Tobacco & nicotine dependence pathway coming soon

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In celebration of National Non-Smoking Week, Primary Care Alberta’s Provincial Pathways Unit will be launching pathway work related to tobacco and nicotine dependence. In partnership with PCA’s Tobacco, Vaping & Cannabis team and AlbertaQuits, this clinical pathway is expected to be ready for use by end of March 2026, with a patient pathway to follow. 

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Help shape Alberta’s heart health strategy

​Caring for our Hearts, a provincewide initiative to shape Alberta’s next heart health strategy, is looking for input from primary care professionals. Led by the University Hospital Foundation in collaboration with Primary Care Alberta and Acute Care Alberta, Caring for Hearts focuses on improving prevention, access to care, and recovery.​

You can join the conversation by:  ​

• ​Joining a session (in-person or virtual) to share what's working, what isn't, and what needs to change. View dates/locations and register here. Registration closes Jan. 19, 2026.  ​

• Filling out a public survey: Heart Health in Alberta: Your Voice Matters – Fill out form.​

​Questions? Please contact Shanzeh Hasan at shanzeh.hasan@givetouhf.ca.

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Let’s take down Germ-zilla!

Parents and caregivers looking for resources to teach their children about the immunization experience are invited to check out Primary Care Alberta’s Germ-zilla game. Your child will defend their health and those around them as they learn why vaccines are important.

• Find out more and play the game.

Mobile mammography services

Primary Care Alberta’s Screen Test program will be at the following locations in January and February to provide screening mammograms to eligible individuals aged 45 to 74.

• Ponoka Community Health Centre (Health Unit), 5900 Highway 2A, Jan. 12-17

• Westlock Healthcare Centre, 10220 93 Street, Jan. 14-17 and Jan. 19-20

• Banff Mineral Springs Hospital, 305 Lynx St, Jan. 19-22

• Bonnyville Health Centre, 5001 Lakeshore Drive, Jan. 21-27

• Canmore General Hospital, 1100 Hospital Place, Jan. 23-27

• Cold Lake Healthcare Centre, 314 25 Street, Jan. 28-31

• Olds Hospital, 3901 57 Avenue, Jan. 28-31 and Feb. 2-4.

Screening is available at no cost for eligible individuals, but appointments are required. 

• Call 1-800-667-0604 to book an appointment or learn more about the program.

• Get more information about breast cancer screening and who is eligible here.

• Get more information and a complete listing of communities that the Screen Test mobile visits here.

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HPV primary screening for women and people with a cervix aged 50 to 69

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month! A reminder that cervical cancer screening saves lives and is recommended for women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 69.

Alberta has transitioned to HPV (human papillomavirus) primary screening, also known as the cervical screening test, as the standard for those aged 50 to 69. This test looks for the high-risk types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer.

This change improves early detection and introduces a more sensitive test for those in this age group. At this time, patients 25 to 49 years will continue to be screened using Pap tests.

Regardless of the test, the sample collection, lab submission and colposcopy referral process remains unchanged. Referral decisions will now be based on HPV genotype and cervical cytology results. The Cervical Cancer Screening Clinical Practice Guidelines are under review. Providers will be notified when updates are available.

• Provider resources, including the clinical pathway and FAQ’s are available here.  

• Resources and information to support patient understanding of this test are available here.

• Read PCA’s recent news release: Alberta working to eliminate cervical cancer: transition to HPV screening | Primary Care Alberta.

HPV self-sampling is not included in the current transition phase. Planning for provincial access to HPV self-sampling for all age groups and HPV primary screening for ages 25 to 49 is ongoing.

Unifying MyHealth Alberta applications

The Government of Alberta has announced that the MyHealth Alberta account will replace MyHealth Records as the new unified access point for online provincial health information and services. A MyHealth Alberta account will consolidate access to multiple applications, including My Personal Records and MyChart, making it easier to access reliable health information, services and programs. 

A limited-production rollout of the new application and web experience will be available beginning Jan. 19, with a broader production rollout planned for March 2026.