Grande Prairie hospital plan expands

Government of Alberta today announced finalized details on the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, which will provide Grande Prairie and area residents improved access to health care services.

The hospital is expected to open to the public in 2017.

A total of 8,022 square metres has been added to the new hospital project, for a total of 64,000 square metres. The hospital will have 200 acute care beds, plus roughed-in space for an additional 32 beds in the future.

The new budget for the project is $621.4 million, up from the original $520 million. The extra funding reflects the confirmed scope of services that will be available at the new hospital. Funding will come from the existing provincial budget.

The new hospital will include:

• 200 inpatient beds – including medical, surgical and rehabilitation, intensive care, cardiac care, neonatal intensive care, pediatric and mental health beds.
• An emergency department – designed as the primary emergency facility for the Grande Prairie region, supplemented by the urgent care services that will be provided at the existing Queen Elizabeth II Hospital.
• Nine operating rooms with the ability to expand to 10 in the future.
• A cancer centre, bringing radiation therapy services to the community.
• Obstetrics – space for an anticipated 2,150 annual births in the region by 2025.
• Diagnostic imaging, including an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and future expansion capability.
• Mental health, respiratory therapy, laboratory and pharmacy services.
• Approximately 4,000 square metres for the nursing and medical careers program from the Grande Prairie Regional College.

“Our partnership with the Grande Prairie Regional College and the development of a health care education and training facility will help with recruitment and workforce challenges,” said Stephen Lockwood, AHS Board Chair.

“The new hospital will also allow us to serve more people closer to home and to deliver patient-focused, quality health programs and services.”

See further details and a new image of the project.