Alberta is introducing a new compensation model that would allow nurse practitioners to make 80 percent of what family doctors are paid as part of a new $15 million program. The initiative aims to fill gaps in the system by matching up more residents with a primary health-care provider.
The target for nurse practitioners to receive 80 percent of a family doctor’s salary was calculated using the expectation that nurse practitioners will take on 80 percent of a physician’s responsibilities, Ms. LaGrange said.
“This is the first direct funding model that mirrors what our physician colleagues have had,” said Jennifer Mador, president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta (NPAA). She told reporters the funding provides an entrepreneurial model for nurse practitioners who can run their own clinics.
Nurse practitioners must fulfill several requirements to be eligible to participate in the program. These include being willing to provide “medically necessary primary care services,” working to obtain a roster of 900 patients within two years, providing after-hours access on weekends, evenings, or holidays, as well as accepting walk-in appointments while they build their patient list.
The government is anticipating the program will help approximately 45,000 patients once it is fully up and running.
“We anticipate that up to 50 nurse practitioners may participate in the nurse practitioner Primary Care Program this year,” Ms. LaGrange said, calling 45,000 patients an “amazing number” that will help address access issues.
At least three to five spots will be reserved for nurse practitioners working on First Nations reserves or Metis settlements, the government news release said.
Premier Danielle Smith said the NPAA has been given a $2 million grant for the next three years to help nurse practitioners get started, including filling in applications, recruiting staff, and planning for setting up team-based clinics.
The program provides up to $10,000 annually to help primary health-care providers manage an increasing number of patients, funds through the rural remote and northern program as an incentive to practice in rural areas, as well as a one-time incentive payment of $75 for each additional patient over the panel of 900.
“In addition, clinics, communities, and primary care networks can partner with nurse practitioners who are just starting to practice by applying for one-time mentorship funding,” Ms. LaGrange said. “Through this mentorship funding, there is $10,000 available for mentors during each nurse practitioner’s first 18 months to ensure a successful transition to full practice.”
Ms. Mador said the blending of nursing and biomedical model training “enables nurse practitioners to be the only other option that is immediately available for the primary care demands of today and tomorrow.”
