Alberta Launches Health Dashboard Revealing Surgical Data Insights

Alberta has unveiled an online health dashboard that provides residents with access to important data regarding surgical wait times and other key health metrics. This new initiative, launched on January 17, 2026, comes in response to mounting criticism regarding the transparency of the province’s health system.

In December 2025, a report by the Auditor General identified shortcomings in health-care reporting, revealing that the Alberta Health Services (AHS) did not meet legal standards for information disclosure. Following this, Premier Danielle Smith announced the revival of the online dashboards, and the launch was confirmed by Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Matt Jones at a press conference on January 16, 2026.

The dashboard will be introduced in phases, starting with surgical data. Future updates will incorporate indicators related to primary care and acute care. Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Adriana LaGrange emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “Albertans deserve to know how their health-care system is performing. This dashboard puts patients first, clearly shows key results, and holds the system accountable.”

The initial data released reveals that Alberta’s surgical capacity has maintained a level comparable to last year, aligning closely with national averages across several key metrics. The number of surgeries conducted increased from 28,266 in October 2024 to 29,780 in October 2025. During the same timeframe, the percentage of surgeries completed within the recommended timeframe slightly declined from 62 percent in 2024 to 61 percent in 2025.

While there has been a slight increase in wait times for cataract surgery, the number of surgeries for the five most common cancer procedures rose from 915 to 981 in October. The percentage of these cancer surgeries performed within the recommended timeframe remained stable, with 50 percent of surgeries in October 2024 meeting the threshold, slightly improving to 51 percent in October 2025.

It is important to note that Alberta’s cancer surgery figures remain somewhat below the national average. Median wait times for colorectal and bladder cancer surgeries lag slightly behind the Canadian median, while prostate cancer surgery wait times are currently 30 percent longer than average. In contrast, wait times for hip and knee replacements in Alberta rank slightly ahead of the national averages.

According to the dashboard data, the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital conducted a total of 4,519 surgeries between April and October 2025. This figure represents an increase of 41 surgeries compared to the same period in the previous year. The surgeries included 1,057 cataract operations, 280 hip replacements, 326 knee replacements, and 20 shoulder replacements, with the remaining 2,836 surgeries categorized as “other.”

This new health dashboard marks a significant step towards enhancing transparency in Alberta’s health system, providing residents with valuable insights into the performance of their healthcare services. As the province continues to roll out further phases, it aims to foster greater accountability and trust among the public regarding health care delivery.