Steinke Returns to Helm of Health Quality Alberta Amid System Overhaul

CALGARY, AB – May 27, 2026 – Health Quality Alberta (HQA) has named Carmella Steinke, a veteran leader in patient safety and systemic analysis, as its new Chief Executive Officer, a move that places a renowned quality expert at the helm of the provincial watchdog during a period of unprecedented healthcare transformation. Her appointment is effective June 16.

Steinke’s return to the organization she once helped shape comes as Alberta dismantles its single health authority, Alberta Health Services (AHS), in favor of a new four-agency structure. This “refocused healthcare system” creates a critical need for independent oversight, a role HQA is legislated to fill.

A Return to Lead Through Transformation

Carmella Steinke is no stranger to the organization she will now lead. From 2013 to 2017, she served as HQA’s Director of Health System Improvement. She rejoins the agency from a senior leadership role in quality management at Acute Care Alberta, one of the new entities born from the recent restructuring.

Her appointment was lauded by HQA’s board, which emphasized her deep roots in the provincial health system. "As a respected and widely recognized leader in quality and safety across Canada, Carmella is well positioned to guide Health Quality Alberta to deliver on our legislated mandate," said Angus Watt, HQA Board Chair, in the official announcement. He highlighted her "extensive leadership experience across the health system in Alberta" and her ability to advance patient safety "through times of significant change."

This period of change is arguably the most significant in decades. The provincial government’s overhaul, initiated in late 2023, is creating four distinct provincial agencies overseeing Primary Care, Acute Care, Continuing Care, and Mental Health and Addiction. HQA is positioned to act as an independent “bridge” between these new silos, tasked with providing an objective, evidence-based perspective to ensure quality and safety are not lost in the transition.

"Carmella's leadership skills, extensive connections, and deep knowledge of Alberta's health system... will bring together patients, families, and system partners to strengthen patient safety, person-centred care, and health service quality across Alberta," Watt added.

From 'Fatal Solutions' to Systemic Safety

Steinke brings more than just administrative experience to the role; she brings a deeply ingrained philosophy of patient safety forged through academic rigor and the study of past tragedies. A former respiratory therapist, she is the co-author of the 2022 book, Fatal Solution: How a Healthcare System Used Tragedy to Transform Itself and Redefine Just Culture.

The book analyzes the systemic failures that led to a critical medication error in Calgary in 2004, advocating for a shift away from individual blame towards a "Just Culture." This approach encourages healthcare professionals to report errors and near-misses without fear of punishment, allowing organizations to learn from mistakes and build safer systems. This philosophy is particularly relevant today, as HQA itself has recently reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a safe and just culture across the province's health services.

Her expertise in systemic failure is further evidenced by her work co-authoring the Systematic Systems Analysis (SSA): Patient Safety Guidebook on behalf of HQA. This methodology provides a framework for conducting deep-dive safety reviews to understand the root causes of adverse events. As an adjunct lecturer at the University of Calgary, where she teaches a graduate course in patient safety, Steinke is actively shaping the next generation of healthcare leaders with this evidence-based approach.

Navigating a System Under Pressure

Steinke takes the helm of HQA at a time when Alberta’s healthcare system is facing intense pressure. Frontline physicians and the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) have repeatedly sounded the alarm over hospital overcrowding, critical staffing shortages, and dangerously long wait times in emergency departments.

Earlier this year, the AMA reported multiple patient deaths and near-misses directly linked to hospital gridlock. Despite government assurances that investments are yielding results, emergency physicians report that hospitals continue to operate well over capacity, creating a high-risk environment for patient care.

This operational crisis is compounded by the public and professional uncertainty surrounding the system’s restructuring. Furthermore, recent legislative changes, such as Bill 11 which allows physicians a "dual-practice model" to work in both public and private-pay systems, have sparked fierce debate. Advocacy groups like the Canadian Health Coalition have warned that such moves could create a two-tier system, potentially lengthening wait times in the public sphere and undermining the principle of universal access. In this contentious environment, HQA’s role in impartially measuring and reporting on health service quality, access, and equity will be more crucial than ever.

A Smooth Transition and Future Outlook

Steinke succeeds Dr. David Zygun, who served as CEO for the past year. The transition is being presented as seamless and collaborative. The HQA Board expressed its gratitude to Dr. Zygun for his contributions, and he, in turn, offered a full endorsement of his successor.

"Given her extensive history within the system and her understanding of the opportunities ahead for Health Quality Alberta, she is well placed to lead the organization's quality mandate within the refocused healthcare system," Dr. Zygun stated.

Under Steinke’s leadership, HQA is expected to intensify its focus on the principles she has long championed. This will likely involve promoting Just Culture initiatives, applying systematic analysis to persistent quality problems, and expanding the use of patient experience surveys to ensure the voices of Albertans are heard amidst the sweeping changes. Her immediate challenge will be to leverage HQA’s independent mandate to provide clear, data-driven insights that can help guide the new health agencies, hold the system accountable, and ultimately ensure that the quality of care for Albertans is protected and improved during this turbulent period of reform.