What Matters to You Day was this past Tuesday, and many people participated online and in care facilities to let Alberta Health Services know what is most important to them when receiving care. We care what you think; we aim to offer programs that will not only improve mental health care, but positively improve the personal lives of patients.

A common theme in comments made by participants on Tuesday was the importance of being included in their own care pathways, and helping to decide what personalized treatment looks like to them.

Rapid access to a clear pathway of appropriate care is also important, as another individual noted:

Many people expressed the importance of care that made them feel valued as an individual:

And sometimes it’s just the simple things:

 

We are proud to serve Alberta Health Services (AHS) by fundraising to support programs within Addictions and Mental Health; AHS follows a Patient-First strategy in order to offer care that is relevant and beneficial to its patients. Further, Verna Yiu—AHS President and CEO—believes that it is only through talking to patients, and learning and sharing their stories that we can understand how best to help them.

It is our hope always that the programs we fund address the aspects of care that matter most to patients.  At the Mental Health Foundation, we have a better future in mind, and it is only through working directly with members of the community that we can realize this vision. We welcome your stories about and perspectives on mental health care, so we can best fund programs that align with the philosophies of the people who use them.

You can reach out at any time to our Executive Director, Mark Korthuis, at mark.korthuis@albertahealthservices.ca.

To read more comments, visit AHS’s What Matters to You blog.