Chelsae Petrovic
Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsae Petrovic will use a new government role to continue advocating for frontline healthcare workers, she said on social media last week.
Named by Premier Danielle Smith as the parliamentary secretary for health workforce engagement, Petrovic is “eager to collaborate with heath care professionals across the province, engaging directly with those on the frontlines to understand their needs and concerns,” she posted on Instagram.
“Together, we will work towards building a health-care system that prioritizes the well-being of both patients and providers.”
Just before her successful run last year to represent Livingstone-Macleod, the UCP candidate was called out for victim-blaming and made cross-country headlines.
Petrovic suggested in a podcast that some heart patients could be held accountable for their condition because of health and lifestyle decisions.
Petrovic, who spent more than 13 years working in Livingstone-Macleod as a licensed practical nurse, admitted then that she could have chosen her words more carefully. But she did not apologize, saying comments pulled from a full-length podcast failed to capture nuance and context.
Petrovic’s appointment comes as the UCP government prepares to restructure Alberta Health Services into four specializations: primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction.
After attending public engagement sessions on the restructuring in Livingstone-Macleod earlier this year, the former Claresholm mayor said she was continuing to take a deep dive into the local situation before returning to Edmonton for the post-Christmas resumption of the legislative assembly.
Petrovic said then that she had confidence in Health Minister Adriana LaGrange. “I was probably her biggest critic when it comes to this,” Petrovic said.
But after Petrovic shared problems and scenarios from the frontlines, LaGrange won her over. “She gave me hope for the future of health care,” Petrovic said in February.
A provincial news release on Petrovic’s appointment said that consultation with health care workers is vital.
“Alberta’s government has been clear that throughout this refocusing process and as the system changes, health care workers must be empowered in their roles,” the release said, adding that Petrovic will help in that work.
“Albertans deserve a better, stronger health care system,” Smith said in the release. “Addressing issues that have been allowed to grow for decades is a major job. Chelsae will play a pivotal role in ensuring that we continue to hear from the hard-working men and women who serve on the front lines of health care. I am confident her work will help lead to a stronger system.”
LaGrange said in the release: “I look forward to collaborating with Chelsae in the weeks and months to come. With her health care background, she will bring a very important perspective to our refocusing work.”
“The voice of every health care worker is critical to understanding what is actually happening on the front lines and what needs improving. Chelsae will help us incorporate those voices to strengthen the health system for all Albertans.”
The opposition NDP were not enthusiastic about the government’s choice.
A release quoted NDP health critic Luanne Metz calling the appointment “incredibly poor judgement” from the premier that will “cause more chaos” in health care.
Undeterred, Petrovic posted on Instagram: “Our government has emphasized the pivotal role of front line health care workers in our health care system’s refocusing from the onset. In my new capacity, I am committed to ensuring this principle is not only upheld but actively put into practice.”
