EDMONTON – The Alberta government has announced that it intends to combine the province’s 16 health regions into nine.

In a statement issued on the afternoon of Nov. 29, Alberta Health and Wellness said the change is intended to ensure that "Albertans continue to receive high quality public health services in a timely way."

The Health and Wellness news release also said that the department would not release a map containing details of the amalgamation until some time "in the next couple of weeks."

The release also stated that the department intends to centralize major administrative jobs such as information technology and purchasing.

AUPE President Dan MacLennan has written Health and Wellness Minister Gary Mar seeking clarification of several points raised in the news release.

Among the

• What the boundaries will be and the effect on AUPE members employed by regions that will be amalgamated.
  
• Clarification on "centralization of administrative jobs will take place and who will do the work".
  
• Whether the "groundwork for further reform" mentioned in the news release indicates the government intends to implement further amalgamation of health regions at a future date.
  
• What role AUPE members can expect to play in creating the transition plan described in the release.
  
  To read the government’s news release in full, click here.