon is moving to British Columbia.
A family physician at Horizon Family Medicine sent the following email to her patients, saying that she’s shutting down her practice and leaving the province and cited UCP policies as the reason:
I received the following DM telling me that a family doctor in Red Deer plans to move to BC by the end of 2021.
Rimbey
In Rimbey, 2 of the 6 doctors there announced that they plan to leave the province once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. One of the doctors said the last straw was the cuts to after-hours hospital fees. Previously, he was paid $38.03 for each of the 20–30 patients he saw during a 24-hour shift. That works out to about $31.69 an hour. The new fees are $31 per patient, which works out to about $25.83 an hour. He also cites reduction in insurance reimbursements as a reason for leaving, which used to cover most of the more than $8,000 he had to pay annually. The other doctor, who was trying to build up her clinic into a full scope rural practice, cited the changes to the complex modifier, which allowed doctors to spend more time with patients in an effort to adequately address their health challenges, particularly if they had multiple issues concurrently. Three other Rimbey doctors are considering leaving.
Rocky Mountain House
Rocky Medical Clinic will require patients with multiple issues to come in for multiple appointments, due to changes to complex patient changes. This clinic is short 4 family physicians, but that number will increase to 6 by the end of the year due to retirements; one of those retirements is a direct response to the government budget cuts.
As well, 7 physicians at Rocky Medical Clinic have given their notice to Alberta Health Services that after 90 days, they will no longer be working at the hospital.
A doctor at the Rocky Mountain Clinic posted in Western Star newspaper that he’ll be closing his practice as of the end of August 2021, after being in the community for only 5 years.
Sherwood Park
A family physician in Sherwood Park announced that he’s closing his practice March 2021.
Another family doctor is leaving Sherwood Park in March 2020. In fact, he’s leaving Alberta.
St. Albert
A family doctor in St. Albert said that he’ll shut down his practice in July 2021 and leaving Alberta.
I received this DM on Twitter saying that a St. Albert doctor is retiring in June 2023, and there are still no plans for someone to take over her practice.
A paediatrician at the Horizon Health Medical Clinic announced that she’s closing her practice in the summer of 2023.
St. Paul
Some doctors in St. Paul plan to pull out of emergency room service, and some clinics will close.
In September, 4 doctors resigned; however they claimed this resignation was specifically because of Alberta Health Services, and not about the UCP government, even though AHS is funded by the government and overseen by the government’s ministry of health.
Stettler
Stettler saw 7 physicians there, who work at two clinics in town—Stettler Medical Clinic and Heartland Medical Clinic—say that because of the government cuts, they could no longer afford to practice in the emergency room at the local hospital. There are only 10 physicians in the town.
After being open for only 2 months, the Sun Medical Clinic in Stettler announced in May 2023 that they were shutting down in August 2023.
Stony Plain
A family doctor in Stony Plain left Alberta to practice in the Yukon. She also practiced in Spruce Grove.
Another family doctor said that he’s retiring as of July 2021, but was unable to find any doctors to take over his practice, so he is shutting his practice.
Spruce Grove
A family doctor in Spruce Grove will be retiring at the end of August 2020.
Another family doctor in the community is leaving.
Sundre
Because of the changes to insurance I covered above, none of the physicians practicing in Sundre are insured for obstetrical services at Sundre Hospital. A family medicine resident from the University of Alberta, who was supposed to train in Sundre has to look for other options because of the closure of services.
Eight doctors at the Moose & Squirrel Medical Clinic in Sundre cancelled not only obstetrical services but also acute care and emergency department services at the Sundre hospital.
In April 2021, I received a DM from a reader updating me on these 8, indicating that 5 of them have completely left their practices in the community, 3 of them moving to BC.
Eight additional doctors at Sundre Hospital and Care Centre have resigned.
The Moose & Squirrel Medical Clinic announced that another physician is leaving their clinic in November 2023.
Three Hills
A family doctor at the Kneehill Medical Clinic in Three Hills is closing his practice at the end of June 2020.
Two doctors at the Kneehill Medical Clinic by July 2024.
Vulcan
One doctor reported on Twitter that two patients mentioned that they’re losing their doctor in Vulcan, who is retiring.
Wabasca
According to one report on Twitter, 4 doctors have left the community of Wabasca.
Wainwright
At least one doctor in Wainwright is shutting down their practice, also citing government actions as their rationale.
Westlock
Several doctors has withdrawn his privileges from the Westlock Hospital and went on to imply that they might be leaving Alberta, as well.
Wetaskiwin
I received the following direct message from a reader in January 2022 that a family doctor in Wetaskiwin has closed down his practice.
Whitecourt
Someone reached out to me in a Twitter DM that they’re doctor in Whitecourt recently left his practice there. According to my source, the doctor cited actions of the UCP government for his decision to leave his practice.
In addition to all the vacancies these closings will create, for the first time in Alberta’s history, it has over 20 residency positions open.
Finally, the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association tweeted out a press release yesterday, saying that out of 300 rural doctors recently surveyed, 47% said that they’ve “been forced to decrease their hospital-based services by July”, with more indicating they’d likely need to do so beyond July.
19 replies on “A list of Alberta communities losing doctor care”
As a senior in Alberta, this news of all the changes and doctors leaving the province is very disconcerting, to say the least!
Oh, I can just imagine!
Given the changes that our UCP government is imposing on our medical college to prevent us physicians from leaving through a unusual policy change, I have provided my formal notice of resignation today. Not to mention everything else they have done to cause a massive disruption of our health care system. Victoria BC has just gained a new family doctor.
Dr Matthew Galas
Where were you based out of?
Tyler Shandro and Jason Kenny do you see what you’re doing to our medical system!! Its hard enough yo get doctors to work in small towns in Alberta!! Communities have spent enormous amounts of time and money to encourage doctors to move to Alberta! Now with COVID-19 doctors and nurses are exhausted and you’re expecting them to work for less!! Its time—past time to back peddle and get to the table and get an agreement!! Your pre-election slogan was for “Alberta Strong snd Free”. You’re failing terribly! Especially in the “Free” ! You’ve acted like a bloody dictator since coming into power! Treating doctors this way is NOT right!!
Why none of the UCP supporters who voted Kenney IN (60% of Ab) because he was going to ‘Make Alberta Great Again’… are surprised , is totally beyond me. WTH did you expect? Furthermore, there HAS always been PHARMACISTS fully qualified to prescribe, send patients for xrays and blood work, and oversee our heath needs IF they choose, and ARE more than able and qualified to do so!!! This was made public some yrs ago to take some of the less urgent medical needs off Drs to leave more emergent issues the attention they need. It is also known that Ab has the highest paid doctors in this country. So leaving is sure not going to gain more financial stability, they will be facing lower pays and benefits no matter where they go in Canada. I I am appalled that those so fervent to have Kenney elected, have failed to stand up or have spoken out as much (about how he has totally failed and made kangaroo court out of Ab) as they had no problem defending, when Rachel Notley at least had this province progressing in all areas… (maybe not as quickly as you all wanted, but she had to fix 45 yrs of PCbs), not only for the oil and gas sector. Sometimes, you get what you ask for. Sometimes its a windfall… in this case, its a “screw all”. Not surprised. BUT if you ARE worried about your basic needs, try going to your pharmacy to ask ‘what essential health care and attention’ they ARE able and willing to provide. So you are not left hanging, and are able to keep your own health in check, fighting to get in to any of those overpaid doctors, or not. The best ‘doctor’ i have ever had- who was more than qualified, very approachable, knowledgeable, and always available for concerns… WAS a Pharmacist/Apothecary😐 and to this day, were she still practicing, i would drive across the province to see her. If you dont do anything it cant improve. Petition Ab Health. Make noise and make necessities the focal point of existence for Ab. Or sit by, silently, shaking your head, with no grasp if what is going to become of our health and wellbeing. It is STILL a democratic country…. unless everyone has just forgotten that, or got too complacent to fight for. They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Start making more noise…. NOW… before its too late. There is a few yrs left to go… dont you see where Ab is headed? Not the fighting Ab i grew up in. The pathetic one i left… for obvious reasons. So disappointed. But not surprised- Kenney was elected as the ‘savior’ opposed to NDP? Maybe all of those whose ‘only care’ was what Kenney was platforming for.(saying what they wanted to hear?!?! He hasnt followed any of his platform for sure😠).. should go back and actually research the difference between NDP ACTIONS and policy( equal attention to every sector, and all concerning) and UPC HISTORY (only care for the corp., friends in high places, and creating a greater divide between classes… them high and everyone else low- 45 yrs prior. And obviously an add-on four yrs now🧐) A little late but better late than never……
If Kinney n Shandro would take a pay decrease it would help our doctors. Respect our doctors . At election time Kinney n Shandro will be thrown out with the baby water
Election time is too far off. We cant afford to wait that long.Kenney and Shandro have to go NOW!!!
Scary situation created by an Autocratic government for their own purpose which I feel is to break Medicare and bring in for profit health care.
Way to go Kenney 😡🥵
Helpful reference list, but need to include the denominator to go with the numerator to get a better sense of scale and more effectively rebut those who would dismiss this as within the range of normal turnover.
Dr. Tan was interviewed for this article:
https://www.avenuecalgary.com/city-life/top-40-under-40/2017/dr-amy-tan
Such a loss to our aging population.
[…] of Alberta doctors leaving the province have also made news in recent months amid escalating conflicts with the UCP […]
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[…] kaj trudi novan kotizaranĝon. La kotizaranĝo de la UCP, anoncita en februaro 2020, kondukis al a amasa eliro de kuracistoj ĝuste en la momento, kiam ili estis plej […]
[…] and impose a new fee arrangement. The UCP’s fee arrangement, announced in February 2020, led to a mass exodus of physicians at precisely the moment when they were most […]
[…] and impose a new fee arrangement. The UCP’s fee arrangement, announced in February 2020, led to a mass exodus of physicians at precisely the moment when they were most […]
It’s rather sad to know about the fact that these communities are losing doctor care. In more recent times, this is happening more and more.
This is quite a comprehensive list. All in all, I’ve enjoyed this particular read quite a bit.