Health Innovation Roundup

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026

We notice a research team led by the University of Alberta's Yazid Al Hamarneh has published findings on pharmacy care clinics in Alberta as the fourth anniversary of the new clinic model arrives. Al Hamarneh and his fellow researchers reviewed 3,305 written accounts from people who visited the first such clinic between June 2022 and January 2023. They found that clients with a family physician visited primarily for acute common ailments, while clients without one predominantly sought assistance with chronic health conditions. "Our findings indicate that the community pharmacy care clinic has improved access to primary care services for a wide variety of individuals regardless of if they had a family physician or not," the study concludes. "According to the self-reported data, the clinic provided another avenue for continuity of care for chronic disease management, particularly for those who do not have a family physician."

Pharmacists in Alberta have been able to prescribe medication and provide injections since 2007, but the U of A's partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart has seen the expansion of the service from that first clinic in 2022 to more than 100 today, including a few dozen in the Edmonton region. The United Conservative Party has pointed to pharmacist care as a salve for long wait times at emergency rooms and difficulties obtaining a family doctor. Access to healthcare remains a challenge, however. Sarah Hoffman, the NDP critic for hospitals and surgical facilities, called for an emergency healthcare debate on Feb. 24, echoing previous calls for urgent action issued by her party and CUPE.

Hoffman's call came as the Alberta legislature reconvened, with the UCP government set to table its 2026-2027 budget on Feb. 26. It has said the budget will include a $7.7-billion investment in physicians, a 22% increase over 2025. That breaks down to $7.3 billion for physician compensation and $450 million for recruitment and education. The four-year master agreement with the Alberta Medical Association expires on March 31.

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Headlines

Sherif Hanafy Mahmoud, an associate professor at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and a neurocritical care clinical pharmacist at the University of Alberta Hospital, won the Practice Innovation Award. He initiated and established the role of pharmacists in the neuro-ICU at the hospital and has been recognized internationally for advancing neurocritical care pharmacy practice.
Representatives of My Viva and Revive Wellness are among more than 200 advocates gathering in Ottawa on Feb. 25 and 26 to support the establishment of a framework for women's health in Canada. Bill S-243 calls for coordinated action to strengthen women's health research, improve access to care, advance prevention, and support women-led innovation. "As someone who works in women's health, and a mother raising a daughter, this framework is deeply personal," wrote Marina Mansour of Revive Wellness. "I want my daughter growing up in a system where her pain isn't minimized and her symptoms aren't dismissed."
The Best of YEG Thrive Awards recognized health, fitness, and wellness companies, including MOVATI Athletic, which will soon open its fourth Edmonton location. A few other winners are YEG CYCLE, Modo Yoga of Sherwood Park, and Bliss MediSpa & Integrated Wellness, whose Traci Bateman was named Business Leader of the Year at the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce's 2026 Chamber Awards.
Dawn Leadbetter, a veteran registered nurse turned entrepreneur at Nurse Matrix Systems, appeared on the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast from Rainforest Alberta to discuss her solution to the nursing workforce crisis.
A new study by Elizabeth Kusi-Appiah, a University of Alberta nursing PhD candidate, looks at the experiences of Black women accessing intensive and acute care. Kusi-Appiah told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active about how having medical concerns downplayed, dismissed, or ignored by healthcare professionals can have a negative impact on a patient's experience. "I am a nurse myself, and what gets me out of the bed to go to work is the fact that I want to make (an) impact in somebody's life," she said.
Megan Vernon created a medical spa experience designed for people with melanin-rich skin after being rejected for a chemical peel treatment because of her darker complexion. The Melanin Studio at 11503 66 Street NW has earned positive recognition, including the Health & Wellness Award at the Her Legacy Awards last year.
Janet Kemei, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing at MacEwan University, appeared on the Research Recast(ed) podcast to discuss the importance of accessible mental health care. The conversation covered stigma surrounding mental health in Black communities and how technology can be leveraged to make mental health care more accessible.
Heather Armstrong, an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, discussed the gut-brain connection and its relevance for first responder health on the Just us on Justice and Other Things podcast. The Better First Responders initiative has so far found that first responders experience poorer overall health across multiple biological systems compared to the general population, she said based on early data.
A University of Alberta research team has identified a new drug target to treat harmful E. coli bacteria, which cause nearly 250,000 deaths a year from urinary tract infections. The team showed that inhibiting a protease in pathogenic E. coli prevented bacterial adhesion and invasion into bladder and kidney cells.
Genome Alberta, Ontario Genomics, and Genome Prairie are investing in Canadian companies scaling biotechnologies to strengthen agriculture and the food economy. Companies can access up to one-third of the funding for projects valued at $525,000 or more, with a deadline to apply of March 18.
Roseanne Carey, chief financial officer of the University Hospital Foundation, appeared on the Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship podcast to discuss raising capital, managing large organizations, and leading transformative change.

Social innovation

David Prodan of the Canadian Mental Health Association has published Squeezed Out, an arts-based, community-engaged "research zine" about housing affordability that centres the lived experiences of low-income tenants in Edmonton. The work, based on collaborative workshops with nine co‑researchers, argues that the housing system is designed to prioritize profit over human dignity and identifies four interconnected crises: colonization, unmet needs, tenants' rights, and homelessness.
The Housing Forward: 2026 Prairies Affordable Housing Summit is coming to the Edmonton Convention Centre from May 11 to 14. Stacey Gellatly, the branch manager of social development for the City of Edmonton, said it will bring together more than 500 housing leaders. Speakers include Andrea Nemtin, CEO of Social Innovation Canada, and there will be a fireside chat between former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson and former Toronto mayor David Miller.
Homeward Trust Edmonton is celebrating 15 years of FIND Edmonton, its used furniture store and social enterprise. A March 7 event at 5120 122 Street NW combines a donation drive, prize giveaways, a 15% discount, and more.
You Can Ride 2 is a charitable program offering adaptive bikes and hands-on lessons to remove barriers for children with disabilities. "When we talk about a bike, we can all kind of remember that first time, that rite of passage, and that moment of freedom and happiness — and it's something you really take for granted," program manager Emily Kim told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active. "Our goal is to make that accessible to all people regardless (of ability)."
Chandos Construction said in a news release that okimaw peyesew kamik (King Thunderbird Centre), which opened in December, has achieved Zero Carbon Building Design v3 certification and features on-site renewable power generation through 360 solar photovoltaic panels and a geothermal energy system. "The solar and geothermal energy systems allow us to provide a place for healing, dignity, and safety to everyone who enters while minimizing our environmental footprint," said Diana Elniski, executive advisor at Boyle Street Community Services.

More health news

The province has issued an indefinite measles exposure advisory for Parkland County, advising those living, working, and travelling in the county to be aware of the risk of contracting the disease. Adriana LaGrange, the minister of primary and preventative health services, said a blanket advisory was issued because it wasn't possible to pinpoint a specific location of exposure. Parkland County Mayor Rod Shaigec expressed concerns about a lack of communication with his council, and officials from Spruce Grove said they knew nothing more than what the province had released.
The City of Edmonton deactivated its extreme weather response on Feb. 24 as temperatures improved. The response was activated on Feb. 16 in response to extreme cold, with winter shelter shuttles continuing to operate nightly until March 31. Meanwhile, physician Louis Hugo Francescutti cautioned that people with heart conditions and those experiencing homelessness are more vulnerable in cold weather.
About half of the surplus Turkish-made children's pain medication imported by the Alberta government in 2023 has been destroyed, Postmedia reported. Alberta Health Services said 700,000 bottles were donated to eight countries, while the other 700,000 bottles were disposed of due to looming expiration dates and logistical challenges. The medication cost $478,000 to store between 2023 and 2025, and disposing of it cost a further $718,000. The bottles were imported amid a Canada-wide shortage as part of a $70-million deal with Turkish manufacturer Atabay and Edmonton-based importer MHCare Medical, though $49 million of that contract remains unfulfilled.
An Alberta man who wanted medical assistance in dying died at Edmonton's Grey Nuns Community Hospital while waiting to be transferred to another facility. William Hume was assessed and approved for MAID, but the procedure is prohibited at Grey Nuns, which is operated by Covenant Health.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees has ratified a new collective agreement for nursing staff with Covenant Health, with 89.2% members voting in favour. The agreement is retroactive to April 2024 and includes a 12% pay increase over four years.
Andre Tremblay returned to his role as administrator and interim CEO of Alberta Health Services in late January after a temporary leave of absence that began in December.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:

Feb. 25: Accessible Housing in Canada's Capital Cities starting at 10am online
Feb. 25: The Development of Alberta's Black Community starting at 2pm at Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations
Feb. 25: Fuck Up Nights YEG starting at 5:15pm at Bison Lodge
Feb. 26: Craft Your Living Legacy starting at 6pm online
Feb. 26-27: Dynamics Workshop at HIV Edmonton
Feb. 27: Insecure: A documentary film screening on food security in Edmonton starting at 6:30pm at Earth's Refillery Coop
Feb. 28: The Philip Support Foundation Launch Event starting at 10am online
Feb. 28: Brunch For Ben starting at 12pm at Matrix Hotel
Feb. 28: Coldest Night of the Year - Spruce Grove starting at 4pm at Columbus Park

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

March 5: BioAlberta's 2026 Policy Forum at Westin Edmonton
March 10: More Than Just a Bad Day – Understanding Depression online
March 20: CASA Carnival at Edmonton Convention Centre

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

Beyond Edmonton

Joss Reimer, a physician from Manitoba and past president of the Canadian Medical Association, has been named Canada's new chief public health officer. She will replace Theresa Tam on April 1.
Two more supervised drug consumption sites in Alberta will close this year as the province continues to move away from harm reduction services. The supervised consumption site at Calgary's Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre and the overdose prevention site in Lethbridge are expected to shut their doors, leaving just three sites operating in Alberta, including two in Edmonton at the George Spady Society and Radius Community Health & Healing. The site at the Royal Alexandra Hospital closed in 2025.

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