Lacombe County endorsed an RMA resolution calling on Alberta to provide sustainable funding for community-owned, team-based primary care.

Lacombe County Council is asking the provincial government to provide long-term funding for community-owned, team-based rural primary care after endorsing a resolution for submission to the 2026 Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) Fall Convention during its July 9 meeting.

The resolution, titled Sustainable Provincial Funding for Community-Owned, Team-Based Rural Primary Care, calls on Alberta to establish a stable funding model for locally governed health clinics that bring multiple health professionals together under one roof.

According to the report presented to council, many rural communities continue to struggle to recruit and retain family physicians, leaving residents with limited access to primary care. The report notes that community-owned clinics have emerged as an effective solution in many municipalities by allowing local organizations to recruit physicians while employing multidisciplinary teams that can include nurse practitioners, registered nurses, mental health professionals, pharmacists and other allied health providers.

Administration's report states that while many communities have successfully established these clinics, they often depend on municipal funding, fundraising and short-term grants to cover operating costs that are not funded through physician billing. This creates financial uncertainty and places pressure on municipalities that are not responsible for delivering health care.

The proposed resolution argues that predictable provincial operating funding would allow successful community-owned clinics to remain sustainable while improving access to family medicine and reducing pressure on hospital emergency departments.

The report also points to Alberta's growing emphasis on team-based care, where physicians work alongside other health professionals to improve patient outcomes and increase access to services. It suggests that community-owned models have demonstrated success in attracting health-care providers to rural communities while ensuring clinics remain responsive to local needs.

If endorsed by RMA members this fall, the resolution would ask the association to advocate that the Alberta government establish sustainable operating funding for community-owned, team-based rural primary care clinics across the province rather than relying on municipalities and community fundraising to bridge funding gaps.

Council unanimously endorsed the resolution for submission to the 2026 RMA Fall Convention, where delegates from municipalities across Alberta will debate resolutions that guide the association's advocacy priorities with the provincial government.