NPs in Alta. want to set up independent practices as doctor shortage worsens

Alta.'s nurse practitioners (NPs) say they could be doing more to assist the province's ailing healthcare system, by caring for patients who don't have a family doctor. They're renewing calls for the provincial government to put a system in place to allow for that as they can't set up publicly funded independent practices because they have no mechanism to get paid directly by the provincial government. A University of Victoria professor says Alta. lags behind other provinces, such as B.C., Ont. and N.S., where NPs have more autonomy. The provincial government's considering the proposed changes and is studying different structures and funding models. The Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta proposed a salary model that would see them paid directly by the province and bring in roughly 25% less than the average doctor who bills through the fee-for-service model.