Alberta ERs still waiting for promised triage liaison physicians six months later
The province and Alberta Medical Association agreed on payment but remain at odds over implementation. Overcrowding mirrors peak flu-season levels even in July.
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Edmonton emergency rooms remain dangerously crowded six months after the Alberta government promised to ease pressure by implementing triage liaison physicians — a measure that has yet to be deployed.
Dr. Brian Wirzba, president of the Alberta Medical Association and an Edmonton ER physician, said the reprieve the system normally sees in July is nonexistent. In the Edmonton zone, patients waiting in emergency rooms and admitted in-patient numbers match or exceed peak flu-season levels. "With the overcrowding in the emergency rooms, we need to do something," Wirzba said. "The situation is only getting worse in the emergency rooms, and so the fact that we still don't have it in place is extremely frustrating for physicians."
The AMA and the province have agreed on a payment model but remain at odds over implementation details. Kyle Warner, acting press secretary for the Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, said the province is currently working with the AMA to implement the role.
The promise came after 44-year-old Prashant Sreekumar died at Grey Nuns Community Hospital in December 2025 after waiting eight hours for care. His widow, Niharika Sreekumar, has been pursuing legal action alongside a scheduled public fatalities inquiry set for October and December. As the sole caregiver for three children, she said she now lives in constant fear and avoids emergency rooms entirely. "If you want the tax money, keep your population healthy and alive," she said.
What specifically are the implementation disagreements between the province and the AMA?
When do officials expect the role to actually launch?
How many triage liaison physicians will be deployed across Alberta?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How long have Alberta ERs been waiting for triage liaison physicians?
Edmonton emergency rooms have been waiting six months since the Alberta government promised to implement triage liaison physicians, but the measure has yet to be deployed.
What are the Alberta government and Alberta Medical Association disagreeing about?
The province and Alberta Medical Association have agreed on a payment model for triage liaison physicians but remain at odds over implementation details.
When did the patient death that prompted this promise occur?
Prashant Sreekumar, a 44-year-old patient at Grey Nuns Community Hospital, died in December 2025 after waiting eight hours for care, prompting the government's promise of triage liaison physicians.
How are Edmonton emergency room wait times currently compared to normal?
In the Edmonton zone, patients waiting in emergency rooms and admitted in-patient numbers match or exceed peak flu-season levels, with no relief typically seen in July.
