Alberta Health Services (AHS)

Who We Are

• Alberta Health Services (AHS) is Canada’s first and largest provincewide, fully-integrated health system, responsible for delivering health services to the over four million people living in Alberta, as well as to some residents of Saskatchewan, B.C. and the Northwest Territories. Alberta is the fastest-growing province in Canada. In 2014, Alberta’s population growth rate more than doubled the national average (2.9 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively).
• Alberta Health Services (AHS) has over 108,000 employees, including over 99,900 direct AHS employees (excluding Covenant Health staff) and over 8,200 staff working in AHS wholly-owned subsidiaries such as Carewest, CapitalCare Group and Calgary Laboratory Services. We are also supported by over 15,600 volunteers and almost 9,300 physicians practicing in Alberta, more than 7,700 of whom are members of the AHS medical staff (physicians, dentists, podiatrists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons).
• Students from Alberta’s universities and colleges, as well as from universities and colleges outside of Alberta, receive clinical education in AHS facilities and community locations.
• 106 acute care hospitals, five stand-alone psychiatric facilities, 8,471 acute care beds, 23,742 continuing care beds/spaces and 208 community palliative and hospice beds, 2,439 addiction and mental health beds plus equity partnership in 42 primary care networks.
• Programs and services are offered at over 650 facilities throughout the province, including hospitals, clinics, continuing care facilities, cancer centres, mental health facilities and community health sites.
• The province also has an extensive network of community-based services designed to assist Albertans maintain and/or improve health status.

Our History

• Canada’s first province-wide, fully integrated health system, announced on May 15, 2008, by Ron Liepert, Minister of Health and Wellness.
• We bring together 12 formerly separate health entities in the province including three geographically based health authorities, Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC), Alberta Mental Health Board and Alberta Cancer Board. Ground ambulance service was added to the responsibilities of AHS in an announcement from Alberta Health and Wellness on May 30, 2008. The services were moved from municipalities to AHS effective April 1, 2009.